Beet red is how Stephanie Guzman describes her face when she finishes a Pilates exercise session in a room heated to 100 degrees.
"Sweating after you finished — you feel accomplished," says the 40-year-old nurse from Baldwin. "I feel like I detoxed."
It's called "hot Pilates," and it has been catching on like fire, as the popularity of Pilates, known for improving core strength and flexibility, has also risen, according to teachers and students. Social media watchers say Pilates was trending high in the past year or so, but the interest suddenly exploded early this year with hot Pilates. Manhattan studios began offering the classes, and the trend migrated to Long Island, Pilates instructors recount.
In these classes, the exercise room is heated in some way, such as infrared light, toute