“On way to pilates…” — Sonam Kapoor on Twitter.

The workout regimen to “sculpt hips, thighs, abs and core” in women is fast spreading from Hollywood-Bollywood heroines to the Calcutta homemaker.

If Madonna put pilates on the map when she junked yoga for it after falling off a horse last April, and the likes of Jennifer Aniston, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Drew Barrymore, Gwyneth Paltrow and Julia Roberts helped take it places, Calcutta is now learning the language of “stretch-and-strengthen”.

When Padatik got Leah Curtis, a ballet and contemporary dancer from New York, to conduct pilates classes recently, about 45 students comprising homemakers and professional dancers enrolled for the nine-month course of 24 classes.

If the young are drawn by the desire to shape up, the not-so-young feel “it defies age”. Ask Chetna Jalan, 62. “I have been practising pilates for six years and I am far fitter now than when I was 45,” says the kathak dancer who does a cartwheel and a backflip.

Payel Mallick, 28, is a regular at Leah’s pilates classes. “I was always very skinny, but after starting this course in April I look more shapely,” says the kathak dancer.

Women are clearly the dominant pilates target group. “Boys often feel it is sissy. But I have taken pilates classes and it is tough. In fact, I borrow from pilates techniques to help my clients keep their core tight and stabilise hip joints while working out; they are also less likely to hurt themselves,” says conditioning coach Ranadeep Moitra.

But why pilates instead of good ol’ yoga? The fundamentals are similar, but the application different. “The process values quality of movement rather than quantity of repetition,” explains fitness expert Mrinalini Mukherjee of Solace, describing pilates as “mind-and-body workout”.

Corporate lawyer Adity Chaudhury, 25, has been training in pilates with Mrinalini for the past year. “I work for 12-14 hours a day and the stress levels are very high. But thanks to pilates I have lost about 15kg and I feel more energetic now,” she says.

Pilates decoded has to do with 29 muscles called core group, abdominal region, spinal region and pelvic region. “Depending upon the strength of the core muscles our extremities function. In most, the core muscles are either weak or under-worked, causing pain,” explains physiotherapist Kamal Shah.

Unlike hitting the gym, where there is scope for monotony, muscular strains and fatigue, pilates is meant to focus on the feel good-look good factors. “I am feeling more agile and less stressed,” says Neeru Raj, 58, who has lost 5kg and 2 inches around her waist since joining Mrinalini’s classes last August.

The last word on pilates comes from instructor Leah, who has been at it for over 20 years. “It corrects posture, increases stamina, helps in spine alignment, strengthens the supportive corset of abdominal muscles and is breath-led so can be recommended as a rehab exercise from injuries and spondylitis.”

No wonder Madonna and all of her “girlfriends”, have a thing for pilates.