SWSMpilates – by Emma Dunn
A woman says a Pilates class left her hospitalised – after she passed out four times.
Lola Fernandez, 24, felt “destroyed” after completing a 55 minute HIT Pilates class in January 2025.
She rushed to the toilet and was constantly throwing up and asked her fellow classmates to call 911.
Paramedics arrived and Lola passed out four times before they got her into the ambulance – due to dehydration.
Lola spent six hours in hospital – passing out a further two times – before she could head home.
Lola, a content creator and data analyst, from Los Angeles, California said: “Once I finished the class I was completely destroyed.
“I ran to the bathroom and started throwing up.
“I’ve never experienced such a violent thing with my body.
“It got to the point of dehydration that I started passing out.
“They told me I passed out four times before I got in the ambulance and twice at hospital.
“It wasn’t Pilates fault – it was a combination of a lot of things.
“But they shouldn’t advertise Pilates as classical and then it’s HIT.”
Lola said her stomach is sensitive to fatty foods and she had been unwell the night before the class after eating fried chicken.
She said: “I should probably not have gone to the gym but I I felt completely fine.
“I didn’t eat anything – maybe a couple of bites of an apple.
“But I have done fasted workouts before.”
Lola was expecting a classic Pilates class but says she got thrown into an intense HIT style class.
She said: “I did give it my all.
“It was towards the end of the class I started noticing I was really exhausted.
“My heart was pounding.
“I was taking some breaks. At the end I lay down completely – my head was spinning.”
After becoming unwell she was taken in an ambulance to Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center, Burbank, California.
Lola was given fluids and doctors had to keep her in for six hours to make sure her white blood cell count decreased.
She said: “The white blood cells were double what they normally should be.
“I wouldn’t wish this on my worst enemy.”
Lola is now full recovered but is wary of wrongly advertised classes and making sure she eats and stays hydrated before exercising.
She said: “Before you go and move your body drink water and eat – even if it’s a piece of fruit.
“People should really look into the classes they are taking.
“Stick to what works for you.”
Follow Lola on TikTok @lolurrrra
