The Pilates Boom Is Shaking the Workout World

In recent years, Pilates has evolved from a narrowly known fitness method to a mainstream movement and way of life. More specifically, reformer Pilates is the typical “Pilates” a person thinks of when wanting to begin the exercise. Reformer Pilates studios like BODYBAR Pilates have seen incredible growth, with BODYBAR alone seeing an 88% growth in 2024.

Why such a big boom?

Beth Allen, creator of BASH Fitness and former public relations instructor at The University of Mississippi, attributes this increased interest in reformer Pilates to the growth in social media during COVID-19.

“I think COVID had a lot to do with it,” Allen said. “Girls were getting on TikTok, filming their ‘Day in the Life,’ and they were going to reformer Pilates. These girls made it look cool to your age group [Gen Z] because of the sets and the aesthetics of it.”

After COVID-19, Allen saw an interesting split in clients wanting to return to in-person classes or continue online. She also saw an increase in Pilates interest overall. According to The Pilates Education Institute, COVID-19 made people more aware of their health (both mentally and physically) and, therefore, increased interest in Pilates.

Reformer Pilates also focuses on overall wellness said clover PR Senior Publicist Lauren Warwick. She noted that the type of full-body workout Pilates offers encourages “flexibility and other benefits to ensure you are strong into older age.”

Clover PR helped lead to the success of Ashley Patten Pilates by promoting the benefits of Pilates to all ages. Warwick said the agency saw an interest around a senior athlete who shaved a minute off his mile using APP’s methods.

“In addition, people want to prevent injury, and APP provided a service that not only worked, but was also focused on long-term health, mobility, flexibility and injury prevention, which was appealing to all ages,” Warwick said.

Influencer and celebrity endorsements like Hailey Bieber’s are also credited for the boom of Pilates said Warwick. After Pilates was mentioned by mainstream celebrities, Warwick said the Pilates movement had a “girlie” moment.

“I think the culture that Pilates has created for the girlie has contributed to its success; you can wear a cute outfit, do it with your friends and then get coffee/breakfast after,” Warwick said.

Strategies and tactics that make the difference

As the brain behind BASH, Allen mentioned the overall welcoming nature of the brand’s social media as a contributing factor to its increased popularity. She wants the feeling of the studio to be communicated through the content shared and to express the motto “Go forth with gratitude and be kind to one another” in every post. The desire to be the “cheerleaders” for clients and welcome them with positivity is what Allen believes makes her brand unique, but also what makes it thrive.

From the external fitness PR agency perspective, clover PR emphasizes the importance of the media’s authentic experience within Pilates classes. Involvement with the classes and instructors gives the opportunity for the media to see Pilates as more personable and gives the audience something to relate to, such as “leaning into trends like ‘work from home’ or ‘travel,’” said Warwick.

For an established brand like APP, Warwick said utilizing opportunities already available, like Patten’s training with Katie Couric, can be an effective tactic to promote brand growth. Meanwhile, the best strategies for startups include “multiple touch points for their ideal customer … traditional PR, but also podcasts, brand partnerships, event integrations, influencers, social media, etc.,” according to Warwick.

The unique factor in a workout brand is what will help it excel in the fitness industry. For some, that factor may be an interesting founding backstory, while for others, it may be a spokesperson with a reasonable following in the media.

Beyond a strong social media, established brand identity and overall media presence, word-of-mouth is one of the most common ways information about a brand is spread through consumers. Free trials, referral programs, partnerships with other businesses and special events are popularly used in the fitness industry to both retain and gain customers.

The future of Pilates and industry trends

While Allen loves to see the growth of reformer Pilates, the method of its growth makes her curious. Allen said reformer Pilates is incredibly detailed, with multiple “layers of movement within just one rep.” Fifteen years ago, when Allen began teaching the workout method, becoming a certified instructor took over a year; however, nowadays, an instructor can become certified by participating in a three-day workshop.

As Pilates becomes more of a trend, studios are popping up more quickly, and instructors are trained with less detail. Allen worries if these studios are giving clients the results they truly want and if clients will then turn away from reformer Pilates altogether.

“If you don’t do it right, you don’t train your people right, you don’t take the time to make it right, then you’ll just be in the middle and won’t be at the top,” Allen said. “You’re not going to be successful if your clients don’t walk out seeing results.”

Given this need for properly trained instructors, Allen said Pilates is “heightened trending right now,” yet sustainable. She compared it to golf by stating, “It’s a practice that’s years long. You never master Pilates. … You’re going to go practice your Pilates, and you’re going to get a good body while doing it.”

Similarly, Warwick said Pilates will continue to be popular, but there will be other factors that come into play and change it. In addition, Warwick noted one of the barriers of the reformer Pilates industry is its high-priced equipment and memberships.

From the inside scoop to the external eyes, established members of the reformer Pilates world agree that the workout method is here to stay for a while. The question is whether studios or individuals have what it takes to make a boom big enough to create an impact.

“Know your brand, and then trust your team,” Warwick said. “You are the expert, but we are the megaphone.”