Plank to Pike: The Surge of the 'Reformer Pilates Girlies' Explained, Part 1
How Reformer Pilates became the hottest new fitness trend post-pandemic. In this two-part series, explore the phenomenon and how that translates to Fashion & Luxury
Reformer Pilates, an instructor-led, equipment-based Pilates workout, (explanation for those uninitiated souls) was the most-booked workout globally in 2024, outpacing even yoga and strength training.
We’re definitely noticing the surge in ClassPass options here in Paris, but this is actually a global phenomenon. 1
So, what’s all the buzz about?
Not only was Pilates, the most-booked genre on ClassPass in 2024, but users who booked a Pilates class are most likely to book another Pilates class that very week!2
Reformer classes have become a bonafide craze: popular studios often have waitlists, and neighborhoods in cities like London, Paris, New York, Sydney, are seeing multiple studios opening up in weeks to keep-up with the demand.
In London, for example, Pilates has suddenly “flipped” from niche to mainstream - which is quite remakable in a city where yoga has dominated the mind-body fitness space for decades. A 2023 UK survey found that 70% of fitness enthusiasts now prefer Pilates over yoga.
This trend represents the convergence of several factors: a growing interest in slow, low-impact exercise as a valid option, effective viral campaigns on social media, real fitness benefits, especially from the celebrities who vouch for this workout, that continue to attract participants despite the premium price point of these classes.
Speaking of costs, in the Eurozone you can expect to pay approx. €30–€40 per class, whereas London boutique studios average around £30 per session. North America (US/Canada) charges approx. $30–$40 per class on average. Despite these costs, Pilates & yoga studio market is expected to roughly double from approx. $158 billion in 2023 to over $420 billion by 2032 at current growth rates. This boom is reflected in the real world with the world’s largest Pilates chain, Club Pilates, expanding from just 30 locations in 2015 to a whopping 1000 studios by early 2024!
What’s driving this Trend?
Post-Pandemic Rebound
The timing of Pilates’ boom (2021–2024) is partly a rebound effect: people craving real human instruction, social interaction, the experience of being in spaces, and the comfort of company in driving their fitness goals after a period of isolation.
Pilates benefited immensely from home-to-studio migration post-lockdown. Smaller classes meant high level of hygience, and “distancing-friendly” workout that made people comfortable to return to this specific group class format.
Early signs were there by 2022.
Peloton’s decline and at-home fitness burnout is something that can be reflected classes like Reformer Pilates. In the UK, only an estimated 8% of Pilates participants had ever tried a reformer class as of a few years ago, compared to around 60% in the United States.3
Additionally, someone who started with mat Pilates at home during lockdown later sought out in-person reformer classes for more challenge, and we can vouch that with the right instructor, these classes can be very addictive.
However, this frenzy has a fuel and its called - social media
The Network Effect :
“Everyone wants to do the same workout as everyone else”
Reformer Pilates exploded on TikTok faster than you could say 'engage your core’! Today, the platform hosts 1M+ videos, where enthusiasts flex their reformer skills. These clips aren't just showing off impressive moves- they're practically evangelising the Pilates lifestyle, promising viewers that a few sessions will transform not just their abs, but their entire existence.
The viral challenges, like the “30-day Pilates transformations”, the “Pink Pilates Princess” aesthetic, very popular on TikTok, has even spawned a consumer trend of much young women investing in cute workout sets and Pilates classes.
The effect is global – a trendy studio in Paris, London or Dubai today likely has clients who discovered Pilates through an influencer or a viral video demonstrating a Pilates FOMO.
Not to mention, countless Hollywood celebrities swear by reformer Pilates – Jennifer Aniston, Kate Hudson, Lady Gaga, the Kardashians, and even pro athletes like LeBron James and David Beckham have all publicly lauded Pilates as part of their fitness routine. Barbie movie’s cast has revealed that they did group reformer Pilates training together to get those wasboard abs, inspiring fans to try the “Barbie workout”. 4
The “Pilates Body”: Is Pilates only for Thin People?
While media outlets celebrate celebrities' Pilates-sculpted physiques without examining the broader implications, a disturbing pattern has emerged where the "Pilates girl" becomes coded language for trad-wife like gender expectations of the physically petite female form, one that is presented as aspirational and not necessarily “healthy”.
Many users who want to try Reformer Pilates classes reflect on how the classes can be intimidating or subtly-branded, with images, as if it is meant for thin women only. It makes one wonder if Pilates is a way of rebranding a new generation's version of body discipline with aesthetics similar to what once was “Soul-Cycle bodies” or “yoga bodies”, just a different language.
The influencer-driven "Pilates body" ideal also represents another iteration of appearance-focused fitness that primarily serves to create insecurity and drive consumption for a consumer attempting to replicate these kinds of bodies.
What's insidious is how this trend also indulges class-signaling as health pursuit, with the prohibitive cost of reformer classes creating another barrier between those who can afford the "right" kind of fitness and those who cannot. 5
Despite all the above, popularity of Pilates is going strong.
Read our Part 2, on how brands are tapping into it- coming soon!
Part 2 coming soon
Thanks for reading, in Part 2, we explore how fitness and fashion brands are leveraging this new trend, tailoring products and marketing for Pilates enthusiasts
The most popular Paris Lagree/Pilates classes: KORE (we love!), Reformation, EPISOD, Punch-Lagree, Snake & Twist, Burning Bar, more on Classpass!