The Pilates industry has grown over the past few years, even through COVID times when studios were closing and many of us were unsure if our businesses would survive. Let’s dig into the research and data to better understand how the Pilates industry has grown so much recently despite these roadblocks.

The Explosion of Pilates Was Inevitable 

Pilates has seen incredible growth in the fitness world…and it was bound to happen. For one thing, the effects of COVID on the decisions and lifestyles of consumers are often underestimated. A report from 2022 by the World Economic Forum shows that COVID has made people more health-conscious and willing to change their lifestyles to increase well-being: 62% of people report that their health is more important to them now than before COVID. Read more about the research here.

The Pilates industry, unsurprisingly, has benefited massively from this change in consumer preferences. Not only does Pilates increase physical well-being, but there are also significant proven benefits for mental health. Pilates boosts your mood and mental health by reducing stress, anxiety, and depression, as well as assisting in your ability to relax and focus. Studies also show that Pilates releases endorphins, which are natural mood enhancers as well as painkillers. 

Pilates has numerous benefits for a wide variety of people: 

Another reason for the recent explosion in popularity is that Pilates can be adapted to any fitness level, age, and most health conditions. In fact, studies show that Pilates can speed up injury rehabilitation, helps in managing chronic issues, and can prevent future injuries by improving body awareness and alignment. 

The Post-COVID Pilates Boom

We all remember the way it felt when the world came to a grinding halt in 2020. During COVID shutdowns, businesses were faced with a terrifying situation. Many businesses were forced to close because their customers were stuck indoors, plus, many people lost their jobs and their ability to pay for goods and services. The Pilates industry felt that impact in canceled memberships and empty studios. Even when some studios turned to online classes, without equipment, students were stuck looking for other ways to work out.

Good news followed this dip. Despite the COVID setback, the Pilates industry appears to have recovered fully. After the drop in market size in 2020, the industry bounced back as seen below:

Source: Pilates and yoga studio market size US 2022 | Statista

Another way to evaluate the rise in Pilates’ popularity is Google Trends, which shows how often people search terms related to Pilates over time. This is a clear signal that people’s interest in Pilates has grown – even tripled! – over the past several years, and that interest continues to trend upwards.

While Pilates business revenue continues to grow (and is expected to grow exponentially in the coming years!), growth in the industry at large is limited by a scarcity of qualified instructors. (Emergen Research) More on this later!

What to Expect as the Pilates Market Changes Rapidly

The Pilates and yoga industries are forecasted to grow at a rate of 11.4% as far out as 2028 (Maximize Market Research). This means that in the next decade, this market will more than double in size. The Pilates equipment industry is showing similar growth. Equipment sales grew over COVID when people were looking to exercise at home. 

Continued growth in equipment sales tells us that more and more people are interested in Pilates. Now that people are looking to work out outside of their home and connect with others with similar passions, studio memberships will grow…as long as the scarcity of qualified teachers is addressed. We’ll talk more about that a little later in this article.

Pilates’ Growth in Pop Culture 

Now more than ever, pop culture has a big impact on consumer behavior. Influencers whose content is viewed by millions of people take to social media to share what they are passionate about. In the last few years, Pilates has seen a substantial uptick from Influencers and celebrities. Take, for example, Jennifer Aniston. Throughout multiple Instagram posts and interviews like this one, Aniston has highlighted the benefits of Pilates, even going so far as to share some of her own workouts. Below is a post from Aniston regarding her love for pvolve, a fitness system that is like a cross between Pilates and barre. 

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A post shared by Jennifer Aniston (@jenniferaniston)

Influencers will continue to help fuel the already explosive growth of the Pilates Market, and the number of influencers sharing their love for Pilates continues to grow. 

With an influx of public interest in the space, one of the biggest challenge the industry faces is finding qualified instructors to meet the increasing demand. This scarcity may be part of why Pilates instructor wages are higher than other exercise instructors. This difference in wages is also indicative of the higher cost of Pilates classes, which may be based on equipment costs and the level of training required to be an excellent teacher.

Source: https://www.ptpioneer.com/pilates-instructor-salary/

The Role of Pilates Instructor Training in Industry Growth

Let’s get back to the role Pilates instructors. While Pilates is quickly growing, it is limited by the lack of a qualified workforce to meet the increasing demand for Pilates classes. The potential for growth in the market is at an all-time high in 2023, but without teachers prepared to instruct students, we can’t meet that need.

There are several reasons that potential instructors are interested in beginning their education in Pilates teacher training, including: 

• Personal Health & Well-being:

  Potential instructors may want constant engagement in physical activity, balance, and discipline. 

• Freedom to Make Your Hours:

  At many studios, instructors can pick and choose when and where they would like to teach.

• High Earning Potential:

  Growing demand in Pilates means more opportunities for those getting into the industry along with higher wages as reflected in the table above.

• Fulfillment in Helping Others:

  Many Pilates teachers report a significant increase in career satisfaction from helping clients become physically well and increase their overall quality of life. 

Pilates education can take many different forms. There are two key parts to a good curriculum. First is training around the discipline of Pilates. The second, and equally important, is to understand how to be a good instructor. Even when a student teacher is experienced in Pilates, being highly-qualified requires an understanding of how to cue students on exercises, how to take notes on client progress, and how to structure an effective lesson.

In order for you as a studio owner to use most Pilates teacher training programs in your studio, these program providers will take a profit share or franchise fee for use of their curriculum. That means that for every dollar you make, you will have to give a portion of that money back to the organization that assisted in your training. It takes much longer to turn a profit this way, and with a small business’s tight budget, this may not be manageable.

Fortunately, this is not always the case. Some organizations, like the Pilates Education Institute, recognize that this business model can feel unfair to the studio owner and does not support the much-needed influx of trained instructors. Pilates Education Institute instead offers options to pay for the training at a flat rate, and will never take any of your hard-earned profits. 

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A post shared by Pilates Education Institute (@pilateseducationinstitute)

Headed in the Right Direction 

In many ways, the stars have aligned for the Pilates market to enter an inevitable boom over the next decade. A shift in the general public’s view that well-being, both physical and mental, need to be prioritized will continue to lead to an increased demand for Pilates. And with the increasing popularity of Pilates influencers, it is clear that the Pilates industry is the next up-and-coming market in the fitness industry as a whole.

Like any other market, the Pilates industry does not come without its challenges. Ensuring that there are enough instructors to meet current and future demand is the biggest challenge facing the market as a whole. 

If you are interested in learning more about how to bring a teacher training program to your studio and start training highly qualified instructors, or are just curious about what the Pilates Education Institute is, we would love to hear from you! Get in touch with us to learn more.