How can clubs tap into the world’s hottest workout trend?

If workouts were fraternal, then Strength would be the much-loved first-born – a people-pleaser who’s fun to be around…but Pilates? That would be his cooler sister with countless street cred.

A sleeper hit that’s been slowly making its way back into the fitness mainstream, Pilates is now taking center stage. The workout named after its inventor Joseph Pilates has been around since the 1920s. But with influencers and celebrities alike sharing their love for the Pilates trend (TikTok views for #pilates are at 7.5bn views as of July 2024) this social media phenomenon has crossed over to the IRL (in real life) experience, leading to packed classes and massive demand.

Pilates was the most popular workout of last year, with class bookings up 92%, demonstrating the strong potential for further growth in this category as more clubs get in on the action.

But what makes Pilates so timely? The roots of Joseph Pilates’ original workout are anchored in addressing the bad habits of modern life. He set out to create a program to improve bad posture and introduce mindful breathing – aims as relevant today as they were then. Consumers are increasingly motivated to work out for intrinsic reasons, seeking movement that enhances their health and helps them live long and healthy lives.

And with the strength trend showing no signs of slowing down, there’s also room to offset the high-impact exertion of strength gains with gentler movement. Appetite for low-impact training is strong, with bookings up 176% from 2022. There’s also an opportunity to harness the restorative power of Pilates to target those recovering from injury or managing pain, and attract more men into the studio. A recent survey from the US National Center for Health Statistics revealed men are more likely to favor low-impact training to manage pain than women (31.8% vs 27.5%).

PILATES REIMAGINED

So how can clubs capitalize on this trend to beat the boutiques and bring in new members? LES MILLS PILATES is a brand-new workout blending the best of the old, with the best of new. Bring the world’s hottest trend to your studio with a workout featuring unique music, beautiful choreography, and supportive coaching to offer members an unforgettable experience. Requiring nothing more than a mat, LES MILLS PILATES is easy to launch and can be delivered in any type of studio, without the need for expensive fit-outs and equipment.

LES MILLS PILATES is the latest innovation from the Limited Edition Collection – science-backed workouts that harness the latest fitness trends to engage the next generation of members in group training. It’s been designed and rigorously tested over 18 months in the LES MILLS LAB.

Kylie Gates, one of the program’s creators, explains its benefits: “The beauty of this workout is there is no impact, but everything feels activated. It’s scientifically structured with a beautiful balance of opposing muscle work, so you’re not just burning out one area of your body. At the end, I never feel smashed or depleted. I always feel longer, like I’ve been stretched. There is something magical about how the focus on breathing revitalizes your nervous system. It is energizing.”

Fellow LES MILLS PILATES creator Glen Ostergaard highlights the power of a workout that delivers on satisfaction without the need to push your limits: “The really cool thing about Pilates is you get a lot of benefits without having to rinse yourself every workout. Physically, it has strengthened my core and my glutes, which has helped with my cycle training and lifting weights. I had some back pain – which pretty much disappeared – and I feel less likely to get injured. Mentally, it’s been great. I’m not really a yoga guy, so having a different way to calm my nervous system and focus on breathing has been really beneficial.”

SPEED TO MARKET

As a Limited Edition program, LES MILLS PILATES benefits from a fast training process, enabling Instructors to quickly certify and start delivering classes on your timetable.

Bryce Hastings, Les Mills Head of Research, adds: “Pilates is one of the most popular fitness genres, but Pilates certifications can take a long time to work through. By training to teach LES MILLS PILATES, Instructors can fast-track their learning – focusing on the key elements of Pilates alongside the LES MILLS approach to safe and effective exercise. We set them up with a comprehensive toolbox to put them at the forefront of one of the hottest trends.”