When the 2025 ClassPass Look Back Report came out last December, I skipped straight to the Pilates page. For the third year in a row, Pilates was the most-booked workout on the platform worldwide, and reservations rose 66% compared with 2024.
Anyone who has spent time in a Reformer studio will not be surprised by the ranking, and I say that as someone who used to work in one. The report shows which format grew fastest, why people keep rebooking, and what the numbers leave out entirely.
What the 2025 ClassPass Report Found About Pilates
ClassPass, the class-booking app owned by Playlist, released its yearly findings on December 9, 2025, in an official company announcement. The data covers reservations made between January 1 and October 10, 2025, so the “year” is really a little over nine months of bookings.
Pilates finished first among all workouts, ahead of yoga in second place and strength training in third. Four Pilates figures stood out to me.
- Pilates reservations grew 66% year over year, and members searched the app for the word Pilates more than 27 million times.
- Trade publication SGB counted more than 15 million Pilates bookings during the period.
- Pilates was the most rebooked workout in every region ClassPass tracks.
- New members were more likely to choose Pilates for their very first class than any other workout.
Three Years at Number One, Compared Side by Side
Pilates first reached the top spot in 2023, when the 2023 ClassPass report called it the most popular workout of the year for the first time. In the 2024 edition, it held on for a second straight year, and Fortune reported an 84% rise in bookings.
| Report | Pilates Ranking | Reported Booking Growth | Data Window |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | No. 1 for the first time | +92% vs. 2022 | January to November 2023 |
| 2024 | No. 1, second straight year | +84% vs. 2023 | October 2023 to October 2024 |
| 2025 | No. 1, third straight year | +66% vs. 2024 | January 1 to October 10, 2025 |
Growth is slowing, but each percentage sits on a much larger base than the one before. A 66% rise after two years of nearly doubling still means far more classes on the calendar. Each report also measured a different window, so I read the change as a direction, not an exact comparison.
Reformer Led, but Mat Pilates Grew Fastest
Inside the Pilates category, Reformer classes were the most booked format, with reservations up 71%. High-intensity Pilates came second at 27% growth. Mat Pilates ranked third by volume, yet it grew 114%, the fastest of the three.
A Reformer is a bed-like frame with a sliding carriage, springs that set the resistance, a footbar to push against, and straps for the hands or feet. Mat Pilates works on the same principles using body weight and small props on the floor.
Its bed-like shape also explains the popular claim that Joseph Pilates built the first Reformer from a hospital bed, although historical records have yet to confirm that account.
From my studio days, the Reformer lead makes complete sense to me. Beginners often arrived slightly intimidated by the machine and then discovered that the springs could support them through movements the floor never would. The mat surge makes sense as well. A mat class usually costs less, and I explained in an earlier piece why one Reformer class costs as much as dinner out.
Why People Keep Coming Back
Anybody might try a trendy class once out of curiosity. Coming back week after week means the workout fits into a real life.
I watched that shift happen at the studio. First-timers who studied the straps as if they might bite would, a few weeks later, walk in already knowing which spring setting was about to make their legs shake. Confidence on a Reformer builds quickly once the equipment stops feeling foreign.
ClassPass marketing vice president Ivy Wu pointed to a practical reason for that loyalty in an interview with Athletech News. Most people do not own a Reformer, so they have to book a class to use one.
Did you know?
ClassPass found that 33% of all reservations its members made outside their home markets were Pilates classes. People apparently pack grip socks right next to their passports.
What the Ranking Does Not Tell You
A booking ranking is useful, but it measures one platform. Before treating “most popular workout” as a statement about everyone who exercises, keep three limits in mind.
- The data reflects ClassPass members only. People with gym memberships, direct studio packages, or home equipment do not appear in it.
- Growth figures track reservations, not people. One devoted regular booking three classes a week adds more to the total than three people who each try a single class.
- Recaps of the report do not always match the original. A roundup republished on Yahoo listed running as the second most popular workout, but the ClassPass top 10 places running tenth, with bookings down 0.2%.
None of that weakens the main finding. Pilates was booked more than anything else on a large global platform for three straight years, and that is a meaningful signal on its own.
A Boom Also Raises Questions About Teaching
In May 2026, Hailey Bieber told Time that she loves Pilates but thinks it has become something of a fad, adding that good teachers who care about form are hard to find. A Business Insider writer whose mother is a certified Pilates instructor agreed in a column republished on Yahoo, noting how widely training requirements vary between certification programs.
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On teaching quality, I share Hailey’s concern. Rapid growth makes me wonder how studios maintain their standards while adding more classes and hiring new instructors. Social media pushed demand too, as I wrote about in my piece on Pilates princesses and matching sets.
Some Reformer studios have even replaced instructors with screens, a model that raises a different set of questions about supervision and exercise safety.
My own test for a good teacher is simple. They explain why you are doing a movement, change the springs when your form slips, and offer a modification before you have to ask for one.
What I Would Do Before Booking Your Next Class
A ranking cannot choose a class for you. Here is the order I would go in if the headlines have made you curious.
- Pick one format first. Reformer gives more support, mat is cheaper and travels anywhere, and high-intensity classes move fast.
- Tell the instructor it is your first class and mention any injury, pregnancy, or recent birth. Pain is a question for your doctor or a physical therapist, not a booking app.
- Compare drop-in prices with packages using my breakdown of what a Pilates class costs in the US.
- Book the same teacher two or three times before judging the method.
- Notice whether you leave with better control, not just shaking legs.
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If the class still feels confusing after three visits, try a different teacher before giving up on Pilates altogether.
What I Will Be Watching Next
Three years at number one is a long run for any fitness trend, and it puts real pressure on the people teaching all those classes. Overall fitness reservations on ClassPass grew 36% in 2025, and Pilates still outpaced that by a wide margin.
The number I want to see next is whether mat Pilates keeps growing faster than Reformer, because that would show the method reaching people who may never sit on a Reformer.
Until then, my advice stays the same as it was in the studio. Book the class, say it is your first, and ask your teacher what the springs are doing.