Where Pilates is thriving, and who is practicing it, according to the latest data.
Pilates has outgrown its studio-only reputation. It is on the schedule at big-box gyms, boutique studios, resorts, and community centers, and the people showing up are more varied than the stereotype suggests. As ISSA opens the waitlist for its new Mat and Reformer Pilates certifications, we took a closer look at where Pilates is strongest and who is behind the growth.
The headline number: 13.8 million Americans practiced Pilates in 2025, up from 9.9 million in 2020, according to the Sports & Fitness Industry Association's (SFIA) 2026 Single Sport Report. Of those, 3.38 million are core participants who practice 50 or more times a year.
5 U.S. Cities Where Pilates Is Thriving
Acuity Scheduling ranked the 100 largest U.S. cities using studio counts, studios per 100,000 residents, search volume, introductory-offer availability, and average drop-in price. Its data is accurate as of July 16, 2026. Here are the top five.
- Scottsdale, Arizona. With 35.6 Pilates studios per 100,000 residents, Scottsdale has the highest concentration in the study, according to Acuity Scheduling. A resort and wellness culture makes Pilates a natural fit for locals and visitors alike.
- Miami, Florida. Miami has the highest Pilates search volume per 100,000 residents in the study, according to Acuity Scheduling, a sign that interest reaches well beyond a small group of devoted regulars.
- Atlanta, Georgia. Atlanta is one of the most welcoming cities for beginners: 70% of its 111 Pilates studios offer introductory class deals, according to Acuity Scheduling.
- Minneapolis, Minnesota. Even in a city known for the outdoors, 80% of Pilates studios offer introductory deals, tied for the highest share among the top cities, according to Acuity Scheduling.
- Portland, Oregon. Portland ranks as only the 28th-largest U.S. city, yet it has 95 Pilates studios, according to Acuity Scheduling.
Did you know? Los Angeles, the city most associated with the modern Pilates boom, did not make Acuity Scheduling's top 20, as reported by Athletech News.
5 Surprising Facts About Who Practices Pilates Today
Pilates has a familiar image. The data tells a fuller story. All figures below come from SFIA's 2026 Single Sport Report (2025 participation data).
- Adults 55 and older are a major part of the community. Among core participants, 14.5% are ages 55 to 64 and 15.8% are 65 and older, for more than 30% combined, according to SFIA.
- Gen Z is leading the way. Americans ages 18 to 24 have the highest Pilates participation rate of any age group at 7.9%, and 10.3% of women in that age range practice Pilates, according to SFIA.
- Men are part of the picture. Women make up 70% of the U.S. Pilates participants, according to SFIA, which means roughly three in ten participants are men.
- Pilates lovers are also lifters, runners, and hikers. 39.4% of Pilates participants also use dumbbells or hand weights, 24.1% run or jog, and 32.3% hike, according to SFIA. Participants are also more than three and a half times as likely as the general population to take part in high-intensity training, according to SFIA.
- It is practiced across income levels. 5.1% of people in households earning $100,000 or more practice Pilates, compared with 3.8% of those in households earning less than $25,000, according to SFIA.
Built for Where Pilates Is Going
Whether someone is a college student, a lifelong athlete, or a grandparent rediscovering movement, the people walking into Pilates classes are looking for an instructor who knows what they are doing. ISSA's new Mat Pilates Instructor Certification, Reformer Pilates Instructor Certification, and Pilates Instructor Certification: Mat + Reformer are designed to help more people turn their passion for movement into a meaningful career.
Join the Pilates certification waitlist to be notified first when enrollment opens.
Sources
- Sports & Fitness Industry Association (SFIA), 2026 Single Sport Report: Pilates Training (2025 participation data), as summarized by The Pilates Journal, September 9, 2026.
- Acuity Scheduling, “The U.S. Cities Most Obsessed With Pilates,” August 2026 (data as of July 16, 2026).
- Athletech News, “These Are the Most Pilates-Obsessed Cities in the US,” August 20, 2026.
