Pilates has seen an unprecedented boom in recent years, with reformer studios dominating the fitness scene in 2025. But as demand continues to rise, Abby McLachlan, an expert in the fitness industry, predicts that 2026 will bring a new wave of Pilates innovation.
From a return to smaller, more personalised classes using traditional equipment, to the rise of wall Pilates and hybrid mobility workouts, the practice is evolving to meet both lifestyle trends and the growing appetite for strength, balance, and longevity.
BelowAbby McLachlan, Pilates Instructor & Founder of inclusive wellbeing studio East of Eden shares her thoughts
As we’ve already seen the absolute explosion of reformer Pilates in 2025, that trend will continue, but I think people are going to start wanting more. With some studios having up to 30 reformer beds, I think that we will see a trend of people also wanting a more in-depth a personal Pilates experience, true to the original Pilates principles.
So I think we will start to see more use of equipment such as the Cadillac and the barrel. I can see tower Pilates growing in popularity, and these classes have to be smaller as they require more precision. And then I think because the cost of living challenges that so many people are experiencing are unlikely to get significantly better next year, I think we will start to see a trend around wall Pilates, so using the wall to create additional balance and resistance challenges that you cannot get from just a mat alone.
The massive focus on strength training in the last year means, I think, people will start to want to also introduce some mobility element to their workouts in order to stay mobile and reduce the risk of injury. And I see Pilates performing a really important role here, though more Mat based than reformer based, looking at blending elements of the Pilates method with other types of mobility training in order to create new hybrid classes. Pilates is already used in classes like barre and sculpt, and I only see its influence growing and growing throughout 2026.
