Reformer isn't a trend. It's the next durable category in American fitness.
Two consecutive years as the #1 booked class on ClassPass isn't a signal, it's a verdict. Consumers have already decided.
What follows is the case for why this category compounds, why the U.S. is still under- supplied, and why operator quality is about to matter more than operator count.
Roughly 15 million U.S. reformer participants today. Studio supply has grown 1% in the same window participation grew 45%. The math is the opportunity.
The consumer verdict is already in.
Categories don't usually announce themselves this cleanly. ClassPass, the largest cross-brand booking platform in fitness, has ranked reformer Pilates as its single most-booked class in both 2023 and 2024. That is millions of independent purchase decisions pointing at the same modality.
Category-level demand of this quality is rare. When it appears, the window for operators to plant flags in strong metros is short, usually 24 to 48 months before regional and national brands lock down the premium tier.
| Year | Category index (2020 = 100) |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 100 |
| 2021 | 108 |
| 2022 | 118 |
| 2023 | 132 |
| 2024 | 148 |
| 2025 | 163 |
| Measure | U.S. studios |
|---|---|
| Current U.S. studios | 3,500 |
| Studios needed to meet demand | 21,284 |
Independent supply cannot close this gap.
45% more members. 1% more studios. Every existing location now serves 355 members instead of 253, the physical ceiling of one reformer studio is real, and most operators have already hit it.
Post-2020 capital tightening and elevated rates delayed the build cycle that should have followed. The catch-up has to happen, and the operators who can actually build multi-unit will define the premium tier of the category.
A wider member than the wellness studio ever served.
The old reformer audience was narrow: wellness-first women, mid-30s and up. The new audience is wider on every axis, age band, income band, gender mix and athletic background. Athletic Reformer Pilates is engineered for that wider member: the crossover athlete, the strength-first client, and the returning wellness member alike.
| Age band | Share of participants |
|---|---|
| 18–25 | 14% |
| 26–35 | 32% |
| 36–45 | 26% |
| 46–55 | 18% |
| 56+ | 10% |
| Year | Participants (indexed, 2020 = 1.0) |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 1.00 |
| 2021 | 1.08 |
| 2022 | 1.18 |
| 2023 | 1.32 |
| 2024 | 1.42 |
| 2025 | 1.45 |
Ask us what your metro looks like.
We can share demand estimates and territory availability for any U.S. market, usually within a week of the first conversation.
The unit economics of a full studio.
Reformer studios monetize the same way the best boutique concepts do, recurring memberships as the base, class packs and drop-ins as spillover, retail and partnerships as margin lift. When a studio is genuinely full, the mix looks like this.
| Measure | U.S. studios |
|---|---|
| Current U.S. studios | 3,500 |
| Studios needed to meet demand | 21,284 |
| Revenue stream | Illustrative share of revenue |
|---|---|
| Memberships | 55% |
| Class packs & drop-ins | 18% |
| Workshops & specialty | 10% |
| Instructor certification | 9% |
| Retail & merchandise | 8% |
Reformer moves through three phases. Know which one your market is in.
Every mature reformer market has moved through the same arc. The phase your metro is in determines whether you're planting a flag, competing on execution, or defending share.
A handful of independent studios. The first serious operator sets the standard for equipment, programming and hospitality, and defines what 'reformer' means in that market.
Multi-studio local brands emerge. Prime-time waitlists become normal. Pricing rises. Multi-unit operators start consolidating share and locking down the premium tier.
Reformer is mainstream. Competition shifts entirely onto programming, coach caliber and brand, exactly where Athletic Reformer Pilates is built to win.
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