Pilates is a low-impact workout focusing on a series of approximately 50 exercises designed to strengthen muscles, improve flexibility, and enhance overall physical conditioning. Pilates can offer gentle rehabilitation for injuries or rigorous challenges for athletes. Key principles of Pilates include focused movement, engagement of core muscles, fluid and precise motions, and controlled breathing. Exercises can be performed using specialized equipment like the reformer or simply on a mat. 

Carly Mallenbaum, a lifestyle reporter, wrote “[n]ow, low-impact and functional fitness workouts are all the rage for American adults.” Functional fitness is described as training that prepares the body for everyday movements and tasks

While pilates has existed for a hundred years, it has recently experienced a surge in interest. According to ClassPass, a popular app workout users purchase classes from, “Pilates was the most popular workout of the year with reservations for Pilates bookings up 92%.” This comes as low-impact exercise has become a trend. On Yelp, pilates searches increased by 25% from 2022 to 2023.