Atlanta Pilates Studio Owner Witnesses Its Evolution. Leslie Clayton, owner of Body Awareness, which, at 31 years, is Atlanta’s oldest Pilates studio, has participated in the Pilates evolution.
In the beginning, many of her clients were affluent, having discovered Pilates at spas and resorts on the two coasts. Two other types of Pilates students were prevalent then, as they are now: those rehabilitating from injuries and professionals, such as dancers, who were looking to fine-tune their performance.
How students have engaged with Pilates has changed over time. In the beginning, large group mat classes were an easy and economical way for people to try Pilates out. But “private sessions have always been a major way to learn Pilates,” says Clayton. “You can really customize the session. People can get their individual needs met because there are many different ways that people choose to breathe or stand or sit or have functional imbalances in their posture.”
When COVID emerged, it impacted people’s ability and willingness to learn remotely and virtually. Based on available data, ChatGPT reports that Pilates in the U.S. enjoyed its biggest growth between 2020 and 2023. ClassPass reported that in 2024, Pilates bookings increased by 84 percent over 2023. Moreover, more men started taking up Pilates than ever: Solidcore, a national chain offering Pilates-style workouts, reported a 71 percent year-over-year increase in male membership between 2022 and 2023.
These days, Clayton sees the biggest growth in Pilates coming in group reformer classes. She’s addressing that by opening a second studio; her current location only has four reformers. [No official date for opening has been announced as of this writing.] New studios are opening with anywhere from eight to 15 reformers, she says, but she’s willing to teach no more than 10 in a group class. “Pilates is really about fine-tuning posture form,” she says. “A lot of things could go wrong when you have a lot of moving parts.”
Clayton sees significant differences among her student groups. Clients in their 70s through 90s see Pilates as their primary form of exercise, she says. “The spring tension environment is just the best thing that I know of for keeping the joints mobile without stressing the joints.” Longevity is a key motivating factor as older clients “can see [the benefits of Pilates] now more than ever when they are in social gatherings with their friends that are of their age.”
Younger practitioners, on the other hand, typically use Pilates for core strength and flexibility and as a supplement “to keep their body in balance if they play tennis or golf.” It’s also fun for this group, in addition to the “cosmetics” consideration; “you look long and lean, and your posture looks great.”
One motivating factor to take Pilates has not changed since the very beginning: rehabilitating injuries, especially of the lower back, as well as injury prevention. “The mindfulness that you bring to your exercise with Pilates is very important for injury prevention,” says Clayton.
