Phoenix – – October 12, 2026 -- The International Sports Sciences Association (ISSA) opened a waitlist today for three online Pilates credentials, targeting a U.S. market where participation reached 13.8 million in 2025, up from 9.9 million in 2020, according to the Sports & Fitness Industry Association (SFIA).
ISSA launches Mat, Reformer and bundled Pilates certifications
The portfolio comprises a Mat Pilates Instructor Certification, a Reformer Pilates Instructor Certification, and a Mat + Reformer bundle that awards both credentials under a single enrollment. The mat course covers the classical 31-exercise repertoire, functional anatomy, cueing and population-specific program design. The reformer course covers safety, spring mechanics, progressive cueing and the full 27-exercise repertoire.
Reformer enrollment is open to mat-certified instructors from ISSA or any nationally recognized program. Waitlist members will be notified first when enrollment opens, ahead of general availability.
Pilates master trainer Josh Vela shaped the reformer curriculum
ISSA built the reformer course with on-camera instructor Josh Vela, a Pilates master trainer with more than 18 years across studio, gym and digital training, working with its in-house education team. Senior Product Developer Jenny Liebl said mat and reformer are "two views of the same method," and that understanding both makes a complete instructor.
ISSA certified 35,293 personal trainers worldwide in 2025, up 12.8% from 31,298 in 2024. It is applying the same self-paced online model to Pilates.
SFIA data shows 3.38 million core Pilates participants in the U.S.
Core participants, defined as those practicing 50 or more times a year, rose to 3.38 million from 3.1 million the previous year. Total participation grew from 12.9 million in 2024 to 13.8 million in 2025, per SFIA's 2026 Single Sport Report.
Americans aged 18 to 24 have the highest participation rate of any age group at 7.9%, and 10.3% of women in that range practice Pilates. Adults 55 and older account for more than 30% of core participants (14.5% aged 55 to 64 and 15.8% aged 65 and up). Women make up 70% of participants.
Participants cross over into other activities: 39.4% also use dumbbells or hand weights, 32.3% hike and 24.1% run or jog. They are more than three and a half times as likely as the general population to take part in high-intensity training. Participation reaches across income brackets, at 5.1% in households earning $100,000 or more versus 3.8% in households earning under $25,000.
Scottsdale leads Acuity Scheduling's ranking with 35.6 studios per 100,000 residents
Acuity Scheduling ranked the 100 largest U.S. cities on studio counts, studios per 100,000 residents, search volume, introductory-offer availability and average drop-in price, with data as of July 16, 2026. Miami recorded the highest Pilates search volume per 100,000 residents.
In Atlanta, 70% of its 111 Pilates studios offer introductory deals. In Minneapolis the share is 80%, tied for the highest among top cities. Portland, the 28th-largest U.S. city, has 95 studios. Los Angeles did not make the top 20, as reported by Athletech News.