Why More Men Are Taking Pilates: Historically Dominated by Women, Life Time, the Nation's Largest Provider of Traditional Pilates, Sees Surging Male Demand

Male Pilates participation at Life Time has more than doubled in five years, while women's participation continues to grow across the company's more than 180 Pilates studios

Key Highlights:

• More than 180 Life Time locations offer Pilates programming, making Life Time the largest provider of traditional Pilates and private Pilates sessions in the U.S.
• Male Pilates participation at Life Time has more than doubled over the past five years.
• Men now represent approximately 25% of participants in Life Time's private Pilates sessions.
• Life Time is celebrating 20 years of Pilates in 2026.

CHANHASSEN, Minn., Nov. 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Life Time (NYSE: LTH), the nation's premier healthy lifestyle brand and the largest provider of both traditional Pilates and private Pilates sessions in the U.S., is seeing Pilates grow among both men and women across its more than 180 locations offering Pilates programming.

Once viewed primarily for its flexibility and core training, Pilates is now being embraced by men seeking a smarter approach to strength, mobility, recovery and longevity. From pro athletes looking to improve recovery and performance, to active agers looking to tie their workout routines into living a longer, happier life, Pilates can be a fantastic pillar or complement to a variety of routines.

Over the past five years, the number of unique male Pilates participants at Life Time has more than doubled, and men now account for approximately 25% of participants in private Pilates sessions. Women continue to embrace the practice and are also driving significant growth as the reformer boom continues into the end of 2026. Pilates' growth at Life Time underscores the accelerating shift toward low-impact, high-results strength training that supports functional movement, mental wellbeing and longevity.

"We've long heard from women about the benefits of Pilates, and now we're hearing from more and more men about what the practice is doing for them," said Theresa Barone, the Director of Pilates at Life Time. "Our male members are sharing how Pilates helps them in their day-to-day life, and also in specific ways for their sport like golf, tennis and running. Some have reduced pain from injuries and others have found more mobility to keep doing the activities they love."

The trend comes as strength and longevity, two key health benefits of Pilates, continue to rank among the top wellness priorities for consumers. In Life Time's annual Wellness Survey, getting physically stronger ranked as the leading health goal, while longevity emerged as one of the most significant wellness trends shaping the year.

People are realizing the health benefits of Pilates as they continue to prioritize intelligent strength training, mobility and long-term health, including:

• Better movement mechanics that support lifts such as squats and deadlifts
• Building core strength
• Reducing stress
• Injury prevention through improving balance
• Aiding pain points or tension interfering with golf, racquet sports, skiing or other activities

Long before reformer workouts became one of the fastest-growing fitness trends nationwide, Life Time was building its highly regarded offerings. Now celebrating 20 years as the premier leader in the Pilates space, more than 900 certified Pilates instructors deliver small group and private sessions. "There's a learning curve for everyone starting to take Pilates and our instructors are the best at explaining the equipment, the why behind the movements and helping everyone to get the best experience at the level they're at," said Barone.

Pilates was created by Joseph Pilates and Life Time maintains this traditional and comprehensive approach, adhering to the execution he established while offering a full suite of equipment beyond the Reformer, including Mat, Cadillac/Tower, Chairs, Barrels and more. As Life Time opens new clubs and expands existing destinations, Pilates studios and reformer-based classes remain a foundational, high-demand part of the member experience.

Complementing its traditional Pilates offerings, Life Time now has nearly 100 dedicated studios for CTR (Core. Tone. Reform.), its high-energy, Pilates-inspired athletic reformer workout that launched in mid-2025. While CTR is not Pilates, it meets growing demand for athletic training on a reformer and serves as a gateway for members to explore traditional Pilates. Together, the two distinct offerings create an expansive portfolio, giving members more ways to experience reformer-based movement and discover the comprehensive benefits of a traditional Pilates practice.

For more information about Life Time, visit LifeTime.life, explore the Life Time Newsroom or follow LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram, or download the complimentary Life Time App.

About Life Time
Life Time (NYSE: LTH) empowers people to live healthy, happy lives through its more than 195 athletic country clubs across the U.S. and Canada, the complimentary and comprehensive Life Time app featuring its L•AI•C™ AI-powered health companion, and more than 30 iconic athletic events. Serving people ages 90 days to 90+ years, the Life Time ecosystem uniquely delivers healthy living, healthy aging, and healthy entertainment experiences, a range of unique healthy way of life programs, highly trusted LTH nutritional supplements and more. Recognized as a Great Place to Work^®, the company is committed to upholding an exceptional culture for its nearly 50,000 team members.

SOURCE Life Time, Inc.