You all have seen the rates. Upwards of $100 for a private session and upwards of $40 for a group apparatus class. Long gone are the days when a class cost $15. Pilates has historically been a luxurious get-fit option since it was primarily hyped as a one-on-one client to certified trainer session. It was only in the last decade, arguably since the financial crash in 2008, where the resurrection of the Pilates group class hit main stream. Studios had to find a lower price point in order to keep revenues coming in when private sessions seemed to go out the door with the hefty wall street bonuses.

Mat classes have always been on the table at most studios and til this day are the lowest priced option for anybody wanting to take Pilates. We love the classical mat at Core! Using your own body weight for resistance without the guidance of alignment that the Pilates Reformer or Pilates Tower provides. Mat is tough! But… when you lay down on a mat and are staring at all the fancy bells and whistles next to you in spring-land, you itch to get your body on the apparatus.

Affordable Pilates Reformer Classes

Welcome today – with the onslaught of the group apparatus class, studios have traded in reception space to fit in multiple reformers, towers and even chairs for classes as large as 9 clients. The price points are generally much less than a private and you still get the benefit of the springs and apparatus as you would in a private session. And when you have a super talented instructor even a group class can feel somewhat personal and customized.

Cost-Saving Pilates Introductory Packages

Within the Pilates class world – most studios offer packages and more recently the trend seems to be on following the yoga vibe and offering introductory offers and monthly unlimited packages. These are the most economical options but as is the case when joining a gym and having the fees auto-deducted, you have to be sure to get your money’s worth otherwise opting to buy 5 pack, 10 or 20 package of classes might suit you better.

At Core we have a pretty wide funnel to target newbies and existing clients. We’ve tried to do away with the huge barrier to entry that is a $100 private session and widened our brands mission toward more group apparatus classes. Keeping up with buying trends is one thing but also keeping up with competition. And not just other Pilates studios in New York City but rather other boutique fitness trends new on the city’s landscape such as Pure Barre, FlyWheel, AKT and more. Pilates has to stay competitive so it has somewhat forced the hand of studio owners and bigger Pilates studio brands to accommodate the need for more group classes.

The most widely seen and most popular group Pilates classes in the city seem to be Reformer classes. Reformer classes have taken over where Tower classes left off. Those studios who have the space to line up Reformers rake in the clients and can expect waitlisted classes. Yay for that! But with that popularity comes upholding the Method’s integrity. We have tried to keep our Pilates methodology true to our brand’s original intention of being classical. Classical but with a twist is often how we describe our approach to the group class experience. And training our instructors to keep the balance is also a key component to our success as a business.