F45 Training Sees Fast Progress with Mixed Pilates Brand FS8

Pilates is already on the upswing, but FS8, an F45 subsidiary, is giving it a lift unlike anyone else

F45 Training’s restructuring under new CEO Tom Dowd hasn’t stopped it from getting in on the Pilates party. With FS8, a new F45 franchise that combines Pilates, tone and Yoga, it’s even situated itself at the center stage.

FS8 launched in Australia back in 2021 but opened its first U.S. location in Austin, Texas, this past spring. The Australia launch came just before the second wave of COVID-19 arrived, and although that hindered things, it gave the brand extra time to sharpen its three-in-one workout and better prepare for expansion. The fruits of those labors are ripening today.

“We launched the day before the second wave of COVID hit for us, so it was a bit of a tumultuous time,” said Janina Czado, FS8 General Manager. “But that allowed us to hone in and evolve the product to what we really wanted it to be. Now, we’re really ready to go with expansion across the U.S., U.K. and Asian markets as well.”

General Growth of Pilates

Along with some added time for FS8 to load its product, the pandemic helped catalyze an increased public interest in long term health. That’s been instrumental in Pilates’ growth as a whole.

“Awareness of health and wellness is on the rise, particularly post-COVID,” said Czado. “We now emphasize the need to maintain good health for longevity. It’s no longer about going to a gym to smash yourself and get those endorphins going. It’s about how you can optimize your body for a longer, healthier life.”

Czado reported that almost 12 million people participated in Pilates last year, illustrating a 15% increase compared to the year before. She also added that the market is set to reach a $420 billion value by 2032. Yelp reported a year-over-year 35% increase in searches for stretching and flexibility training last November as well.

“People are increasingly recognizing its benefits and how it contributes to quality of life,” said Czado. “I don’t think it’s reached its peak and a greater focus on franchise models like FS8 will contribute to this by enabling mainstream audiences to touch these sorts of modalities.”

How FS8 Moves the Needle

FS8 has already played a significant role in taking Pilates to this next level. The brand noticed competitors were leaving a lot on the table in terms of addressing mainstream audiences. FS8 made that group a priority during its launch.

“We identified a gap in the market as Pilates and yoga weren’t yet geared towards a mainstream audience. That was obviously due to it previously being more clinical and owned by single operators,” said Czado. “That’s something we really wanted to shift when we came in. Aside from that, Pilates can be seen as intimidating. At FS8, it’s a bit more of an inviting environment. We really wanted to remove the gym-timidation and open up Pilates and yoga specifically to a broader market.”

The brand also breaks down gender barriers separating Pilates from the masses. Little things like alternative studio aesthetics go a long way on that front.

“We really wanted to kind of tap into the male market as well and not make it a female-only product,” said Czado. “You can see in the studio it’s not really feminine, it’s quite neutral, which is probably a little bit different to other Pilates concepts. It’s been used in sporting codes and male dominated sporting codes for a very long time. It just really hasn’t gone out of that space.”

A Bright Future

The evidence suggesting that Pilates is only getting started lies in its past. The modality has remained a relevant fitness option for years, reaching peak popularity in the 2000s, and becoming a mainstay in the fitness industry. Now, it’s only stepping further into the limelight as it’s enhanced with other modalities like tone and Yoga thanks to brands like FS8.

“Pilates was developed in the 20th century, so it’s been around for quite a while, and yoga even longer than that,” said Czado. “The exciting thing about Pilates is that it has already stood the test of time and now it’s expanding with brands like FS8, which takes the core principles out of the modality and combines them with others to maximize benefits and elevate offerings.”

“It’s expanding from a franchising perspective as well,” she added. “As more people become aware of health and wellness, they’re really data-driven. They want more education and tracking. They’ve got wearables. People are more in-tune with their bodies and their health and that will continue to drive them to search for ways to enhance their lives and make practices like Pilates and yoga more appealing and relevant.”

FS8 reports six studio locations are already in operation with “more in the pipeline later this year.” F45 also recently launched Vaura Pilates , a total-body athletic conditioning class that takes place on reformers.

“The momentum of franchises like this will keep Pilates and yoga growing,” Czado added. “It’s a pretty exciting time and we’ve come in with a different approach. We’ve taken the best of all of the modalities and tried to mix them together so people can get everything that they need in 50 minutes.”

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