The Top Career Opportunities for Pilates Instructors in 2025

Pilates is one of the fastest growing areas in the health and fitness industry… and beyond. In addition to regular Pilates classes, or even more specialised formats such as hot Pilates, reformer Pilates and classes integrating Pilates with other modalities like breathwork or yoga, there are a whole host of emerging opportunities for Pilates instructors or aspiring instructors to consider and pursue in 2025…

Some of the contributing factors driving the expansion of Pilates practice, both in Australia and worldwide, include the increased demand for Pilates both during and since the pandemic, the rise in demand for personalised fitness classes and programming, a growing awareness about the importance of holistic health and the mind-body connection, and an ever-evolving interest in health and wellness.

These factors drive the future of Pilates, and even more so open doors to new career paths, employment opportunities and innovative business models within the industry. 

Let’s discuss some of the top emerging career opportunities for Pilates instructors in 2025, and explore effective tips to help you take advantage of these if they appeal to you.

Virtual Pilates Instructor

Pilates has traditionally been largely an in-person practice, with the emphasis on props and larger equipment like reformers only furthering this approach. However, as we learned during the pandemic, Pilates can actually be done anywhere, and at any time. This opens up a whole new range of possibilities for instructors… Including the potential to run online classes, programs and workshops with clients.

This opportunity capitalises on the rise of online and hybrid fitness , with many people preferring to access classes or workout from the comfort and convenience of their own homes. Operating classes online allows instructors to reach clients from all over the world with flexible schedules, meaning you can scale your business more easily with your access to a wider potential client base than ever before.

Another obvious advantage of the online model for anyone wanting to start their own Pilates business is the ability to minimise expenses and overhead costs… Instead of paying rent for premises, hiring staff, renting or purchasing equipment and so on, you can consolidate your costs by going online. This way, once you purchase equipment and technology, and potentially hire a few employees to host additional classes or assist with admin, your future costs are minimised and streamlined.

An alternative approach to the entirely online business model is the option to adopt a hybrid teaching model. This is becoming more prevalent in the fitness industry, seeing instructors teaching live, in-person classes to a group of students while live streaming the session online to clients all over the country or the world at the same time.

This offers clients the choice of which format best suits or appeals to them, and means you can instruct many more clients at the same time, improving your earning potential and helping you scale your business without too much extra effort. Plus, you’re helping more people than ever achieve their health goals - it’s a win, win!

Of course, building a business online or teaching classes in this new hybrid or online-only format requires an increased focus on digital marketing. Instructors or studio owners need to develop strong skills in this area, using social media platforms to create a personal brand and differentiate themselves from other instructors or classes available. You’ll need a user-friendly website and booking system, and the ability to respond to and resolve customer concerns quickly and efficiently.

And, of course, the technical skills and equipment required to teach virtual classes, including cameras, microphones and streaming software. Once you master these things, you’ll be able to establish a successful online presence and increase the reach and scale of your work and classes quickly.

Specialised or Niche Pilates Instructor.

As the demand and interest in personalised fitness continues to grow, there are more and more opportunities to differentiate yourself and attract clients by specialising in certain areas, such as pre- or post-natal Pilates, rehabilitative Pilates, Pilates for seniors, or Pilates for athletes.

Having specialised knowledge and expertise means your client base will be more trusting of your ability to look after them and their needs, and they’ll also be more able to find you when searching for a targeted solution catering to their unique situation or demographic.

With Pilates increasingly being used as part of a multidisciplinary approach to rehabilitation, Instructors with qualifications in this space can consider collaborating with allied health professionals, such as physiotherapists, to offer recovery-focused Pilates classes and share or attract a specific client base.

Similarly, instructors with additional qualifications in areas such as those mentioned above are instantly elevated above regular instructors, with their services and classes more likely to be chosen over competitors’.

Luckily, we’ve developed courses to equip you with these very skills and qualifications, to help you set yourself apart and pursue a more specialised or niche career in Pilates. Check out our:

• Ante / Post Natal online Reformer course
• Matwork course
• APPI Pilates for Kids and Teens
• APPI Pilates for Runners
• Physiology, Injury and Healing
• APPI Pilates for Dancers
• APPI Pilates for Menopause

These are all excellent starting points to consider when looking to pursue a career opportunity in a more specialised area of Pilates.

Corporate Pilates Instructor.

In our recent blog on anticipated trends for 2025 in the industry, we discussed the evolving emphasis on corporate wellness. Employers are increasingly expected to provide additional care and support to employees, in terms of wellness and mental health initiatives and personal support, and are also motivated by expected increases in productivity, retention and enthusiasm from their employees as a result.

Pilates is one of the most popular practices when it comes to corporate wellness. With the ability to cater to any level, ability or need, it offers a chance for employees to bond, focus on their health, and enjoy the benefits provided by their workplace… and at the same time, it offers you a new area of employment to consider.

Pilates instructors with extensive experience, an ability to tailor classes to different levels and people, and the confidence to capably instruct larger (or sometimes smaller!) groups of people are in more and more demand by employers and companies for this reason. Which means teaching Pilates classes in a corporate setting is another potential career path (or side hustle) you can consider.

Retreats and Programs.

People are more and more committed to their health and wellness as education around the importance of physical and mental wellbeing continues to improve. As a result, instead of looking for a “quick fix” or a temporary solution they can dip in and out of, they’re more inclined to seek out longer term commitments - whether that be in the form of learning skills and technique so they can continue to train themselves, or longer-term programs to help keep them motivated and facilitate their continued growth and improvement.

This opens up two huge areas of potential for Pilates instructors to pursue. Firstly, the chance to run Pilates or wellness retreats, bringing Pilates enthusiasts together for an intensive period of time to give them the chance to bond, connect and elevate their practice.

Secondly, the opportunity to develop an online program or source of content. This could even be a series of YouTube videos, monetised for advertising content. Or, it could be a paid program clients can enrol in and complete in a timely manner or at their own pace. Setting up Pilates workshops or classes in this way also gives you the freedom to create the relevant content and training materials, upload and set the course or workshop up, and then forget about it!

You can have it ticking away in the background, for clients to sign up and use at any time, creating an incredible source of passive income for you! Whether you do this on the side of other work or projects, or as your primary work, it’s a great way to maximise the return on your time, effort and investment as a Pilates instructor.

Of course, these are just some of the endless opportunities Pilates instructors can consider and pursue in 2025 and beyond. As Pilates becomes increasingly popular - due to its ability to offer a way for anyone of any ability to improve their fitness and health, its proven effectiveness and results for both the mind and body, and the low-impact yet high reward nature of the practice, and people become more aware of its potential and promise, the different avenues you can pursue as an instructor in the field will only keep expanding! It’s such an exciting time to be part of the industry - so keep your mind and options open, and consider new potentials you’d never thought possible before!

Connect with others in the industry, ask them questions about their own career journey and aspirations, form relationships with people you could see yourself working with in the future, and develop friendships with other like-minded Pilates enthusiasts and instructors, so you never feel alone on this rapidly evolving journey and you always have someone to bounce innovative ideas off!

If this sounds exciting and promising to you, but you’re not yet a qualified Pilates instructor, we’ve got you covered! Enrol in our APPI Pilates Instructor Certification today to give yourself the best chance of success in your future career in Pilates, and open as many doors as possible for yourself! Employers prefer to hire Unite Health graduates whenever possible for good reason… So start your career with a competitive edge right from the get-go!

Or, if you’re already qualified but want to upskill or pursue additional qualifications to help you specialise in a certain area or client base, or set you apart in the industry, we’ve got a plethora of course options for you to choose from! Check out our course catalogue here.

And if you need some guidance in understanding what you can expect to learn and gain throughout our APPI Pilates Instructor Certification, or are looking for personalised advice on which of our upskilling courses is best suited to your career goals and trajectory, book a free chat with our course experts today!