Doing a workout from one of the best Pilates apps is a great way to begin reaping the full-body benefits of the practice from the comfort of your own home or workout studio. The low-impact practice works to strengthen your body, with a focus on posture, balance and flexibility.
What's more, you can build a regular Pilates routine wherever you wish with one of the best Pilates apps. There are numerous options to download when it comes to stretching out on your pick of the best yoga mats - whether you want to train in real-time or do a full-body Pilates workout on-demand, get to grips with the basics at the direction of a qualified instructor, or challenge yourself with a more advanced workout.
There is also the convenience of doing Pilates in your own space and training virtually with an app can be an affordable way to create a habit. Not sure where to get started? We've rounded up all the top apps to choose from, depending on your needs - whether price is your priority, you want to train based on your specific abilities, or variety is the name of your game.
1. Best app overall: The Pilates Class
2. Best for variety: Glo
3. Best for pros: Pilates By Bryony
4. Best for technique: Forma Pilates
5. Best for beginners: Pilates Anytime Workouts
6. Best for wellbeing: ALIGN by Bailey Brown
7. Best personalised app: Lottie Murphy Pilates
8. Best free app: Body by Blogilates
The best Pilates apps in 2024
The best Pilates app overall
There's something for everyone in The Pilates Class app, which was co-founded by Jacqui Kingswell, a Pilates instructor from Australia, along with influencer Natasha Oakley. Its inclusive ethos is "one class, every 'body'!", with a focus on the practice being accessible to all. Whether you are doing Pilates for beginners or "if Pilates is second nature to you", the platform - which comes with an aesthetically pleasing interface - claims to help you feel "not just stronger, longer and leaner but also relieved of physical tension and mental stress".
The app allows users access to a library of pre-recorded classes led by Kingswell, which you can stream or download for offline access. However, if you want to train live with an instructor, other options (like Pilates By Bryony) may be better. For those with unpredictable schedules, the sessions range in length, with the option to train for as little as ten minutes. You can also filter workouts by difficulty and decide between those labelled "chill", "satisfying" or "intense" so that sessions are suited to your fitness level. I particularly love the option to create a personalised schedule inside the app and set yourself challenges, which are great for staying motivated.
The best Pilates app for variety
This app is for you if you want to incorporate more Pilates into your exercise routine, but still want to mix things up with other forms of movement. Glo was one of the best yoga apps before it expanded into other areas like meditation and fitness classes. So it's an ideal option for those who like variety and one of the best workout apps to complement their practice. It is "designed to help you feel better in body and mind daily" and has sessions suitable to every "life stage, level and need", so users can find content relevant to their particular training goals.
Depending on the flexibility of your schedule, the app has the handy option to train along to daily live classes - which is ideal if you like that community feeling, even virtually - or to stream pre-recorded sessions at your convenience. Talking of which, you can save your favourite workouts to return to at a later date or use the easy search function to filter down sessions by style, duration, teacher, difficulty and even body part. We love how the app uses a clever algorithm to serve up personalised suggestions and you can also monitor your progress on your pick of the best fitness trackers. However, since it doesn't focus on Pilates alone, options may be more limited.
The best Pilates app for pros
Pilates instructor Bryony Deery is the face behind the Pilates By Bryony app. She first encountered the practice as she tried to heal from injuries from an accident at 17. She was amazed by how it aided her recovery, rebuilding her mobility and boosting her flexibility. Since then, she has made it her mission to spread the message to others. Her app creates "transformative, long-lasting and sustainable results" and is "like having your own personal Pilates trainer in your pocket".
Users have access to an extensive on-demand video library of classes, with sessions ranging from as little as five minutes right up to 45 minutes. However, the content is frequently freshened up if you're worried about motivation - with one new live class and one new pre-recorded class per week. While the workouts that "sculpt, tone and lengthen" are suitable for all fitness levels, we think it's particularly great for those more advanced in their practice and who want more of a challenge.
The best Pilates app for technique
The Forma Pilates app catapults A-list-worthy workouts - led by founder and instructor Liana Levi - into the palm of your hand to enjoy at home or on the go from anywhere in the world. Its subscription may be on the more expensive side compared to some other best Pilates apps and fitness apps, but it's a small price to pay when considering that the hour-long in-person sessions reach £500 and the quality of teaching is second to none.
Indeed, much like many of the best strength training apps, this app is particularly suited to those wanting to perfect their technique for maximum results. It describes its main focus as "form and precision" and works to target the "small muscle groups" using "slow and controlled movements". Sessions, which range from a snappy ten minutes right up to 50 minutes, are challenging so they are best suited to those who have already got to grips with the basics of Pilates. It also promises to help you build endurance and tone up certain areas of your body, like your core and glutes, making it ideal for users intent on using Pilates for strength training.
The best Pilates app for beginners
For those keen to dip their toe into the practice in a friendly, non-intimidating environment, then the Pilates Anytime Workouts app is ideal. Those stepping onto the mat for the first time can learn the basics of the practice in an accessible way - easily filtering through the library of content by type, equipment needed, particular body parts, fitness level and time available - and the generous 14-day trial allows plenty of time to decide if you want to commit.
What the app describes as a "rich and wonderful Pilates experience" is home to thousands of videos featuring more than 200 teachers. You can see which instructors you resonate with best and the sessions can be streamed on-demand or downloaded.
If you get bored frequently, this one could be the one for you. There are no live classes available but new content is added weekly and a series of in-app challenges can help enhance your workout motivation.
The best Pilates app for wellbeing
There's no doubt Pilates can lead to a seriously toned body - and some impressive ab definition - but it's as much about the positive impact it's having beneath the skin as above it. With that in mind, the ALIGN app by Pilates instructor Bailey Brown focuses on serving up content arranged into special "programmes" - or series of classes - which are ideal for those who don't know where to begin with the practice and want greater direction with their Pilates schedule. However, this may make the platform less appealing to those who prefer to train more flexibly.
What sets the app apart from its competitors, is how its content - which is added to every week, so you'll stay engaged - is designed to help balance out female hormones to "develop a lean, toned and healthy body". For anyone starting to go through perimenopause, for instance, this could be hugely beneficial.
There is also an admirable focus on mental health, making it one of the best health apps generally. In the 'restore' category of classes, there are self-care "rituals", guided meditations and mind-body practices to "help you align your energy". Not sure if it's for you? There's a generous 14-day trial, so try it before you commit.
The best personalised Pilates app
This app is the brainchild of Lottie Murphy, a Pilates instructor who you may already know from her successful YouTube channel and social media. She harbours a particular passion for making the practice as accessible as possible, and this platform is one of the tools in her mission. As such, it features more than a hundred on-demand classes for users to choose from, and you can stream or download them depending on when you want to train. While there are no live workouts, a new session is added to the content library every week.
What sets this app apart is the ability to personalise your workouts, so whether you want to do Pilates for weight loss or for flexibility, there's something for you. Its philosophy is that there is something for 'every body, every level and every mood' and you can easily filter sessions by length, ability and focus. For example, there is a 'series' created specially for beginners to teach Pilates basics, with others based around challenges to encourage you to keep improving and honing your technique. Additionally, if you have certain equipment to hand - like one of the best resistance bands or best dumbbells, weights or the 'magic circle' - you can find an appropriate session.
The best free Pilates app
Cassey Ho - or 'Blogilates' as per her social media platforms - is one of the best-known global Pilates instructors. The biggest perk of her app, which features an aesthetically pleasing interface, is that its content is entirely free to access. You can stream her wide range of pre-recorded workout videos - focusing on body areas like abs, bum and legs - all without parting with your cash. It's ideal for those wanting to try out the practice more affordable or weigh up their options, like Pilates vs yoga.
However, you'll need to upgrade to premium to make the most of the platform. This allows you access to motivational challenges like the 30-day 100 glute challenge, which also features a live daily workout. It also creates your own workout calendar for you, which offers fresh monthly exercise plans "designed to help you get lean, toned and strong at home" and tells you when to train different muscle groups and rest.
Looking for one of the best habit tracker apps to manage your sessions? This could be it. I love that there's also a feature that allows you to connect with others on the app, via a forum or through DM, fostering a sense of community.
Is 20 minutes of Pilates enough?
One of the best things about Pilates is that you don’t necessarily need to be doing full-on warm-ups or cool downs because it’s strength-based and you’re mainly using bodyweight or lighter weights - therefore 20 minutes is ideal, says Pilates instructor Hollie Grant, founder of Pilates PT. "I’d say frequency rather than length of workout is more important, so if you’re short on time do 20 minutes every, switching between focusing on a different body area, day rather than an hour once a week." She adds that you'll also probably see benefits more quickly because it’s about repetition.
What's more, not only can Pilates be an easy workout to fit into a busy schedule, but it can also be done from anywhere. "What I love about Pilates at home is you can simply roll out your mat and press play on an online workout video," notes Lottie Anderson, a Pilates instructor and founder of studio Bondi Rise. "You don't even have to stop if you're travelling - I can take my practice anywhere in the world." In addition to downloading one of the best Pilates apps, all you need to get started equipment-wise is a yoga mat or one of the best thick yoga mats, if you're after a little extra support.
What does Pilates do for the body?
Whether you're heading to a dedicated studio or using one of the best Pilates apps, the practice delivers a multitude of benefits. "It brings your body back to where it should be," explains Grant. "Modern-day life involves so much flexion - such as looking at phones, sitting at laptops, driving cars, and our bodies almost end up forgetting what they were designed to do. Pilates fixes that, by improving your posture and strengthening weak muscles, which in turn reduces lower back pain and weakness." This is the case whether you're doing mat Pilates, wall Pilates, or even Lagree.
There are further positives, in addition to improved strength and posture. "Pilates boosts flexibility because when all the muscles within the musculoskeletal system are strong, we find we have better mobility in the body," she says. "The practice also aids improved stability as well as balance." Additionally, she highlights the mental health benefits, noting that it promotes relaxation because its mindful nature means that many find themselves switching off.
If you're new to the workout and want to try Pilates, then Abby McLachlan, a Pilates instructor, recommends starting under the expert guidance of a trained teacher. "They will take the time to explain the basic principles of breath and pelvic position to you," explains the founder of studio East of Eden. If this takes place in person, she adds that you want to make sure they correct you as you start to work through the exercises.
How many times a week should I do Pilates on the app?
This will vary depending on your fitness level, says Grant. "If you’re a beginner, I would aim to attend two classes per week initially," she suggests. "This will give you time to recover between each class - you’ll feel muscles you never knew existed and it will be a shock at times - but isn’t too infrequent that you forget the techniques." It's important that you tell your instructor you are new to the practice, so they know to explain some of the anatomical cues.
"As you improve how often you train, it then really depends on your schedule," notes Grant. "I practice Pilates six days per week, and I know when I have had a break as I feel it in my body - I’m a big fan of people doing little and often rather than going to the gym once a week and doing a really long workout, and I think it’s much more realistic." Therefore, consistency of going to in-studio classics or using the best Pilates apps, or online workouts remotely, is key.
Grant also points to the official NHS guidelines for physical activity - which includes regular Pilates and movement like walking 30 minutes a day or swimming every day. "They recommend we do at least 150 minutes of physical activity per week," she notes. "If that’s moderate intensity, great. If you are doing high intensity, it can be less than that at 75 minutes." She adds that this can look like 30 to 60-minute workouts multiple times a week, or ten minutes here and there.
