Ah, yes, New Year’s. A construct marked by fireworks, parties, and countdowns, it does more than just bring us from one year to the next — it represents our hopes, dreams, and desires for the upcoming year. (Dramatic? Yes.) New Year’s resolutions might just be the biggest hype around the celebration. And, with the grasp Pilates has had over Gen Z these past few years, it’s no surprise the workout has made people’s resolution dreamboards (yes, I’m talking to you). But how can you stay motivated year-round on your Pilates journey whilst sticking to your resolutions?
Of course, getting through January and February on par with your Pilates journey is usually the easy part — after that is where it might start to get rocky. Because you can’t see into the future, it’s hard to know exactly what resolutions will work best for you year-round — especially if Pilates is new to you. With many different styles, such as reformer Pilates, mat Pilates, hot Pilates, etc., you want to make sure you’re choosing your Pilates resolutions wisely.
As a beginner who framed their 2025 resolutions around Pilates (hot Pilates, to be exact), I wanted to share five New Year’s resolution tips that helped me stay motivated throughout my Pilates journey so that you can, too. (Because yes, it is much harder than it looks!)
What is Pilates?
As I mentioned, there are many different types of Pilates. A mind-body exercise, Pilates focuses on strength, flexibility, and mobility while working through controlled and repetitive movements — prioritizing breath, concentration, and precision. It improves overall well-being and function through core strength, muscle control, and full-body conditioning.
While mat Pilates and reformer Pilates form the foundation for the workout (using either a yoga mat or a machine), several branches of Pilates stem from them, including classical (original sequences), contemporary (with modern props and tech), clinical (physio-based for injury recovery), and specialized classes such as barre (using a ballet barre), power (high intensity), and fusion (incorporating various elements like strength straining or yoga). And that’s only a few of the various types of Pilates!
This is why it can feel intimidating to make a plan for your Pilates 2026 journey — beginner or not. But that doesn’t mean it can’t be fun! You just have to make sure you’re thinking about your resolutions on a month-by-month basis. This can look like sticking to one form of Pilates all year, or switching it up here and there to meet your fitness goals.
5 Pilates resolution tips for staying motivated
- Set realistic and achievable goals
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Because it can feel intimidating getting your resolutions in order, it’s easy to overwhelm yourself with unrealistic goals that are near impossible to maintain. That’s why it’s important to set goals that you can actually achieve.
Maybe this looks like aiming to complete two to three pilates workouts every week for the first half of the year and increasing it to three to four for the last half. Or maybe you aim to increase the intensity of your workout every month.
For me, my main goal out of Pilates was to build muscle — especially core. So for my resolution, I made sure to incorporate all kinds of classes into my weekly routine — barre, fusion, body conditioning, etc. Now, these classes would change here and there, of course, but the versatility is what inspired me to keep meeting my goals.
- Sign up for classes with cancellation fees
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Honestly, signing up for a studio that has cancellation fees was the most helpful thing I did. Scheduling classes ahead of time is a good way to plan your week and ensure you meet your resolution goals by encouraging you to go even when you might not feel like it.
My studio has a cancellation fee of $20 if you cancel within four hours of the class. So, what I would do is schedule early morning classes ahead of time so that if I didn’t feel motivated to go, the $20 cancellation sure would! And I always felt better after going. Every time.
If you’re doing Pilates at home, a good equivalent to this might be simply penciling in time to do your workouts as if you were going to a class. Any time I’ve done workouts at home, I plan my day around them so that when the workout rolls around, even when I’m unmotivated, I treat it like a non-negotiable.
- Find an accountability partner
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Another big thing that helped me was having friends to go to Pilates classes with. I found that whenever I had someone to go with, I worked a little harder in class because our motivation would bounce off eachother. Nevermind that, I found myself doing extra classes when our schedules wouldn’t align just so I could work out with them (it really is that much more fun)!
This can be a friend, a partner, a sibling, whoever! As long as you’re both able to hold each other accountable for attending classes, that’s all that matters. Even if you don’t have someone to go with, doing group classes can have just the same effect. The energy in the studio is likely enough to manifest motivation even when it feels like you, yourself, can’t.
And, again, if you’re doing your Pilates at home, invite someone to join! And if you prefer doing your workouts alone, that’s okay too. Honestly, when I’m doing workouts at home and following YouTube videos, I read the comments before the workout, and it always makes me feel better because I know I’m not the only one suffering!
- Create or find an inspiring workout space
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Having a studio to attend or work out space in your home that’s inspiring is so important. I used to do my Pilates workouts in my room, and let me tell you, there was definitely not enough space. It was hard to ever stay on top of my goals because the space alone caused me to lack motivation.
Once I signed up for my hot Pilates studio, it became much easier to follow through on my resolutions because the space inspired me to go. It’s a dark, black room with mirrors on three out of the four walls, and colourful LED lights strung around it. Sometimes I don’t even want to work out — I just want to be in that warm, comfy room!
Make sure you choose a studio with a space that you see yourself working out in for the rest of the year. Or, vice versa, creating a space at home that makes you want to work out there. Maybe that means setting up a TV if you’re following YouTube videos, investing in a speaker, setting up an equipment shelf, etc. Just make sure you have enough space! - Make plans for overcoming obstacles
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No matter how motivated of a person you are, it’s inevitable that you’ll face some obstacles throughout the year. Boredom, time constraint, doubt — these are all things that will inevitably impact your motivation. That’s why it’s important to incorporate resolutions that are open to change.
If you find yourself getting bored with a specific Pilates routine, switch it up by trying different classes! Or if you’re not seeing any progress with a specific exercise, again, switch it up! Doing the exact same routine all year likely won’t foster the results you’re looking for.
I took up running alongside Pilates once I got bored with doing Pilates alone. This way, I still met my resolutions for the year — just with a bit of a twist. To plan these obstacles ahead, just ensure your resolutions aren’t too strict to allow for new things to be incorporated and old things to go. Fitness is all about evolution anyway, right?
New Year’s resolutions require a level of commitment we’re not always ready for. As long as your resolutions are tailored to your individual self (style, taste, fitness level, etc.), and you’re ready for a challenge, then you have nothing to worry about.
Remember: Pilates is fun! Make sure you enjoy your Pilates journey, and 2026 will be yours!