Margaux Lushing

Ready to get lean, long and strong? There's a Pilates class in San Francisco for every level, fitness goal and body. From classical technique at a dedicated studio to hardcore-sweaty at SF's best gyms (and everything in between), the range of studios and styles that dot the Bay Area are no less diverse than the communities they serve. These fun and fancy classes won’t leave you bent out of shape, and afterwards feel free to treat yourself to one of the best juice bars or smoothies in San Francisco. You deserve it.  RECOMMENDED: The best yoga studios in San Francisco 

Hot off of a recent expansion, MNTSTUDIO offers Pilates classes that get students to move, nourish and transform their bodies in a 6,000-square-foot, spa-like SoMa studio with sexy interiors, exposed beam ceilings and a secret signature scent. Pilates offerings range from Restorative Reformer with a focus on longer holds and stretches to Bootcamp Reformer using a jumpboard to traditional Mat Pilates. Your core will be born-again after meeting founder Elaine Hayes’ signature take on classical-but-athletic Pilates taught on brand new Allegro 2 machines.

Studio of choice for Pilates pros and Pacific Heights moms, Mighty Pilates is all classical, all the time. Housed in an intimate yet airy studio in Laurel Heights, with top of the line equipment, classes are focused on building technique no matter what your Pilates experience. A foundational series is available for newbies to learn their way around equipment, while a Core and Booty class and a Re:form use both the reformer and tower machines to build strength and tone the traditional Pilates way.

The Pilates ProWorks chainlet has seven outposts throughout the Bay Area offering a broad range of fast-paced classes, most taught on the signature FitFormer reformer. Prepare to sweat and move (without breaks) all class long for a great cardio as well as strength workout. (Newbies are advised to take a private or two before jumping into group classes.) A 40-minute abridged version of the PPW Method is now offered for the time-pressed, as well as fusion classes like a yoga/Pilates/HIIT class called Tone and Flow and a Pilates/boxing combo called Mat Box.

South Bay reformer spot RockSalt might seem like a sweet suburban studio (with parking!), but the coursework contains more weighted squats and lunges than any other Pilates studio in the Bay Area. Just three classes are offered—Sweat, Strength, and Stretch—and at just 50 minutes each, the creative combinations of movements will leave your glutes torched and your arms shaking.

Recently relocated to Japantown, Informed Body is the Pilates equivalent of a highbrow, insiders-only speakeasy. Founder Jill Harris has just two reformers and one tower in her second-level space above Hinodeya ramen bar, meaning only privates and duets are available and must be booked in advance. Having amassed an Instagram following of 23.7k (@informedtechnique), her creative sequencing inspires Pilates pros and amateurs all over the globe.

Opened in September 2016, Lisa Liles’ cozy, pirate-themed Pilates space (inspired by a years-old Pilates/Pirates autocorrect mixup) is located on the corner Union and Fillmore, down an unnamed alleyway. Three convertible tower reformers are used to mix up traditional Pilates moves and create more opportunities for compound movements. For students willing to ‘surrender their booty’, Lisa devises Pilates circuits incorporating bosu balls and TRX. In addition to classes, Lisa regularly hosts a local masseuse and physical therapist for the Pirate tribe.