The fitness craze sweeping Sydney and NSW

Forget run club and Zumba, there’s a trendy way of working out that Sydneysiders just can’t get enough of. Find out what it is.

Move over run club, pilates is trendiest way to move your body with your mates.

Analysis of Google Trends data in NSW has revealed searches for “pilates class” have hit their highest levels in 12 months at the end of August.

Web searches for “pilates class cost” and “studio pilates” have also each risen by 60 per cent in the past year, the data shows.

Evelyn Rose, Bernadette Fahey and Bree Coggan at Body by Berner studio in North Bondi. Photo: Tom Parrish

Areas with the most searches were Sydney, Newcastle, Wollongong and The Central Coast.

Activewear brand Bondi Active’s managing director and fitness enthusiast Briony Oayada said the brand had seen a rise in customers buying gear to wear to reformer classes, and that the activity’s popularity lay in its group setting.

“We have definitely seen higher interest in our bio-nylon range lately which is great for pilates, Ms Oayada said.

“Workouts are always better with friends, catching up in a pilates class is a great distraction from the burn. Plus, committing to go with a friend makes you ten times more likely to show up.”

Bondi Active owner Briony Oayada (centre) says Pilates is popular because it’s done in a group setting. Photo: Tom Parrish

But while it’s hot right now, pilates could quickly fall by the wayside come summer, she said.

“Activities like pilates and running, both have been mainstays in Bondi for a while now and have always been activities we design for,” Ms Oayada said.

“I think with summer around the corner we will see a spike in outdoor activities again – think swim clubs, surfing and beach volleyball.”