Vaura
F45 Training is doubling down on Pilates.
What’s happening: The fitness franchisor launched an athletic-style reformer Pilates concept called VAURA in NYC’s Upper East Side — featuring 50-minute classes that blend strength training, HIIT, and mindful movement.
Setting the tone. Last year, the embattled Aussie fitness brand paused expansion efforts to focus on its core business.
But with Pilates hotter than ever, F45 believes the opportunity is too good to pass up.
- In 2021, F45 launched FS8, a Pilates-style concept with an initial goal of hitting 500 global studios.
- Later that year, it acquired Australian Pilates studio Vive Active, the precursor to VAURA, operating three studios in AUS and two in Singapore.
Now, the company will look to scale two Pilates concepts simultaneously, with new FS8 studios opening soon in Austin, San Diego, and Los Angeles.
Looking ahead: From rapid expansion of franchises like [solidcore] and STRONG Pilates to club-in-club retrofits from big-box gyms, adding reformers caters to demand for low-impact strength and stretch. And, desperately seeking stability, F45 is all in.
