I Tried Lily Collins’ Fave Pilates Workout & It Lives Up To The Hype

It’s tough to remember that A-listers sometimes do normal things after they finish a shoot, like go to a workout class. For Emily in Paris star Lily Collins, that means stopping into Brooks Pilates — a chic boutique fitness studio that focuses on low-impact exercises that light up every muscle in your body.

Whether you’re doing exercises on a sliding Reformer, or bridging and squatting on a mat with a ball or a band, Pilates has a way of improving your mind-body connection through micro movements, bendy stretches, and deeply strengthening movements that target your entire bod, all while being gentle.

To see what Collins loves most about Brooks Pilates — and to find out if it would help me feel more relaxed, strong, and balanced — I signed up for a class.

What Is Brooks Pilates?

Brooks Pilates is a sunny studio located in Chelsea, Manhattan founded by instructor Sarah Brooks. It offers Reformer classes and it’s a go-to spot for Collins, her fellow Emily in Paris co-star Ashley Park, Serena Kerrigan, and Kit Keenan.

The studio offers small group classes that give you a 50-minute workout, and you can sign up for private sessions to get extra one-on-one attention. Group classes are $70, and a five pack will run you $325.

For those not local to the New York City studio, you can try the collection of OnDemand virtual classes available, as well as Live Streaming sessions. These are perfect if you typically do in-person workouts and want to keep up your routine while traveling, and they’re also ideal for folks who like to get their sweat on at home. (Read: me.) Virtual classes start at $19.99, but you can buy a pack of three for $45, five for $75, or 10 for $150.

My Experience

I have a full Pilates setup in my apartment. There’s a mat, a Pilates ball, gliders, resistance bands, an assortment of grippy socks, and everything else I could possibly need to do the workout at home, so I was set — but, if you don’t have the equipment, you might need to grab a few things for some of the classes (you can see what each session will require beforehand). Note that you can do many of them without any tools at all.

To get started with my OnDemand classes, I logged in and perused the catalog. You can pick how long you’re in the mood to work out for, whether it’s 15 minutes, 30, or over an hour. There are also targeted programs you can choose from, like a one-week beginner series, a standing series, and a six-class routine that uses a Pilates ball.

My sweet spot is always going to be in that 15- to 30-minute range, so I opted for a 29-minute class called Quick Full Body + Ball that required a Pilates ball and a mat. We started by lying down and doing mini arm squeezes with the ball. I was swiftly reminded that, while Pilates involves lots of tiny, simple-seeming moves, the burn adds up quickly. Brooks instructed the class to protract and retract our arms, which immediately lit up my upper body muscles.

She was so chill with her students in the video, and it made me remember to go at my own pace — which was a godsend as we moved on to tougher moves, like oblique twists, tabletops, and other isolated exercises like leg lifts.

Brooks also suggested doing mini adjustments, which always come in clutch when you don’t think you can do another rep. This routine worked my hamstrings, lower back, inner thighs, glutes, shoulders, and arms... and I definitely felt it the next day.

The next day, I looked in the recommended classes section of the dashboard and spotted a 23-minute video called Arms and Posture, and immediately knew my rounded back would love it.

We did juicy arm circles, arm bends, and arm pumps — all while lying down — and then shoulder blade squeezes, cactus arm pulses, and other exercises meant to target the tiny back extensor muscles attached to your spine. Five minutes in, I felt like I had already grown two inches taller, thanks to the way my muscles were loosening up.

The Verdict

These workouts felt gentle, effective, and just the right amount of sweaty. Thanks to Brooks’ personable instructions, it was easy for me to follow along and make sure I was doing each move the right way for maximum benefit.

As an appreciator of all things organization, I also liked that the OnDemand option had a calendar feature so I could keep track of my workouts, as well as a stats bar where I could go to see how many sessions I’d completed.

Honestly, there are so many Pilates platforms out there, and each one has its own thing going on — so which one you choose comes down to your fitness goals and personal preferences. Brooks Pilates has a gorgeous studio that’s worth going to if you can, but its OnDemand options are equally nice.

The one-on-one vibe that you get from Brooks in her videos makes it feel like you’re actually there in the studio — which helps me pretend that I’m working out alongside Collins herself.

Studies referenced:

Amzajerdi, A. (2023). The effect of Pilates exercises on sleep quality and fatigue among female students dormitory residents. BMC Sports Sci Med Rehabil. doi: 10.1186/s13102-023-00675-7.

Campos, RR. (2015). Effect of the Pilates method on physical conditioning of healthy subjects: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Sports Med Phys Fitness. PMID: 26004043.

Chouhan, R. (2022). Effectiveness of Plyometrics Along With Pilates Exercises in Increasing Vertical Jump Performance Among Basketball Players. Cureus. doi: 10.7759/cureus.32957.

Fleming, KM. (2020). Acute effects of Pilates on mood states among young adult males. Complement Ther Med. doi: 10.1016/j.ctim.2020.102313.

Franks, J. (2023). Pilates to Improve Core Muscle Activation in Chronic Low Back Pain: A Systematic Review. Healthcare (Basel). doi: 10.3390/healthcare11101404.

Vancini, RL. (2017). Pilates and aerobic training improve levels of depression, anxiety and quality of life in overweight and obese individuals. Arq Neuropsiquiatr. doi: 10.1590/0004-282X20170149.

Wells, C. (2012). Defining Pilates exercise: a systematic review. Complement Ther Med. 2012 Aug;20(4):253-62. doi: 10.1016/j.ctim.2012.02.005.