Abstract
This study assessed the quality, reliability, and popularity of Reformer Pilates videos on YouTube, evaluating educational value, credibility, and viewer engagement using standardized scoring while exploring factors affecting popularity. On November 1, 2024, a YouTube search for “Reformer Pilates“ identified the top 70 most-viewed videos. Videos were excluded if irrelevant, promotional, or under 25 seconds. Video quality and reliability were assessed using the Global Quality Scale (GQS), Modified DISCERN (mDISCERN), and JAMA benchmarks. Viewer engagement and popularity were measured with the Video Power Index (VPI). Factors associated with engagement were analyzed using Quantile Regression Forest modeling. Most videos (87.1%) were uploaded by individual channels, 12.9% by Pilates studios. Average GQS (3.06), mDISCERN (3.09), and JAMA (2.61) scores indicated moderate quality and reliability. Videos claiming instructor expertise had lower mDISCERN scores (p = 0.005). Studio-recorded videos had higher GQS scores than home-recorded videos, though not statistically significant. Quantile Regression Forest analysis indicated that mentioning safety information, shorter video duration, and higher GQS scores were among the factors associated with higher viewer engagement (VPI). Older videos tended to exhibit lower engagement levels, reflecting a preference for newer content. Findings highlight the importance of high-quality, concise, and safety-focused Reformer Pilates videos, as these characteristics are associated with higher engagement and popularity. Content creators may benefit from prioritizing these factors to attract and retain audiences, underscoring YouTube’s role in delivering potentially reliable Pilates content.
References
Aharul, J. A., 2023. Social media influenced lexicons: A child’s vocabulary production in talk-in interactions. International Journal of Learning, Teaching and Educational Research 22: 541–556.
Bernard, A., M. Langille, S. Hughes, C. Rose, D. Leddin, et al., 2007. A systematic review of patient inflammatory bowel disease information resources on the world wide web. American Journal of Gastroenterology 102: 2070–2077.
Çoşkun, N. and E. Demir, 2024. Analysis of YouTube videos on circumcision: Evaluating reliability and quality for patients and parents. European Journal of Therapeutics 30: 626–637.
Çoşkun, N. and E. Demir, 2025. Analysing YouTube as a health resource: Quality and reliability of videos on pediatric appendicitis. BMC Medical Education 25: 1229.
Charnock, D., S. Shepperd, G. Needham, and R. Gann, 1999. Discern: An instrument for judging the quality of written consumer health information on treatment choices. Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health 53: 105–111.
Di Virgilio, F. and S. Das, 2023. Digital solutions for social media: Role of digital evolution on business enterprises. In Digital Entertainment as Next Evolution in Service Sector: Emerging Digital Solutions in Reshaping Different Industries, pp. 127–146, Springer Nature Singapore, Singapore.
Erdem, M. N. and S. Karaca, 2018. Evaluating the accuracy and quality of the information in kyphosis videos shared on YouTube. Spine 43: 1334–1339.
Gronwald, T., C. Klein, T. Hoenig, M. Pietzonka, H. Bloch, et al., 2022. Infographic. Video analysis of match hamstring injury patterns in professional male football (soccer) teaches us about the need for demand-specific multicomponent exercise-based risk reduction programmes. British Journal of Sports Medicine 56: 1194–1195.
Kaner, G. and C. Ayer, 2022. The effect of a weight-loss diet in women doing reformer Pilates: A 12-week evaluation. Journal of Contemporary Medicine 12: 19–26.
Lee, K., 2023. Motion analysis of core stabilization exercise in women: Kinematics and electromyographic analysis. Sports 11: 66.
Lim, E. J. and E. J. Hyun, 2021. The impacts of Pilates and yoga on health-promoting behaviors and subjective health status. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 18: 3802.
McDonough, D. J., M. A. Helgeson, W. Liu, and Z. Gao, 2022. Effects of a remote, YouTube-delivered exercise intervention on young adults’ physical activity, sedentary behavior, and sleep during the COVID-19 pandemic: Randomized controlled trial. Journal of Sport and Health Science 11: 145–156.
Pereira, M. J., R. Mendes, R. S. Mendes, F. Martins, R. Gomes, et al., 2022. Benefits of Pilates in the elderly population: A systematic review and meta-analysis. European Journal of Investigation in Health, Psychology and Education 12: 236–268.
Peres, A. B., A. Sancassani, E. A. Castro, T. A. F. Almeida, D. A. Massini, et al., 2024. Comparing video analysis to computerized detection of limb position for the diagnosis of movement control during back squat exercise with overload. Sensors 24: 1910.
Rangabprai, Y., W. Mitranun, and W. Mitarnun, 2024. Effect of 60-min single bout of resistance exercise, reformer Pilates, on vascular function parameters in older adults: A randomized crossover study. Gerontology 70: 764–775.
Ratwatte, P. and E. Mattacola, 2021. An exploration of ‘fitspiration’ content on YouTube and its impacts on consumers. Journal of Health Psychology 26: 935–946.
Sari, F., Z. Bazancir Apaydin, and S. Sari, 2025. Assessment of reliability and quality of YouTube exercise videos in people with rheumatoid arthritis. Physiotherapy Theory and Practice 41: 362–369.
Silberg, W. M., G. D. Lundberg, and R. A. Musacchio, 1997. Assessing, controlling, and assuring the quality of medical information on the Internet: Caveant lector et viewor—let the reader and viewer beware. JAMA 277: 1244–1245.
Sim, G., D. Kim, and H. Jeon, 2022. Effects of Pilates reformer core and mat core exercises on standing posture alignment. Physical Therapy Korea 29: 282–288.
Singh, A. G., S. Singh, and P. P. Singh, 2012. YouTube for information on rheumatoid arthritis—A wake-up call? The Journal of Rheumatology 39: 899–903.
Tanioka, R., H. Ito, K. Takase, Y. Kai, K. Sugawara, et al., 2022. Usefulness of 2D video analysis for evaluation of shoulder range of motion during upper limb exercise in patients with psychiatric disorders. The Journal of Medical Investigation 69: 70–79.
Vergeer, R., H. Bloo, F. Backx, M. Scheltinga, and E. Bakker, 2023. Reliability of 2D video analysis assessing running kinematic variables in patients with exercise-related leg pain in a primary care practice. Gait and Posture 105: 117–124.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
