Here’s something you may not know about Pilates. Although most people experience it as a mixed-ability mat class, it was originally practised in a 1-1 setting. These sessions focussed on large studio equipment to support movement and offer resistance to suit the individual. Reformer Pilates is named after the most well-known piece of equipment. 

Mat classes work well if you are looking for a general improvement in strength and flexibility. But if you are looking for focussed work on target areas, or rehabilitation after an injury, 1-1 Reformer Pilates sessions could prove more effective.  

Five benefits of private Pilates sessions 

In our Cambridgeshire clinic, our two Pilates instructors offer 1-1, 1-2 and small classes. Here are five ways in which we’ve seen these more personal sessions work:  

A bespoke programme 

Your needs, along with your goals and lifestyle, are unique to you. It follows that any physical programme is most effective when it’s tailored to you, too. In a 1-1 session you are in constant dialogue with your practitioner, who can adjust and design the programme as you progress. 

Barriers to changing your individual movement patterns can be environmental or behavioural as well as biomechanical. Here, working with a private instructor means you have time to discuss these aspects. 

Hands-On Therapeutic Support 

As mentioned above, Pilates is a form of therapy. In a 1:1 setting the practitioner is able to support you with manual skills, whereas in a group setting an instructor’s attention is divided between several students. 

Injury rehabilitation 

After injury, it feels frustrating to have to stop your exercise routine until you recover. Book 1-1 Pilates sessions, and you don’t have to! Your Pilates instructor can support movement in a way that speeds rehabilitation, while you use the Reformer equipment to offer just the right amount of resistance to build up your strength again. 

A therapeutic relationship 

Over a series of private Pilates sessions, you build a therapeutic relationship with your practitioner. This is supportive in a number of ways; enhancing your motivation to keep working and offering deeper accountability – there’s no hiding at the back of the class! 

Faster results 

With regular private Pilates sessions, and the tailored approach they offer, you’ll see a faster improvement in strength and flexibility. This in turn helps keep you motivated to keep up the good work! 

Our Cambridgeshire practice hosts two Pilates instructors, Jon Malins and Melanie Thompson. Read more about what they offer here.