Why I teach Pilates differently
My instructor made the sessions challenging, varied and fun, but the thing that really hooked me was how much he explained why we were doing something, what I should be feeling and how different parts of the body were working together. For the first time, Pilates actually made sense.
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Something I’d previously thought was useful but, if I’m honest, a bit boring suddenly became fascinating. I wasn’t just copying movements anymore. I was learning how my body worked, where my strength came from and how small changes could completely alter an exercise. I was hooked.
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At a turning point in my corporate career, I decided to train as a Pilates teacher and gained my Level 3 qualification. Since then, I’ve become slightly obsessed with understanding how bodies move and, more importantly, how to make that knowledge useful to real people.
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Pilates has helped me rebuild my strength, counteract a lot of years spent sitting at a desk and get back to long-distance running. But the biggest change has been in how I feel about my body. I understand it better and I trust it more, and I feel much more confident in what it can do.
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My background in communications plays a big part in how I teach too. I’ve spent my career taking complicated information and making it clear, relevant and interesting and that’s exactly what I try to do with Pilates. Because I know what it’s like to go to a class, follow along, leave sweaty... and still have absolutely no idea why you just did half of it.
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That’s not how I want my sessions to feel.
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I teach the person in front of me. I watch, explain, adapt and help you understand what you’re doing, why you’re doing it and what to notice in your own body. My aim is to make Pilates feels purposeful, personal and fun, while giving you knowledge you can actually use beyond the studio.
I’m a mum of three, and I’ve spent more than 20 years building a career in communications while also doing the usual juggle of family, work and trying to keep myself healthy along the way. So I know how easy it is to put yourself at the bottom of the list.
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For me, the wake-up call came after an injury to my sacroiliac joint. After a long run of physio appointments, I could no longer run which was something I had always loved, both physically and mentally. It became pretty obvious that I needed to start looking after my body differently and I could no longer just keep hoping my body would keep going. Hello middle age.
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That’s when I discovered a completely different kind of Pilates.
FAQs
What are your Pilates qualifications?
I am a YMCA Level 3 qualified Pilates teacher with a particular interest in helping people understand the purpose behind the movements they are practising.
Why did you become a Pilates teacher?
I discovered Pilates after an injury meant I could no longer run. A teacher who made Pilates engaging and explained what I was doing helped me rebuild my strength, better understand my body and return to long-distance running. That experience inspired me to train as a teacher and offer the same clarity to others.
How does your background in communications influence your teaching?
I have spent more than 20 years taking complex information and making it clear, relevant and engaging. I bring that same approach to Pilates, explaining unfamiliar terms and movement principles in a way that is practical and easy to understand.
What does teach the person in front of you mean?
It means that I do not expect every person to fit the same sequence of exercises. I observe how you move, consider your goals and experience, and adapt the teaching, exercise or level of challenge where appropriate.