If you’ve been thinking about starting a pilates program or maybe getting back to one after a break, with so many pilates options to choose from these days, how do you know which one is right for you?
There are a few questions you need to answer before deciding so you’re very clear on why you want to attend pilates classes and what you hope to achieve or what results you want.
Why pilates?
With so many health and fitness options to chose from, why pilates? The benefits of pilates are quite unique and different from other fitness activities.
Correcting postural imbalances, flexibility and mobility, injury rehabilitation and core strength fitness are the main benefits of pilates.
If your goals are to lose weight and get cardio fit, then your primary fitness activity should be high intensity cardio sessions with pilates playing a supporting role.
Which then leads to the next question.
What is my pilates and exercise experience level?
Like all things in life, you need to learn the foundations of pilates from qualified instructors. If you have never exercised before or never done pilates, you will need to start with a pilates program that is specifically designed for a beginner.
If we take the lose weight, get fit goal from above and you are a complete beginner with both pilates and exercise, it may not be the best idea to jump into a high intensity exercise program without building a core foundation of strength and movement capability, which is of course what pilates provides and this would be your primary activity.
What style of class?
The most important criteria for choosing a style of pilates to participate in is how it is being taught and who is teaching it.
But the different types of pilates classes do cater to different needs.
If you have an injury to overcome or need a specific type of program for a specific issue or injury, then studio or semi-private classes are best. Your program will be tailored to your specific needs, and the instructor will be teaching you as an individual, rather than in a group setting.
As a beginner without any injuries or issues, then a group mat class is a great way to learn pilates and develop an understanding of the foundations. But it’s important that you have an assessment before starting any exercise program and pilates is no different.
Just jumping into random classes does not set you up for a successful achievement of your goals.
If you have more exercise and pilates experience and your goals focused on core strength fitness, then a group reformer class or a more advanced pilates mat class would be a great option.
So, get clear on why you want to do pilates, understand your experience level and chose a style of class based on this.
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