Each Pilates studio, fitness center, spa, and gym has its own classes and training programs. If you’re on a budget, it’s a good idea to join a group class. This is a great and relatively inexpensive place for beginners to get started and have some fun. Using standing, sitting, and lying positions, the instructor guides students through various stretches and movements.
Ideally, group mat Pilates classes have a manageable student-teacher ratio, no more than fifteen students per teacher, so that the instructor can monitor each individual’s form and progress. Separate classes are held for beginning, intermediate, and advanced students.
With the advent of smaller, less expensive Allegro equipment, more and more fitness clubs are adding group Reformer classes to their schedule. Ideally, each participant should have some experience with a Reformer before joining a group class.
Students work in unison through a sequence of Reformer choreography at the appropriate level, with the Pilates instructor monitoring safe and proper form.
The most effective way to learn, practice, and perfect Pilates performance is to conduct a personal training session, in which the instructor devotes his or her full attention to the specific needs of the student. These sessions usually start with a warm-up on the mat, but a variety of Pilates equipment can also be explored.
The club and studios have Pilates classes based on specific props such as the balance ball, resistance band, or Pilates circle/ring. A small accessory can add variety and challenge to a group mat class and expand the programming possibilities for a facility.
Some clubs and studios offer Pilates classes designed for those who play golf, tennis or swim in the summer, while programs for skaters and skiers are popular in the winter.
Studios and clubs also offer a combination of yoga and pilates such as “”Yogalates”” or “”Piloga””. Likewise, cycling and Pilates are combined for a unique “”Cyclates”” hybrid program.
