Pilates

PILATES

1. CONTACTS

Body Control Pilates

6 Langley Street, WC2H 9JA

www.bodycontrol.co.uk

Pilates Foundation UK

PO Box 36052, SW16 1XQ

www.pilatesfoundation.com

2. HINTS ON SELECTING AN INSTRUCTOR AND A CLASS

What are your goals?

If you are pursuing Pilates as part of a regime to manage back pain or another musculoskeletal disorder, then it is best to choose a physiotherapist who is trained in medical Pilates, possibly with one-on-one instruction in the first instance.

If you are pursuing Pilates as part of an all round fitness regime, then your options are wider. There are a number of well established Pilates studios: choosing one is based on the quality of instruction, type of work/facilities needed, geography and cost. Instruction is not cheap, unfortunately, and is not necessarily a reflection of the quality of the class.

What kind of work do you want to do?

Many are content with mat work, and this opens up more opportunities for appropriate classes/instructors. Machine work can add to the challenge and will expand the opportunity to benefit from the work you do.

Machines involve either PILATES machines or GYROTONIC machines, which are drawn more from movements in yoga, tai chi, dance, gymnastics and swimming. If you are/were a dancer, then the Gyrotonics might be more suitable.

The best instructors are likely to be those who teach only Pilates. The Pilates Foundation runs a training programme that lasts for 18-24 months and is quite rigorous, to train those in both mat work and also machines. Training in mat work only should take about a year. So, when choosing an instructor/class make some enquiries as to the background of the teacher’s training and experience.

3. LONDON STUDIOS

STUDIO	Background	Facilities	Approx cost
Alan Herdman 17 Homer Row, W1H 4AP 0207 7239953 www.alanherdmanpilates.co.uk	Former dancer, dance teacher	N/K	£250/10 weeks
Belsize studio 5 McCrone Mews Belsize Lane NW3 5BG 0207 4316223 www.belsizestudio.com	Former dancer Avigail Ben-Ari Conditioning and corrective exercise, applied workshops	N/K	£26-35/class
Body conditioning Studio 3A Ladbroke Rd W11 3PA 0207 727 9963 www.dreas.co.uk	Highly regarded, D Reyenke, ex Rambert dancer	N/K	£30/class
Body Maintenance Studio Pineapple Studios, 7 Langley St, WC2H 9JA 0207 379 6043	Run by Lesley Ackland, former remedial exercise therapist to Birmingham Royal Ballet	N/K	£200/10
Christine Hocking Marylebone Dance Studio, 12 Lisson Grove, NW1 6TS 0207 240 5922 or: London Studio Centre, 42-50 York Way, N1 9AB	Dance, choreography	Mat work	£15
Kings Cross Studios 154 Caledonian Rd, N1 9RD 0207 837 711	Pilates Foundation Certified.	Has Gyrotonics	£23-50/class
Pilates & Yoga Movement Studio, Quex Rd Methodist Church, Kingsgate Rd, NW6 4PS. 0207 624 3948	Previous dancer, Pilates Foundation. Remedial & rehab work.	Gyrotonics available	£yoga £12/class Gyrotonic £45 (introductory session £25)
Pilates Studio 116 Great Portland Street, W1W 6PJ. 0207 636 2636	High calibre, Pilates Foundation	Equipment available	£26-65
STOTT Pilates Studio Central YMCA, 112 Great Russell Street, WC1B 3NQ 0207 3431700	Follows the STOTT Pilates method	Comprehensive equipment	From £12