Category: Pilates

Most people expect Pilates to be about working harder. At our studio in South Kensington, we start somewhere else. We start with relaxation.

It surprises some new clients. This post explains why we teach this way, and what it means for how a session feels.

Why does relaxation come first in Pilates?

Relaxation comes first because it is very hard to move with precision while you are tense. When the body is holding itself tight, you cannot feel what a movement is actually doing. So we help you settle first, and only then ask for accuracy.

Think of an athlete at the starting blocks. They are not thinking about the race. They are finding a moment of quiet, so that the body can do what it has trained to do.

We want you to arrive in that same state. Relaxation is not a warm-up before the “real” work. It is the foundation the rest of the session is built on.

Isn’t Pilates supposed to be a workout?

It can feel like one, but we do not measure a session by how hard you pushed. Many people believe Pilates should be done quickly, and many of us live at a sped-up pace in the city. Our approach is the opposite. We slow down and concentrate.

That means slow, technical movement, with time to breathe and time to be accurate. We think of it as precision, not pressure. If you want to see how this differs from faster, modern reformer classes, our post on classical Pilates versus modern reformer classes goes into more detail.

What does relaxation look like during a session?

It looks quieter than most people expect. You are not rushing from one exercise to the next. You are working with your breathing, paying attention to how your body feels, and making small, careful movements.

Trevor is a swimmer, and he often thinks of good Pilates in similar terms. It is technical, and it is a very individual activity. It is just you and the piece of equipment you are working with.

Why is there no music in our studio?

We do not play music because your body has its own rhythm, and music can interfere with it. We would rather you listened to your body than to a playlist.

It is a small choice, but it matters to how we teach. Without a beat to follow, there is nothing to keep up with. You can focus on your breathing and on how each movement feels.

The room helps too. The studio is bright and light, with a stunning ceiling that you will see plenty of, since you spend a good part of the session on your back. There are very few distractions.

Is it strange to do Pilates in silence?

It can feel unusual at first, especially if you are used to gyms or group classes where music is part of the atmosphere. That is normal.

The quiet is deliberate. It gives you space to notice things you might miss otherwise, such as where you are holding tension or how your breathing changes during a movement.

How does an individual assessment fit in?

Relaxation does not look the same for everyone, so we start by getting to know your body. Every new client has an individual assessment before we begin. We look at your structure and your limitations, and we do not push through boundaries that should not be crossed.

This is why our approach is not one size fits all. It is built around you, and we meet you where you are. You can read more about how we work on our method page.

Is this approach right for you?

It may suit you if you prefer a slower, more thoughtful way to move. It may also suit you if fast, high-energy classes leave you feeling rushed or unsure of what your body is doing.

It may not be what you are looking for if you want a high-intensity workout with music and a quick pace. We would rather be honest about that than promise something we do not offer.

Our studio has been in South Kensington since 1991, and Trevor has taught Pilates for more than 40 years. In that time, our focus has stayed the same. Relaxation first, then precision, then lasting progress.

What should you expect at your first session?

You can expect a calm room, a conversation about your body and your goals, and an assessment before any movement begins. Our guide to what to expect at your first session walks through it step by step. If you would like to see how sessions are priced, our sessions and pricing page has the details.

If you would like to try it for yourself, you can get in touch to book a session.

Most Pilates teacher training in London runs as a group course. You join a cohort, sit through weekend intensives, and work through a shared syllabus alongside a dozen other trainees.

Trevor Blount’s teacher training programme in South Kensington works the opposite way. One student. One teacher. Two years, structured as an apprenticeship rather than a classroom course.

It’s a slower, more demanding path to becoming a Pilates instructor. It’s also, in Trevor’s view, the only way to actually teach the method properly.

A 1,000-Hour Apprenticeship, Not a Weekend Course

The programme has two stages.

Pre-training comes first: 25 to 50 studio sessions completed over six months, alongside an anatomy and physiology certification at the London College of Massage. This is where a trainee builds the foundation before the real training begins.

The training programme itself runs for two years and totals 1,000 hours, split across six terms:

• 325 hours of one-to-one studio sessions, practical training, and lectures
• 500 hours of supervised teaching practice in the South Kensington studio, working with real clients under Trevor’s direct guidance
• 150 hours of home study and coursework
• 25 hours of specialist training in remedial exercise for injury rehabilitation and common conditions

The final term is largely devoted to examination preparation: coursework, a self-assessment, two case studies, and a practical exam.

For context, that’s a substantially longer and more hands-on commitment than most UK Pilates certification courses, which typically run a few hundred hours across mat work alone.

Why One-to-One Instead of a Classroom

The apprenticeship model isn’t a stylistic choice. It comes directly from how Trevor teaches Pilates itself.

Trevor’s method centres on what he calls the “internal mechanism” of an exercise: learning to sense what your body is actually doing, rather than following an instructor’s cues by rote. That’s difficult to teach in a group setting, where an instructor is watching ten bodies at once. It’s much easier to teach when the training itself happens one-to-one.

So trainees don’t just learn Pilates exercises. They spend hundreds of hours watching Trevor work with real clients — including people recovering from surgery, managing chronic conditions, or dealing with hypermobility — and then teaching under his direct supervision. The goal isn’t to memorise a repertoire. It’s to develop the same eye for individual anatomy and limitation that the studio’s whole approach is built on.

Training on the Full Classical Apparatus

Many Pilates instructor courses in London focus on mat work, or mat plus reformer. Trevor’s programme covers the complete classical apparatus:

• Reformer
• Cadillac
• Wunda Chair
• Ladder Barrel

This matters for anyone planning to teach in a studio environment rather than run mat classes. It’s also closer to how Joseph Pilates originally taught the method, using the full range of equipment rather than a narrowed-down modern subset.

Built on 40 Years of Teaching, and a Role in Shaping the Profession

Trevor didn’t design this course as a first attempt at training instructors. He’s been teaching Pilates for over 40 years, and teacher training has been part of his work for more than 30 of them.

In 1996, he was one of the founding members of the PILATESfoundation, the UK’s professional body for Pilates teachers. He was also instrumental in building the Foundation’s teacher training accreditation system, established in 1999 — the framework that much of UK Pilates certification is still built on today.

In 2010, he began offering this comprehensive certification programme directly to his own students in South Kensington, drawing on decades of both teaching Pilates and training other teachers to do the same.

Who the Programme Is For

Applicants don’t need a dance or bodywork background, though it can help. What’s required is a genuine understanding of Pilates and a clear reason for wanting to teach it.

The application process starts with a CV outlining any Pilates experience, along with a letter explaining why you want to become a Pilates teacher. Successful applicants are then invited to a session with Trevor at the studio, followed by a conversation about their suitability for training and what the programme involves.

Given the one-to-one structure, places on the programme are limited by nature. Trevor can only train one student at a time within any given period.

Find Out More

Full details on the application process, course structure, and how to get started are on our Pilates Teacher Training page.

Most people who’ve never tried Pilates arrive with the same handful of questions in their head, even if they don’t say them out loud: will I be able to keep up? Is it going to hurt? What if I’m the least capable person in the room?

If you’re starting with us, none of that applies in quite the way you’d expect — because there is no room full of people to keep up with, and nothing to prove.

There’s no group to keep pace with

Every new client starts with an individual, one-to-one session. That means the entire session is built around you — your body, your level, your goals — not adjusted down or up to fit a class average. Nobody is watching to see if you’re keeping up, because there’s no pace being set except the one that’s right for you.

Your first session starts with assessment, not exercise

Before any movement begins, we take the time to understand your body: your posture, your mobility, any injuries or conditions, any areas of tightness or weakness, and what you’re hoping to get out of Pilates. This isn’t a formality — it’s what shapes everything that follows, including your very first exercises.

What the movement itself feels like

Pilates is slower and more controlled than most people expect, especially if they’re picturing a high-energy fitness class. There’s no music, and no rush. Movements are precise rather than fast, and the focus is on understanding what your body is doing with each one, not powering through repetitions.

For a first session, we typically introduce a small number of foundational movements, done properly and understood clearly, rather than a long sequence you’re trying to keep track of. It’s far more common to leave a first session feeling like you’ve learned something about how your body moves than to leave exhausted.

Do I need to be flexible or fit to start?

No. This is one of the most common misconceptions. Pilates meets you at your current level and builds from there — flexibility and strength develop through the practice, they aren’t a prerequisite for starting it. It’s also a common question whether Pilates can genuinely build muscle and strength — it can, though not in the way a weights session does.

Will my first session be difficult?

It’s more likely to feel unfamiliar than difficult. Many beginners are surprised by how much focus and control quiet, slow movement actually requires — it’s a different kind of challenge from a fast-paced workout, not necessarily a harder one.

What should I wear to my first session?

Comfortable, close-fitting clothing that allows your instructor to see how your body is moving — leggings or fitted trousers and a fitted top work well. Grip socks are usually recommended for the apparatus.

How many sessions before I notice a difference?

This varies by individual, but most clients begin to notice changes in body awareness, posture, and control within the first several sessions, with strength and mobility improvements building over a longer period. We’ll talk through what to expect for you specifically during your assessment.

Ready to try your first session?

If you’re curious about Pilates and want a genuinely tailored introduction, get in touch to arrange your first one-to-one session.

Walk into most reformer studios today and you’ll find the same formula: music playing, a room full of people, a fast-moving sequence designed to get your heart rate up and leave you sweating. It’s become the default image of what Pilates is.

That’s not what Joseph Pilates created, and it’s not how we work.

Where the confusion comes from

Pilates has been absorbed into the modern fitness industry, and in the process, much of it has been reshaped to fit that industry’s expectations — group classes, high energy, visible exertion, quick transformation. None of that is wrong for the people who want it. But it’s a significant departure from the method as it was originally developed, and from what actually makes Pilates effective for the body. If you’re weighing up your options locally, it’s worth understanding how Pilates studios in London differ in equipment and class types before choosing one.

What classical Pilates actually is

Joseph Pilates developed this method with precision and individual assessment at its centre — not speed, and not volume. He worked one-on-one, understanding each person’s anatomy and building movement around it. That’s the foundation we’ve maintained at the studio for over 40 years, since Trevor moved it to South Kensington in 1991, making it the longest-standing Pilates studio in Kensington & Chelsea. Trevor’s own role in shaping this standard for the profession goes back further still — he’s a founding member of the PILATESfoundation, the UK’s professional accrediting body for Pilates teachers.

The differences from a modern reformer class are practical, not just philosophical:

Individual assessment first. Every new client is assessed before any programme begins — their structure, their limitations, what their body needs. A group class works from an average; classical practice works from the individual in front of you.

No music. Music sets an external pace and becomes a distraction from what the body is actually doing. We work in silence deliberately, so attention stays where it should be — on the movement itself.

Slow, technical movement. Precision takes time, and the equipment itself is part of how that precision becomes possible — see mat Pilates vs apparatus Pilates for how spring resistance and apparatus adjustability change what’s achievable. Rushing through a sequence to raise a heart rate is a different goal entirely from moving with control and accuracy. Classical practice prioritises the latter.

One-to-one, not group. The apparatus and the guidance are tailored to one body at a time, adjusting session to session as that person’s needs change — not fixed to a class timetable that has to work for everyone in the room. This is what private reformer Pilates actually means in practice, and it’s a large part of what separates studios across London beyond just the equipment on the floor.

Why this matters for results

The modern reformer class model is built for people who want a workout. Classical Pilates is built for people who want to genuinely understand and improve how their body moves — which is a different, often more demanding, and typically longer-lasting outcome.

This is why so many of the clients we work with come to us for injury recovery, chronic conditions, or long-term postural issues that a fast-paced class either can’t address or would actively risk aggravating. If your priority leans toward rehabilitation specifically, it’s worth reading how clinical Pilates differs from fitness Pilates. It’s also why clients tend to stay for years, not weeks — the method builds a relationship with your own body that a 45-minute group session isn’t designed to create.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is classical Pilates less effective than a reformer workout class?

Not less effective — differently purposed. A reformer class is generally built for fitness and calorie burn. Classical Pilates is built for precision, rehabilitation, and long-term movement quality. Someone recovering from surgery, managing a chronic condition, or dealing with hypermobility will typically get more genuine benefit from the classical, individually assessed approach.

Can classical Pilates still be a good workout?

Yes — but the intensity comes from precision and control, not speed or repetition count. Many clients find it more physically demanding in a different way, because there’s nowhere to hide behind momentum.

Why has the studio kept the classical approach for 40 years?

Because it works, and because it’s what actually helps the clients who come to us — many of whom have already tried the faster, trend-driven version elsewhere and found it didn’t serve what their body actually needed.

Ready to experience the difference?

If you’d like to understand what a genuinely individually assessed approach to Pilates looks like, get in touch to arrange a consultation.

Recovery after a stroke rarely follows a straight line. Some things come back quickly. Others take much longer, and some days feel like they’ve gone backwards. What I’ve learned, working with clients at this stage of recovery, is that the body responds best to patience — to movement that’s slow enough to actually notice what’s happening, rather than rushed through.

This is where our approach to Pilates has something genuine to offer. It isn’t a treatment for stroke, and it doesn’t replace physiotherapy or clinical rehabilitation. But as a complement to that care, once a client has been cleared by their medical team, it can support the slow work of rebuilding balance, coordination, and confidence in movement.

Why slow, controlled movement matters after stroke

A stroke can affect balance, coordination, and control on one side of the body in ways that make even simple daily movements feel effortful and uncertain. Rebuilding that control isn’t about pushing hard. It’s about relearning movement with precision, using the body as a sensor to feel what’s happening and respond to it — which is close to the foundation of how we approach every client, stroke recovery or not.

The apparatus we use supports the body through movement rather than leaving it to manage the full effort alone, which matters enormously when balance or one-sided strength is still recovering.

What we need before we begin

We always ask for clearance from a GP, neurologist, or physiotherapist before starting sessions with a stroke recovery client. Every stroke is different, and the right starting point depends entirely on where someone is in their recovery, what their care team has already established, and what movement is currently safe for them.

Once cleared, we assess individually — never from a template — looking at what movement is available, where control needs rebuilding, and how session pace should be set for that particular person.

What a session looks like

Sessions are slow, deliberate, and closely guided. There’s no music and no external pace to keep up with — attention stays on the client’s own movement and breath throughout. Work often starts with very controlled, supported movement and builds gradually as coordination and confidence return.

Because this is one-to-one, the session can change from week to week as recovery progresses — something a group class simply can’t offer.

This is a similar principle to how we work with clients managing Parkinson’s — another condition where control, coordination, and confidence in movement are central to the work, always alongside a client’s existing medical care.

Can Pilates help with balance after a stroke?

Balance and coordination are often central to what we work on with stroke recovery clients, always within the guidance already set by their medical team. The apparatus-based approach allows genuinely controlled, supported movement while that balance work happens.

Is this a substitute for physiotherapy?

No. This sits alongside physiotherapy and clinical rehabilitation, not in place of it — the same clinical, individually assessed approach we bring to any client managing a medical condition. We ask every stroke recovery client to be cleared by their medical team first, and we work in a way that complements — not replaces — that ongoing care.

How soon after a stroke can someone start?

This depends entirely on the individual’s recovery and their medical team’s guidance. There’s no fixed timeline we work to. We begin once a client has clearance, and build from wherever they are on that day.

Ready to begin?

If you or a family member are looking for a considered, individually assessed approach to movement during stroke recovery, get in touch to arrange a consultation.

A client in her seventies once told me she’d never managed to stick with any form of exercise for more than a few weeks in her life. She’s been coming to the studio for six years now. Her son comes too.

I think about that often, because it says something important about what actually works for people later in life. It isn’t intensity. It’s precision, consistency, and a method that meets the body where it is rather than where a class assumes it should be.

Why balance and strength matter more with age

Muscle strength declines gradually with age if it isn’t actively maintained, and that decline affects balance and mobility long before it becomes obvious day to day. Balance itself is something that can be trained — the body relearns how to stabilise through movement, not through avoiding it.

This is where Pilates has a genuine advantage over many other forms of exercise for older clients. It works on strength, control, and balance together, using apparatus that supports the body while it learns, rather than leaving someone unsupported and at risk of a fall during the exercise itself.

What makes a one-to-one approach right for this stage of life

Group classes are built around an average — an average fitness level, an average pace, an average set of limitations. Nobody in later life is actually average. One person’s knees might be the limiting factor; another’s might be a hip replacement, or reduced confidence after a fall, or simply years of a desk job catching up with their posture.

We start every new client with an individual assessment, and for older clients this matters even more than usual. We’re not working from a template. We’re working from what this particular body can do safely today, and building from there — the same principle behind how we work with clients recovering from hip or knee replacement, managing osteoporosis, or living with osteoarthritis — all common considerations at this stage of life.

What a session actually involves

Movement is slow, controlled, and always within a safe range. There’s no rushing to keep pace with music or a group — because there’s no music at all. Just the client, the apparatus, and the guidance of someone paying close attention to how their body is responding.

Sessions build strength in the muscles that support posture and balance — particularly the deep core and the muscles around the hips and spine — while also working on the kind of controlled, functional movement that carries over into daily life: getting up from a chair, carrying shopping, walking without hesitation.

Is Pilates safe if I have joint pain or a previous injury?

Yes, when it’s tailored to that specifically. This is exactly the kind of situation individual assessment exists for — identifying what needs to be worked around, modified, or built up to gradually, rather than following a generic programme that doesn’t know your history.

Do I need to already be fit to start?

No. Some of the clients who’ve stayed with us longest started with very little prior exercise experience at all. What matters is starting at the right level for you, not arriving already capable.

How is this different from a general seniors’ fitness class?

A general class is designed for a room full of people at once, at one pace. What we do is designed around one person, adjusted every session to how that person’s body is responding that day. That’s a different kind of exercise altogether.

Ready to begin?

If you’d like a considered, individually assessed approach to building strength and confidence, get in touch to arrange a consultation.

New mothers often ask me the same question, in slightly different ways: when can I start again, and where do I even begin?

There isn’t a single answer. Every birth is different, every recovery is different, and the body that comes through childbirth is not the same one that walked in. That’s the starting point for how we work with postnatal clients — not a fixed programme, but an individual assessment of what this particular body needs, right now.

Why postnatal Pilates needs to be different from a normal class

During pregnancy, the abdominal wall stretches and the connective tissue that holds it together softens. For many women this results in some degree of diastasis recti — a separation of the abdominal muscles — which doesn’t resolve on its own just because the baby has arrived. The pelvic floor, too, has carried significant load for nine months and, in vaginal delivery, undergone real physical strain.

Going straight back into general exercise, or a fast-paced class built for a different body, risks working against this healing rather than with it. That’s why we assess first, in the same way we assess every client’s individual structure and limitations before beginning. We look at how the core is functioning, whether there’s separation, how the pelvic floor is responding, and build from there — slowly, technically, without rushing toward “getting your body back,” which was never really the goal.

If you also experience joint laxity or hypermobility postnatally — common as pregnancy hormones affect connective tissue — this is worth mentioning at assessment, as it changes how we approach certain movements and pacing.

What a first postnatal session looks like

We start by listening to what the body is actually doing, not what a generic timeline says it should be doing by six weeks or twelve weeks. Breath comes first. Reconnecting the deep core muscles with the breath, before any loaded movement, is often the piece that’s been missed elsewhere.

From there, movement is slow and precise, using the apparatus to support and guide rather than to challenge. There’s no music, no pace being set from outside — just you, your body, and the equipment, which is exactly how we work with every client, postnatal or not.

Is it safe to do Pilates with diastasis recti?

Yes, when the exercises are chosen with that specifically in mind. Certain movements — anything that causes the abdomen to dome or bulge — need to be avoided or modified until the gap has closed sufficiently. This is precisely why individual assessment matters more here than almost anywhere else.

How soon after birth can I start?

This depends entirely on the individual — the type of delivery, any complications, and clearance from a GP or obstetrician. We always ask clients to get that clearance first. Once cleared, we begin gently and build gradually, rather than working to a fixed week-by-week template.

Will this help with pelvic floor issues?

Pelvic floor function is woven through nearly everything we do in a postnatal session, from breathing patterns to how load is introduced through the legs and core. It’s not a separate add-on; it’s foundational to how the whole session is built.

Why the relationship matters here particularly

New mothers are often exhausted, adjusting, and short on time and patience for anything that doesn’t feel like it’s genuinely helping. This is where the one-to-one, decades-long relationship model at the centre of how we work makes the most difference. Sessions adapt week to week as recovery progresses and as life allows — there’s no fixed class to keep pace with.

Some of the clients I’ve worked with over the years came to me first in the postnatal period and are still coming, years later, because the relationship and the understanding of their body only deepened from there. Once you’re through the early recovery stage, how often you practise becomes the next natural question.

Ready to begin?

If you’re navigating the postnatal period and want a considered, individually assessed approach to rebuilding strength, get in touch to arrange a consultation.

Scoliosis is one of those conditions that people carry for years, often decades, without ever having received much in the way of practical guidance about how to live and move with it. The diagnosis may have come in adolescence, or it may have emerged gradually in adulthood as part of degenerative spinal change. Either way, the question that brings most people to us is the same: can Pilates actually help?

The honest answer is: meaningfully yes, with some important qualifications.

Can Pilates Help with Scoliosis?

Yes. Pilates cannot reverse or cure scoliosis — a structural lateral curvature of the spine — and it is important to be clear about that. What it can do, consistently and significantly, is strengthen the muscles that support the curved spine, improve body awareness and postural control, reduce pain and tension associated with the asymmetrical muscular loading that scoliosis creates, and improve breathing mechanics that the rib cage distortion of scoliosis can compromise.

For adults with scoliosis — particularly those whose curves are mild to moderate and who are not candidates for surgery — this represents meaningful improvement in daily quality of life. Clients who have worked with us over years report less pain, better posture and greater confidence in movement. That is a realistic and valuable outcome.

What Is Scoliosis?

Scoliosis is a three-dimensional spinal condition characterised by an abnormal lateral curvature and rotational component. When viewed from behind, the scoliotic spine appears to curve sideways — either in a single “C” curve or a double “S” curve. But the rotation of the vertebrae within the curve is equally significant: it changes the shape of the rib cage, affects the muscles on either side of the spine asymmetrically, and alters the way load is distributed through the spine in everything from sitting to walking.

The most common type — idiopathic scoliosis — has no clearly identified cause and accounts for roughly 80% of cases. It is typically diagnosed in childhood or adolescence. Degenerative scoliosis develops in adults as part of the ageing process, often presenting from midlife onward. Both types benefit from the same Pilates principles, though the starting point and progressions differ.

How Do You Know What Type of Scoliosis You Have?

A confirmed scoliosis diagnosis requires an X-ray measured by the Cobb method. The Cobb angle gives a numerical measure of the curve’s degree and, therefore, its severity. A curve of 10 degrees meets the clinical threshold; curves above 40 degrees are generally considered more significant. If you’ve been told you have scoliosis based on a visual assessment or surface examination, please confirm this with imaging before beginning any exercise programme specific to scoliosis.

Why Is One-to-One Pilates Important for Scoliosis?

No two scoliotic spines are identical. The curve pattern, the direction of rotation at the apex, the compensatory patterns that have developed, the presence or absence of pain — all of these vary between individuals. This means that exercises beneficial for one person’s scoliosis may be contraindicated for another’s.

In a group class, this level of individualisation is not possible. In a one-to-one session, I can assess where your spine is holding compression, where the concavities need opening, which muscles are working too hard on one side and not enough on the other — and build a session that addresses your spine specifically.

The classical Pilates apparatus is particularly useful here. The Cadillac, Reformer, and Ladder Barrel allow supported positions that reduce the compressive effects of gravity — which, for scoliosis, can perpetuate the collapse of the concave side of the curve. The apparatus also allows us to work in asymmetric ways when appropriate, addressing the specific pattern of your curve rather than treating the spine as symmetrical.

What Does Pilates for Scoliosis Focus On?

Axial elongation. The first priority is teaching the spine to decompress and lengthen along its own central axis. This means working against the gravitational compression that scoliosis exacerbates, opening the concave sides of the curve using breath and directed awareness.

Breath directed into restricted areas. The rib cage distortion that accompanies spinal rotation can significantly restrict breathing on the compressed side. Directed breath — using the breath deliberately to expand specific areas of the rib cage — is both a therapeutic tool and a diagnostic one. Where the breath goes tells us what is holding.

Deep stabiliser strength. The deep spinal muscles that run along the sides of the vertebrae behave asymmetrically in scoliosis — overshortened on one side, overlengthened on the other. Building balanced strength in these muscles, without simply reinforcing the existing asymmetry, requires careful exercise selection and consistent monitoring.

Postural awareness in daily function. Scoliosis management in Pilates is not only about what happens in the studio. It is about building enough awareness and muscular support that the posture you practise in sessions begins to carry over into how you stand, sit and move through the rest of your day.

Should You Avoid Any Exercises with Scoliosis?

This depends entirely on your curve pattern and severity. Some rotation exercises are appropriate and beneficial for certain scoliosis types; others would increase the rotational component of the curve and are best avoided. Spinal flexion work — roll-ups, C-curves — may be modified or excluded depending on the configuration of the curve. This is precisely the kind of decision that requires assessment, not assumption.

Is There Any Research Supporting Pilates for Scoliosis?

Research in this area is more limited than for some other conditions, but existing studies report improvements in Cobb angle, postural balance, pain and quality of life in adults with scoliosis following Pilates-based programmes. The most clinically consistent finding is not curve correction — which in structural adult scoliosis is unrealistic — but meaningful improvement in function, pain levels and muscular symmetry. This matches what we observe over time in clients who work consistently.

Scoliosis shares characteristics with hypermobility in terms of the need for precision in exercise selection and the risks of unmodified generic training. For further context on working with complex spinal presentations, see Pilates for Hypermobility.

If you have scoliosis and are considering whether Pilates could help, the most useful next step is a conversation. Contact us at the studio and we can discuss your specific situation and what one-to-one sessions might offer.

My Pilates Background

I began my Pilates training in 1983 with Dreas Reyneke — one of the great pioneers of British Pilates. Dreas was a former dancer with Ballet Rambert who had trained in the Pilates method and opened his Body Conditioning studio in Notting Hill Gate. He was a wonderful teacher and a fabulous man, and I trained with him for two years.

After this, I trained under Alan Herdman — the man who had brought Pilates to the United Kingdom, having opened Britain’s first Pilates studio in 1970 after training in New York under instructors who had worked directly with Joseph Pilates himself. I subsequently became Manager of Alan Herdman’s studio, a role I held for six years.

The Threat from America

The Pilates Foundation was not established as a routine professional body. It was founded in direct response to a serious legal threat.

A man in America — Sean Gallagher, owner of a Manhattan-based Pilates studio — had claimed trademark ownership of the word “Pilates” and had already taken successful legal action against small studios in the United States. He was intimidating hundreds of Pilates teachers into either paying annual licensing fees to him or ceasing to use the word “Pilates” to describe what they taught. He then announced his intention to come to London and extend this control over Pilates in England.

I felt very strongly that we could not allow this to happen. The word “Pilates” described a method of exercise developed by Joseph Pilates himself — it was not a commercial brand that any individual should be able to own or control. If Gallagher succeeded, every Pilates teacher and studio in Britain and Europe would be at his mercy.

Founding the Pilates Foundation

I approached Anne-Marie Zulkahari and Hana Jones and asked whether they would join me in fighting to protect our right to use the word “Pilates” as a description of what we do. Both agreed with enthusiasm.

Together, we then invited Alan Herdman to serve as Chairman of the new organisation and Dreas Reyneke to serve as Deputy Chairman. Both accepted, lending the full weight of their authority and stature to the cause.

We engaged a brilliant trademark lawyer and pursued a strategy that proved decisive: we were among the first to obtain a collective trademark at the European Trademark Registry, and we also secured a collective trademark registered in England. The collective trademark was the critical legal mechanism — by registering the word collectively on behalf of the profession, no single commercial entity could claim exclusive ownership of it. It belonged to the method and to the practitioners as a whole.

This prevented Sean Gallagher from being able to obtain a trademark in Britain or Europe, and it protected every Pilates teacher and studio on this side of the Atlantic.

What Happened in America

In the United States, the fight was eventually won in court, but only after a costly four-year legal battle. In October 2000, U.S. District Court Judge Miriam Cedarbaum ruled that “Pilates” was a generic term — like “yoga” or “karate” — and could not be trademarked by any individual. Gallagher was also found to have deliberately misled the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. The case was brought by Ken Endelman of Balanced Body Inc., the only person with the resources to challenge him in court.

The British and European professions were protected far earlier and more efficiently by the collective trademark strategy that the Pilates Foundation had pursued from the outset.

Setting the Record Straight

Over the years, a number of people have claimed to have started the Pilates Foundation or described themselves as founding members. This account sets the record straight.

The Pilates Foundation was founded by Trevor Blount, with Anne-Marie Zulkahari and Hana Jones as co-founders. Alan Herdman served as Chairman and Dreas Reyneke as Deputy Chairman. The impetus, the initiative, and the legal strategy came from Trevor Blount, who identified the threat posed by Sean Gallagher and brought the founding group together specifically to protect the British and European Pilates profession.

Every Pilates teacher and studio in Britain and Europe who uses the word “Pilates” freely today owes something to that fight, whether they know it or not.

Account recorded June 2026.

Osteoarthritis and osteopenia sit at opposite ends of a related concern: one involves the gradual deterioration of joint cartilage; the other, the slow reduction of bone density. Both are common in the clients we see, often appearing together, and both respond well to the kind of careful, load-appropriate movement that classical Pilates provides.

What brings most of these clients to us is a prior experience of being either told to rest and avoid exercise, or given a generic programme that made the joint pain worse. Neither outcome is inevitable. What it usually reflects is a mismatch between the exercise and the person.

Is Pilates Good for Osteoarthritis?

Yes. Pilates is a highly appropriate form of exercise for osteoarthritis. It is low-impact, meaning it does not subject joints to the compressive forces of running or high-impact aerobics. It systematically strengthens the muscles around affected joints — reducing the load those joints must bear — and improves the balance and proprioception that often deteriorate as joint pain changes how a person moves.

A 2025 meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials found that Pilates can relieve pain and improve physical function in people with knee osteoarthritis, with effects on both pain intensity and the WOMAC functional scale. The controlled, supported nature of apparatus-based Pilates is particularly well-suited to this population: spring resistance allows strengthening work without undue joint compression, and the wide range of positions available means there is almost always a way to work that does not aggravate the affected joint.

What Is the Difference Between Osteoarthritis and Osteopenia?

Osteoarthritis is a degenerative joint condition in which the cartilage that cushions the ends of bones gradually wears down. It most commonly affects the knees, hips, spine and hands, causing pain, stiffness and reduced range of motion. It is the most prevalent form of arthritis in the UK, predominantly affecting people over 50.

Osteopenia refers to lower-than-normal bone density — not yet at the level that meets the clinical threshold for osteoporosis, but indicating that bone density has begun to decline. Over 3 million people in the UK are affected by osteoporosis, with osteopenia representing a significantly larger population at earlier stages of bone density loss.

Both conditions share a need for exercise that builds muscular strength without placing inappropriate mechanical stress on weakened joints or bones.

How Does Osteoarthritis Differ from Osteoporosis in Terms of Exercise?

Osteoarthritis and osteoporosis require different exercise emphases, even when they occur in the same person (which they often do). Osteoarthritis management prioritises unloading affected joints while strengthening the surrounding musculature and maintaining range of motion. Osteoporosis management prioritises weight-bearing and resistance work to stimulate bone density — but within the constraint that high-impact loading or flexion loading of a fragile spine can increase fracture risk.

This is why assessment matters so much. When someone has both conditions, which is common in older adults, a one-size approach will either be insufficient for one condition or inappropriate for the other. We’ve written in more detail about is Pilates good for osteoporosis, including how we approach fracture risk and spinal loading specifically.

What Does Pilates for Osteoarthritis Actually Do?

Muscle strengthening around the joint. Weak muscles around an arthritic joint place more stress on the joint itself — meaning the cartilage must absorb forces that well-functioning muscles would normally share. Strengthening the quadriceps, hip stabilisers and gluteal muscles around a knee or hip with osteoarthritis directly reduces compressive load on the joint. This is especially relevant for clients coming to us for Pilates after knee replacement, where the surrounding musculature has to do more work to protect the new joint.

Improving joint mobility. Stiffness is a characteristic complaint of osteoarthritis, particularly in the morning or after sustained inactivity. Carefully graded mobilisation work reduces this stiffness and maintains the range of motion needed for daily function.

Balance and proprioceptive training. Osteoarthritis alters the proprioceptive feedback from the affected joint — the body’s ability to know where the joint is in space. This contributes to the increased fall risk seen in people with lower limb osteoarthritis. Pilates work systematically challenges and improves this proprioception.

Posture and load distribution. Osteoarthritis often develops or worsens in joints that are carrying uneven loads due to postural habits built up over years. Addressing these patterns — through the kind of attentive, whole-body assessment that our method is built around — works on the problem upstream rather than just managing the symptom.

What About Pilates for Osteopenia?

For clients with osteopenia, Pilates offers a form of resistance and weight-bearing work that can help maintain or modestly improve bone density, while also building the balance and postural strength that reduce fall risk. The spine extensors — the muscles of the back that keep the spine upright — are of particular importance: weakness here contributes to postural kyphosis (rounding of the upper back) that increases vertebral fracture risk in people with reduced bone density.

This overlaps significantly with our work with osteoporosis clients, discussed further in our piece on Pilates and osteoporosis. The principles are the same; the intensity and progression simply begin from a different starting point.

Is Apparatus Pilates Better Than Mat Pilates for Osteoarthritis?

For most people with osteoarthritis, apparatus-based work offers significant advantages over mat work. The apparatus provides support in positions that would otherwise compress the affected joints; it allows resistance to be dialled up or down precisely; and it creates movement in planes and through ranges that unassisted mat work often cannot achieve comfortably. This is not a rule — mat work has its place, particularly as strength and function improve — but for the early stages of working with osteoarthritis, the apparatus is generally more useful, a distinction we go into further in mat Pilates vs apparatus Pilates.

If you are managing osteoarthritis or osteopenia and would like to understand what a one-to-one programme at our South Kensington studio might look like, please get in touch.