Pilates means different things to different people. And the style of Pilates you experience in a class is often a direct reflection of the journey that brought the instructor to the mat in the first place.
Some instructors come to Pilates through rehabilitation – perhaps recovering from an injury themselves, or working alongside physiotherapists and discovering how powerful mindful movement can be for healing. Others arrive through pregnancy and motherhood, finding in Pilates a way to support the body through one of the most demanding physical journeys a person can go through. And many come from a dance or theatrical background, where Pilates has long been part of the training – valued for the control, precision and body awareness it develops.
All of these paths lead somewhere worthwhile. But they do lead somewhere different. And that’s worth knowing before you walk through the door.
I came into Pilates from an athletic avenue. Middle distance running as a teenager, training evenings at Bedford Athletic Stadium. Competitive amateur golf from around the age of 14 – a sport I still play regularly today. Years of group fitness instruction covering everything from Body Pump and Body Attack to Aqua and Indoor Cycling. A Personal Trainer qualification in 2012, followed by my Level 3 Pilates Mat qualification in 2013.
Sport taught me that the body needs to work, not just look a certain way. That real strength comes from the ground up – from feet and ankles, through the hips and core, all the way to the shoulders. That without solid foundations, everything else is built on sand.
That thinking is at the heart of everything I teach.
Over the years, my approach has developed organically – not from a fixed idea of what Pilates should be, but from listening to the people in my classes and asking what they actually need.
I’ve deepened my knowledge through specialist CPD training in areas like Self Myofascial Release, Pilates for Runners, Pilates for Neurological Conditions, Foam Rolling, and Small Ball and Toning Circle work. But here’s the thing – earning a proper certification from a proper training school is really only the start. It’s the tip of the iceberg. The real work happens in the months and years that follow, as you take what you’ve learned and test it, question it, and build on it with every class you teach.
That’s why I upskill every single month, working with Drummond Education on an ongoing basis. Not because I feel like I have to, but because I genuinely want to. Every time I learn something new, it finds its way into my teaching – and that means it finds its way into your classes too.
Perhaps the biggest shift in my teaching came in 2020. During lockdown I listened to a podcast featuring author James Nestor talking about breathing – and something clicked. I went on to complete a Level 2 Breathwork Coaching qualification with Bedfordshire Therapeutic Studies, which was upgraded to a Level 3 in May 2025. Breathwork now closes every one of my in-person classes, and it’s become one of the things I feel most strongly about. The way we breathe affects everything – how we move, how we recover, how we feel. It deserves more than an afterthought at the end of a session.
I run in-person classes across Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire and Cambridgeshire, and every one of them follows the same three-phase structure. It’s not by accident – each phase has a clear purpose, and together they make up what I believe a well-rounded session should feel like.
We start on our feet. The prep phase is standing work – mobilising the joints, waking up the body, and getting you ready to move with intention rather than just going through the motions. It sets the tone for everything that follows.
From there we move to the mat. This is the main phase, where the Pilates work happens. Sometimes with props like foam rollers, small balls, or toning circles, and sometimes without. Always built from the ground up, always focused on creating strong, stable foundations in the body.
And every class ends the same way – with breathwork. A few minutes to settle the nervous system, bring you back to yourself, and leave feeling genuinely restored. Not just stretched and sent on your way, but properly looked after.
Whether you come from dance, sport, or nowhere near either, what we build here is the same – a body that works well, moves well, and feels well. Keeping up with the grandchildren, managing a long working week, staying on top of a sport or hobby you love, or simply feeling more comfortable in your own body day to day. That’s what this is all about.
My Pilates is for everyone. You don’t need a sporting background, a dance background, or any background at all. You just need to show up.
