Precious London Pilates

One of my favourite ways to begin a Reformer session: slow, controlled Footwork.

It may look simple, but it tells you a lot. It gives you a chance to check in with your body and notice how you feel that day. Do both sides feel balanced? Is one hip, knee, ankle or foot working differently from the other? Are you moving with control and ease?

Footwork is also a wonderful warm-up for the ankles, knees, hips and legs before progressing to more demanding exercises. Performed with control, it can help improve ankle mobility, increase body awareness and establish better movement patterns for the rest of the session.

So many benefits from such a simple exercise. No wonder I love it 🫶🏻

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Just thought, once I’d taken the cover off my home Reformer, why not squeeze in a few Tendon Stretches? 😁

Spent a little time on the Tower today, playing with spinal articulation and core control, while adding the back extensors into the game from time to time ✨

Basically just listened to my body and moved with Pilates principles 💜

Waking up my body with a BASI Tower warm-up series this morning. Such a nice way to start the day 😇

Ohh, how I love the Side Reach on the Tower 🩵
One of the best ways to activate the obliques and quadratus lumborum while maintaining pelvic–lumbar stability.

It looks easy, but 4 reps are more than enough to feel it working 😁

I want to explain this with an example. Here’s the studio set-up for one of my regular 1:1 clients.

She has both lordosis and kyphosis, and due to lifestyle habits, she tends to lean to one side — similar to scoliosis, but without actually having it.

This is how I prepared her body before starting the session:

BOSU ball:
Perfect for side-lying breathing. It helps open up the more collapsed side, as she tends to bend towards that side.

Spine Corrector:
Great for working with kyphosis. I also added an arc next to it — because of her slightly forward head posture, placing her head directly on the Spine Corrector wasn’t comfortable, so I elevated it for better alignment.

Reformer:
Used for traction to create length from tailbone to crown of the head.

Then we moved into the exercises.
I used the F2 Chair for hip work, as she needs to open her chest more — and the F2 chair supports that beautifully.

This is how we think through every detail based on your posture and your needs.

That’s why 1:1 Pilates can be so powerful ✨

The studio:

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How has your Easter Monday started? 🐣

I decided to mobilise my body on the Reformer today. There are some exercises I don’t teach very often, usually only to regular clients who are ready to progress.

Backstroke is one of them, to be honest. I haven’t taught it since passing my BASI Comprehensive exam last year.
So this felt like the perfect opportunity to refresh my muscle memory while keeping my body moving this morning 🤩

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Quick self-practice before teaching Tower+ Fundamentals at SMK Pilates Studio

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A little Friday fun with my boy 😽

I love Pilates footwork 🫶🏻

Starting with footwork gently increases circulation, activates the legs and posterior chain, and prepares the joints without overload. It’s also your first body scan: noticing alignment, weight distribution, imbalances, and how the pelvis and core are responding that day.

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