There’s a lot of information out there about what Pilates is… the breathing, the core work, the long lean muscles that get mentioned in every magazine article. But after 10 years of welcoming people through our door (and a lot more than 10 teaching in the Rugby area!) we’ve noticed that the things people actually experience when they start are rarely the things they expected. Almost always, they’re the things that make them stay.
Instead of telling you what Pilates is supposed to do, we wanted to share what it actually does – in the words of the people who’ve lived it!
Nobody tells you that it changes the way you feel in everyday life
Most people come to us for a specific reason – a bad back, tight hips, a niggle that won’t go away – and they’re focused on fixing that one thing. It’s a great starting point! What they don’t expect is the way the benefits start showing up everywhere else, quietly and gradually, until one day they realise that getting up from the floor feels different, carrying the shopping feels easier, and they’re moving through their day with a kind of ease they’d forgotten was possible.
“I thought Pilates wasn’t for me… but now I’ve been coming for 13 years and I love it to help me keep running, fit and supple.”
This is what a consistent practice does over time – not a dramatic overnight transformation, but a slow, steady change in how capable and comfortable the body feels in ordinary life.
Nobody tells you that the results show up in places you‘d never think to look
We had a member email us recently asking for a holiday pause (yes, we allow unlimited pauses on your membership!) Her email sign off put a big smile on our faces – what a result!
PS: Got a glowing health report from BUPA this week, they were genuinely impressed – thank you to you and all the teachers, you rock!
The work you do in a Pilates class – the strength, the breath, the posture, the controlled movement – doesn’t just stay in the studio. It travels with you into your health, your energy levels, and the long-term resilience of your body in ways that go far beyond what most people expect when they sign up for a class.
Nobody tells you that there’s always somewhere new to go
One of the things people worry about before they start is whether they’ll get bored, or they’ll plateau, or the same class week after week will stop giving them what they need. What they discover is that a good Pilates studio is always moving forward with them, and that just when they feel comfortable, something new opens up.
“I’ve been doing Pilates for many years but the Springboard is something new and I really enjoy it.”
The Springboard uses spring resistance to create a completely different experience to mat work. It challenges the body in new ways and keeps even the most experienced movers excited about what comes next.
Nobody tells you about the people
Somewhere along the way, people realise they’ve started looking forward to class for reasons that have very little to do with exercise.
“I made a lot of friends there.”
Because we’ve always been a small group studio, there’s an intimacy to it that a large gym or a packed fitness class rarely creates. A room where people actually know each other, notice when someone’s missing, and genuinely care about how everyone’s getting on. It becomes part of the week in a way that feels like much more than just a workout.
Experience it at Shape It Up
If you’re considering starting Pilates, or if you’ve tried it elsewhere and it didn’t quite feel right, we’d love for you to come and experience the difference for yourself with the New Member Intro Offer