It wasn’t until a knee injury forced me to stop running that I realised just how much strain I’d been placing on my joints. My physiotherapist suggested Pilates to build strength and improve alignment, making it clear that caring for my joints wasn’t optional if I wanted to keep running long term. What began as rehabilitation quickly became a regular practice.
There are two main forms of Pilates: mat and reformer. Both use controlled, precise, low-impact movements to build muscular endurance and strength. Reformer classes take place on a carriage-like machine fitted with springs, pulleys and straps, allowing resistance to be adjusted to suit each exercise and ability level. This apparatus was first developed by German physical trainer Joseph Pilates during World War I, when he attached springs to hospital bed frames to help rehabilitate injured soldiers. After moving to New York in the 1920s, he refined the machine into what he named the “Universal Reformer”, introducing it to a wider audience that included dancers from the New York City Ballet.
In recent years, interest in reformer Pilates has exploded, and those improvised wooden bed frames have evolved into the sophisticated machines now found in studios around the world. Marsha Lindsay, founder of Nobu Pilates, sees this as part of a broader cultural shift towards mindful movement and preventative health. “Joseph Pilates was far ahead of his time,” she says. “The conversations we’re having now around longevity, mobility, recovery and posture were central to his original mission. As we’ve become more informed and conscious of how to live well and move better for longer, Pilates naturally aligns with this heightened awareness.” For Lindsay, Pilates is ultimately about empowerment. “It’s an education in body awareness,” she says. “It allows you to gain independence and a greater understanding of your own body, whilst correcting posture and imbalances.”
So what makes a great Pilates studio? “It comes down to intention,” she explains. “When the class structure is intelligent, the instructor is deeply educated, and the studio environment reflects attention to detail, clients don’t just exercise – they experience transformation.” As Joseph Pilates famously put it, “In 10 sessions you’ll feel the difference, in 20 you’ll see the difference, and in 30 you’ll have a whole new body.”
Studio Anatomy
Studio Anatomy
Possibly the most serene reformer space I’ve stepped into, Studio Anatomy’s light-filled London Fields studio features curved lines and lime-plaster walls, creating a tranquil setting for classes that set your muscles on fire. Founder Lotti Benardout, who comes from a background in music, has carried that same calming energy into her newer studio near Islington Green. Both locations offer tiered reformer classes to suit every level: Essential focuses on slower transitions and the fundamental principles of Pilates, while Power turns up the tempo, testing your cardio endurance with the addition of a jump board for plyometric movements. Beyond the reformer beds, Studio Anatomy also runs Hot Mat Pilates, a mat-based class held in infrared heat at around 32°C, designed to boost circulation, dial up the intensity and leave you glowing long after you roll up your mat.
