You may recognize Katie from covering a few of our Pilates classes over the last few months. We have always had lovely feedback from you about her classes and are excited to announce that she is now a regular teacher with us.

She will be taking over the Monday Pilates class, 12:05-13:05 from 10 July.

We caught up with her to get to know a little more about her journey into Pilates.

How did you get into Pilates?

I’d been doing other activities at the gym for a while & felt like I was stagnating & not really getting anywhere.  I wanted to try something different so I started Pilates.  I really enjoyed the flow of the movements & how it made me feel – stronger, more calm & uplifted.  I saw people a lot older than me in the classes performing impressive moves with ease & felt inspired and spurred on.  I soon became hooked.

Was there a moment when you realized you wanted to pursue Pilates seriously?

I had been considering a change of career for a while & thought: ‘What do I love & what do I really believe in?’  Pilates was the answer to both questions so it was a no brainer.

How has Pilates changed you?

In so many ways! I am much more in tune with my body – I have better coordination, balance, strength and mobility.  Pilates always calms and centres me and with all of that comes a sense of empowerment and greater confidence.

What’s your approach to teaching?

I believe in a good focus on technique because I think that’s one of the things that makes Pilates so effective.  I like to think I have an encouraging and nurturing approach where each client works at their own pace & I try to tailor the moves to the individual as much as possible.  For me, a successful session leaves the client feeling that they’ve worked and achieved something & enjoyed doing so.

What advice would you give to people considering taking up Pilates?

In order to get the best results it’s worth really getting your head around the technique in the early stages.  As Joseph Pilates wrote: ‘Remember, too that “Rome was not built in a day” and that patience and persistence are vital qualities in the ultimate successful accomplishment of any worthwhile endeavour’  Once you have nailed the basics you can have fun with it and enjoy exploring the more complex moves and start seeing the results, which can be truly amazing.

Do you have a favourite Pilates quote?

‘Contrology (Pilates) is designed to give you suppleness, natural grace, & skill that will be unmistakably reflected in the way you walk, in the way you play, & in the way you work.  You will develop muscular power with corresponding endurance, ability to perform arduous duties, to play strenuous games, to walk, run or travel for long distances without undue body fatigue or mental strain.  And this is by no means the end’

Join Katie for her Pilates class with us starting on Monday 10th July - book your place here.