The Value of Doing a Private Pilates Session

Have you ever considered doing a private Pilates class, where it’s just you and the instructor? Large group classes are all the rage right now, but it hasn’t always been that way. 

Joseph Pilates’ Classes

Before Joseph Pilates moved to New York and opened his studio, he had a pretty interesting life with fitness at the center of it. He developed his method over years, during which he was a boxing promoter, coach, boxer, wrestler, and even a circus performer. He was also interned on the Isle of Man during WWI, and it’s said that he’d invite others to practice his method with him. 

Then, he opened his studio in the mid-1920’s. He would first work with his clients individually to get them started, and then they could drop in to do their workouts. Joe, Clara, and the other staff would be there to observe, coach, and teach clients more exercises as they were ready. He also taught larger group mat classes at his summer camps for dancers. While Joe taught a variety of class types, his intention was to get people to be able to do Pilates on their own for the most part – the role of the studio was to support his clients in their own movement journey. 

Modern Pilates Classes

As Pilates studios began to open up, most ran private sessions or maybe duos. Studios were small, the equipment was expensive, and not that many people even knew about Pilates. This was the case for many years, but then in the late 90’s and early 2000’s, Pilates mat work became incredibly popular. You could get Pilates DVDs, follow TV Pilates programs, and attend classes at your local gym. I even recall getting a free Pilates DVD on a formula can once. Yes, doing private Pilates sessions was still a thing, but studios also began to expand to offer small group sessions. 

Classes started to pop up everywhere, videos, DVD’s and even TV exercise programs offered Pilates.  So you were either doing it on your own or in a large class. Where I worked there could be up to 25 people in a class. Private lessons were still happening in the few studios out there but studios also started to add mat classes and small group apparatus classes.    

Today, you have a lot of choices in the classes you can take. There are large group reformer-only classes, group studio sessions, YouTube videos, and even online class subscriptions. Personally, I love my smaller group classes. They offer lower cost compared to a private lesson and you still have a teacher keeping a close eye on you and correcting, guiding, and teaching you, much like Joe did in his studio. 

Benefits of Doing a Private Session

All of that being said, doing a private Pilates session has Now a private lesson can be very valuable for a number of reasons: 

1. You are a beginner.
2. You are just getting back to doing Pilates after time away.
3. You have done a different style of Pilates.
4. You’ve done Pilates before, but had an injury or surgery, and are in a rehab phase.
5. You have a certain exercise, skill, or apparatus you would like to learn in greater depth or with more support. 
6. You bought an apparatus for home and want to be sure that you are using it safely and correctly.

I recently taught a few private sessions to a very long term client. Not only did she learn how to use her new spine corrector, she also had some ah-ha moments with other aspects of her Pilates practice. She can now use these skills in the classes she attends and in her home practice. It is a great idea to jump into a private lesson periodically throughout the year – you never know what you might learn.