Do You Teach Real Pilates?

Do You Teach Real Pilates?

It’s a question I never expected to hear—especially from someone who had just finished my Equipment Pilates class.

This particular client was a complete beginner, someone who had never stepped foot inside a Pilates studio before. Yet as they packed up, they hesitated and asked whether what they’d just done was actually Pilates. Why? Because TikTok and Instagram had convinced them that “real Pilates” only happens on a reformer, and they didn’t recognise any of the other pieces of equipment.

In that class alone, they had moved through a beautiful sequence: bridge on the ladder barrel, seated push through and supine scapular work on the Cadillac, mermaid and standing foot pump on the chair, and yes—feet in straps and supine arms on the reformer. These are foundational, intelligent movements designed to support, challenge, and restore the body.

It genuinely saddens me that so many people see Equipment Pilates and don’t recognise the depth and brilliance of the full method. When Joseph Pilates developed his work, he created an entire system. Each piece of apparatus has its own purpose, its own design, and its own way of meeting the body—whether that’s to rehabilitate, strengthen, or refine movement.

I've done equipment Pilates my whole Pilates life (almost 10 years now 🙈) , and while I do enjoy trying the quirky things I see online, nothing compares to the fundamentals. Those classical exercises changed my body. They helped me move without pain. They made me feel strong, capable, and connected.

My hope is that we don’t lose sight of the Pilates method itself. The reformer is fantastic—but it’s only one part of the puzzle. And if I’m being completely honest, it’s not even my favourite piece of equipment.