Make the best of your Pilates

By Nathalie Gonthier-Thomas

Learn the details in private sessions,

Practice with guidance in Contrology classes.

I am often asked this question from new clients: “How many times a week should I do Pilates?”

My first answer (to myself) is always: "Every Day!". But I usually honestly say two lessons a week are great, and in actuality, the minimum. If you can do three sessions a week you would see results and feel great in no time. The reality (of life, time, finances, motivation, etc) is that most people can do two, or one weekly session, but as long as you can make it to the studio, even once a week is already a good start.

However, the most progress that I have seen in the majority of clients is when they do one or two private lessons a week to learn the foundation and singularity of the exercises, and then combine these sessions with one or two Contrology classes a week. With this combination, the changes and progress I’ve observed, have been tremendous. 

In a Contrology class there are no teachers telling you what to do in a way that everybody in the room does the same movement at the same time. In a Contrology Class, each student acts independently and chooses the apparatus they want to work on, could it be the Mat, Reformer, Cadillac, Wunda chair or a combination. Every one in the class moves at their own pace. The teacher is here to guide, advise, correct but not to direct. This allows each person to use their mind and connect to their body, remembering everything they did in their private sessions, concentrating in applying their knowledge to their practice. These classes give each student the time and the freedom to really experience Pilates on their own, putting their mind into their workout, the way it should be.

It is also during these classes that I witness something else happening: in addition to a physical workout the students are getting a brain workout! Memorizing the choreography, the sequence of the exercises, and the setting up of the equipment, including the correct number of springs and repetitions requires more effort and concentration than in a teacher-led class.  

These open workout sessions have the benefit of deepening one’s Pilates practice.They give you the tools to do your mat at home, anywhere, anytime or complement your studio practice with online classes when you're not in town. Another plus is that they are also tailored to you and your unique needs and goals.

To know your exercises and sequence is empowering as one can focus on the essential: Moving. "Change happens through movement and movement heals." Joseph Pilates.