Pro Athletes Are Turning to Pilates. What Does That Mean for the Rest of Us? Whether you’re newly qualified, years into teaching, or still deciding whether to train at all, here’s something worth your attention: professional athletes are quietly becoming one of Pilates’ fastest-growing client groups, and the people teaching them, in the US and…

Pilates Demand Is at an All-Time High. So Why Is the Industry Investing in Education, Not Expansion? To every instructor and studio owner reading this: new global data suggests that when Pilates professionals were asked where they’re putting their money this year, most didn’t say marketing, hiring or new equipment. They said education. That’s worth…

In this industry, it’s easy to define a great teacher by knowledge. How much they know.How well they cue.How many exercises they can teach. But great teaching goes far beyond that. Because teaching is not about delivering information. It’s about facilitating change. Presence Before Technique A great teacher starts with something simple—but rare. Presence. They…

One of the most common frustrations in this field is simple: Clients show up.They do the exercises.And yet… nothing really changes. It’s easy to assume the problem is the program. But more often, the issue runs deeper. It’s Not Just About the Exercises Movement change is not just physical. It’s neurological.Psychological.Behavioral. Which means repeating the…

In the movement industry, “perfect form” is often treated as the standard. A position to achieve.A shape to hold.A benchmark of quality. But the idea of perfect form is deeply misleading. Because it assumes the body behaves like a machine—predictable, symmetrical, and static. It doesn’t. The Body Is Not Designed to Hold Still Movement and…

In the movement industry, “perfect form” is often treated as the standard. A position to achieve.A shape to hold.A benchmark of quality. But the idea of perfect form is deeply misleading. Because it assumes the body behaves like a machine—predictable, symmetrical, and static. It doesn’t. The Body Is Not Designed to Hold Still Movement and…

In the movement industry, there is a quiet assumption that progress comes from accumulation. More exercises.More techniques.More knowledge. And for a time, that works. But eventually, many professionals reach a point where more information doesn’t create more clarity. It creates confusion. Because the challenge is no longer access to knowledge. It’s understanding what actually matters….

Why Kids Aren’t “Mini-Adults”: The Danger of Over-Coaching in Pediatric Movement For decades, physical education, physiotherapy, and the fitness industry have operated under a fundamentally flawed assumption: that children are simply miniature adults. When tasked with improving a child’s posture, managing their agitation, or rehabilitating an injury, many well-meaning movement professionals instinctively reach for the…

From COO to Owner: My Polestar UK Chapter Stepping into stewardship, community, and a new chapter For most of my career, I’ve said I never wanted to be an entrepreneur. I was comfortable behind the scenes, helping others grow their companies. Ownership felt risky. Too final. What if I failed? What if I couldn’t pay…

Welcome to the Movement Life Finishing your Pilates instructor training is a huge milestone, but it’s just the beginning. The real transformation starts once you’re out in the world, building your identity as a movement professional. Many instructors describe this phase as becoming an “advanced beginner” – full of knowledge, but still facing moments of…

More Than Just a Workout: Pilates as a Holistic Lifestyle Joseph Pilates believed in whole-body health—an integrated approach involving movement, nutrition, sleep, hygiene, fresh air, sunshine, and the balance between work and rest. He once claimed that consistent daily practice could reduce the need for hospitals or “insane asylums.” He recognised that when the body…

At Polestar, we believe Pilates is more than a workout. It’s a movement philosophy rooted in science, designed to bring you into alignment—not just physically, but mentally and emotionally too. Whether you’re dealing with pain, seeking better posture, or simply want to move through life with more ease, Pilates offers a pathway to lifelong wellness….

Beyond the Aesthetics: Understanding the ‘Why’ Behind the ‘What’  Instagram Pilates often showcases the “wow” — but what we really need is the why. To move beyond the scroll, we need to ask better questions. Instead of immediately trying that flashy new move in your next session, pause and view it through the lens of…

Understanding Chronic Back Pain: It’s Not Just Physical One of the most powerful messages Brent shares is this: Pain does not always equal injury. Many clients come to Pilates believing their pain is caused by poor posture or damaged tissue. However, research and lived experience show that chronic pain often has less to do with…

Fear and Lack of Safety in Senior Movement (Pilates for Fear of Falling) One of the biggest barriers to movement is psychological rather than physical. Many senior clients develop a heightened fear of falling, even if they don’t verbalise it. This fear can subconsciously restrict their movement patterns and lead to further deconditioning. How Pilates…

One of the questions we often get asked at Polestar UK  is whether it is necessary to be mat qualified before embarking on a reformer training. Traditionally many training providers will insist that you start with a mat qualification. However, at Polestar we say that it really depends on your personal preferences and how/where you…

Balanced Body Pilates Equipment Personally, I have always loved Balanced Body Pilates equipment. I appreciate well-made things, and their apparatus does not disappoint. Most of us have experienced the frustration of furniture not fitting together properly, so it is a real pleasure to assemble the Balanced Body trapeze table for example, and find that every…

In your own words – describe “the Spirit of Polestar”: PC: Using Pilates as a tool to create a positive movement experience. What Three Words come to mind when you think of “Polestar Pilates”? Holistic Evolved Legacy What do you love about teaching Pilates? PC: I love teaching because I can express and articulate what…

The Mitsubishi LGH-RVX-E air handling system we installed at our studios is designed to supply fresh air whilst simultaneously extracting stale air. The Lossnay units also recover valuable heat energy for maximum efficiency, with total heat exchange. How does Lossnay Fresh Air Ventilation work? The Lossnay Fresh Air Ventilation system works by extracting stale air…

The Mitsubishi LGH-RVX-E air handling system we installed at our studios is designed to supply fresh air whilst simultaneously extracting stale air. The Lossnay units also recover valuable heat energy for maximum efficiency, with total heat exchange. How does Lossnay Fresh Air Ventilation work? The Lossnay Fresh Air Ventilation system works by extracting stale air…

Words are powerful. Cueing might have more impact than you realise. Words have the power to inspire us, and even motivate us to take massive action. Think of the great speeches by Martin Luther King and Winston Churchill for example. And inspiring people like Steve Jobs, Oprah Winfrey and Barack Obama. I’m sure you have…

The dictionary definition of hypermobility is:  “An increased range of movement of joints and joint laxity, occurring normally in children and adolescents or as a result of disease, for example Marfan or Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome.” Fast facts about hypermobility:  Many children are naturally hypermobile – this will wane with age. If someone is hypermobile, it does…

Imagine this scenario: a new female client arrives and completes her medical form. As you review the form you discover your client has described the following medical history: Chronic, widespread pain, not resulting from any particular trauma or accident. The pain can often be made worse by exercise. Joint pain and muscular tightness Very flexible…

Katie’s Pilates journey started in 2012 with weekly Mat classes with Heather. Her flexibility improved, and month-on-month, Katie seemed to be more mobile and resilient. Katie soon added cycling and running to the mix, and in 2015, signed up for her first ultra marathon. Katie finished, but it wasn’t easy. An accident whilst cycling saw…

Alan is a 63 year old client at our Shoreditch studio. Alan first came to see me in 2003 with debilitating back pain caused by pressure from a bulging disc. With weekly private sessions for over 15 years now, Alan is more flexible, energetic and mobile than he was in his 30s. This is the story of Alan’s remarkable recovery with Pilates for back rehabilitation.

Hip pain is a common issue in our modern society. There are a variety of factors that can cause it, from shortened hip-flexors, due to prolonged sitting on chairs, to excessive compression and muscular tension from imbalanced walking patterns.

To Love, Be Loved, Never Stop Learning, Never Stop Moving. That has always been my philosophy and motto in life. Pilates taught me how to put my ego aside, be at ease with not knowing everything, and truly understand what it means to never stop learning. Where My Pilates Journey Began I first encountered Pilates…

My name is Hali Procter, I graduated from my Pilates Comprehensive training with Polestar in London, March 2017. It was a long journey getting there and sometimes, I thought it would be impossible. I was a working mum, in an industry that couldn’t have been further away from the Pilates career that I so longed…

In his book, Return to Life Joseph Pilates said, “ If your spine is inflexibly stiff at 30, you are old; if it is completely flexible at 60 you are young.” And this was at a time when people spent a lot less time sitting. It was true then and even more true now. If your back is stiff or sore, how much can you enjoy daily life?

Sitting at a screen for too long? Here are 3 Pilates exercises to alleviate neck pain that work. It’s an all too common scenario. As you tap or swipe away, absorbed in what you are doing, you begin to slouch, your upper back starts to hunch, and the head leans forward to meet your screen. Ultimately, slouching creates a shift in your centre of gravity which then creates knock-on effects like those above, that will eventually result in pain or discomfort.

There’s a popular myth that the main benefit from Pilates is a stronger core. Truth is, there are many benefits from Pilates-based exercise, and they are not limited to the core or even your physical body.

It had been raining heavily overnight and as I approached the cobblestone bridge along the canal in Camden, I noticed as I went up that it felt particularly slippery.  I made a mental note to walk down it on my return. If only I had listened to that inner voice when I approached the bridge…

Bill is a retired broker who enjoys golf twice a week and walks for 30 mins each day. Bill was 86 when he first heard about the benefits of Pilates for seniors and came to see us – four years ago. His primary concern was to maintain his agility, since his balance was not as good as it used to be. He was also having trouble bending forward to take the golf ball out of the hole!

It might be counter-intuitive that exercise such as Pilates can help relieve period pain. Clients often ask me if it’s OK to do still do Pilates while on their period. The answer is YES. The hardest part is generally motivating yourself to get to class. While your stomach feels swollen and sore in the early stages, you’d be forgiven for not wanting to contract your abdominals. But there is much more to Pilates that can help provide relief next time you experience period pain.

Jane is in her mid 30s and has a desk bound job in the City. She regularly cycles to work and likes to go to spin classes at the gym but around a year ago, started to suffer from a niggling lower back pain. This pain always felt worse after spending long periods sitting at her desk, or after travelling on trains and aeroplanes which she has to do regularly for her job.

“Doctors said that I needed surgery and that there was risk of me not being able to do any sports again. This was indescribable for me as a young athlete. While attending Boston University and Bogazici University in Turkey, I studied management and marketing business in tourism, like all of my family. But after a year of…

What is Core Strength? Believe it or not, core strength is not really a goal by itself. It is a concept, an idea, a theory about biomechanical function. As a Pilates Teacher, you know all about core strength. Or do you? It is touted to as a solution to many problems. Apparently a weak core…

How Do I Know If Osteopathy Or Pilates Is Right For My Condition? A combination of hands-on treatment and strengthening exercises is the ideal way to recover from acute injury as well as chronic conditions. Re-educating the body through movement is an important part of the rehabilitation process. The perfect way to meet these requirements…

Fundamentally, teaching Pilates is about movement, and movement is about the human body. As anatomy specialist Gary Carter puts it, knowledge of the body allows teachers to “see their clients” more clearly, which enables them to make stronger decisions when preparing an exercise plan. So, it makes sense for Pilates teachers to know their Soleus…

Someone whose Yoga teaching has benefitted from their new-found Pilates knowledge is certified Yoga instructor and Comprehensive Polestar Pilates student, Haruka Saito. I sat down with Haruka this week to talk about how she felt her Yoga teaching and the Polestar Pilates training course worked together. Hi Haruka, thanks for chatting with us today about…

A deeper understanding of the multifaceted benefits of Pilates, can enhance your Pilates experience, and further benefit your practice and your teaching. When you understand Pilates’ potential to influence the body in these ways, you can also use it more effectively for rehabilitation, mental and physical health. 1. Pilates for a healthy mind Pilates requires…

Hi Nina, thanks for sitting down with me to chat about Pilates and Polestar. Let’s start from the beginning: why and where did you start practising Pilates? Nina: I moved to Marbella about eight years ago and, to be honest, at that point I had never even heard of Pilates. I noticed that around where…

Audrey O’Connor, Comprehensive Graduate, London 2015 Training with Polestar Pilates UK has been more than a training course, it has been a journey. Polestar Pilates Comprehensive goes above and beyond what I imagined, as it encompasses Pilates on every level; physically, spiritually and through mindful practice. Polestar worked methodically through the comprehensive repertoire with emphasis…

Pilates Industry Research Following are some key insights from an Ipsos poll conducted 12 August – 26 September 2016, on behalf of the Pilates Method Alliance and Pilates Anytime. For the survey; 930 clients, 102 inactive and lapsed clients, 243 teachers, and 230 studio owners responded to online interview questions. The study is U.S.A centric, however…

Have you ever seen a person grow young again? I met an acquaintance the other day whom I hadn’t seen for two years; almost passed her by because she’d grown – not so much older, but so much younger. Did she have a facelift? Some funny gland treatment? Perhaps she fell in love? It was…

Today we learned via Dr. Russell SCHIERLING‘s blog that “Superficial fascia, the adipose layer at the hypo-dermal level is a whole body endocrine organ, a whole body lymphoid organ, a sensory system, and a metabolic regulator.” Dr. Gil Hedley “Since connective tissue plays an intimate role in the function of all other tissues, a complex connective…

Here are the top three ways that the Oov improves stability and motor control in a Pilates environment: Axial Elongation When someone first lies on the Oov, the shape of the Oov gently supports the 3 curves of the spine, and due to the design, also axially elongates the spine. This is because of the…

Pilates or High Intensity Training? Why slowing down might be better for your health and wellbeing Ever since Joseph Pilates opened the first Pilates studio for dancers almost a century ago, Pilates has been widely adopted by people from all walks of life, all over the world. Pilates continues to be one of the most widely…

Pilates Stats 7 out of 10 people will suffer from back pain at some point in their lives.  Pilates is now recognised as an excellent way to prevent and alleviate back pain The annual growth in Pilates between 2002 and 2012 was 12.1% Pilates studios were highly resistant to the recession.  Instead of negative growth…

Hi Erika, thanks for sitting down with me today to discuss your journey with Polestar. I’m glad we’re both American, because I think we’ll understand each other! Let’s start with your first experiences with Pilates. How long has it been in your life? Erika: I’ve been practicing pilates since about 2006. I had my first…

Sam and I met at Moss Pilates studios to discuss her history with Pilates, her experience training with Polestar, and what made her sweat when teaching students for the first time. Sam shares some lasting impressions of her Polestar training, and some great tips about how to approach both the Polestar programme as well as…

“We learn by example and by direct experience because there are limits to the adequacy of verbal instruction” – Malcolm Gladwell For years, I have studied how the body moves, and expresses itself. I have taken my mind’s eye to the inner workings of the facet joints. I have learned how each joint surface glides,…