In a move to plug the growing gap between consumer demand for Group Reformer Pilates and qualified instructors, Balanced Body Education has launched a new professional education program specifically designed to up-skill instructors already teaching in a fitness setting.

“Our new Group Reformer program teaches all the fundamental Pilates techniques, skills and progressions needed to deliver engaging and results-driven Group Reformer classes, whilst also encouraging a degree of instructor creativity,” explains Joy Puleo, Director of Education for Balanced Body®.

“Created with fitness professionals in mind, our aim was to develop an accessible and flexible education program, without sacrificing the quality of movement, that would hold relevance to the instructor’s wider work with clients. Some Pilates education has a reputation of being long, expensive, rigid, and esoteric. We are breaking down those barriers whilst maintaining our exceptional education standards.”

The program fully aligns to Balanced Body’s incumbent Pilates Reformer Instructor program and delivers certification equivalent to the completion of Levels 1 and 2 of 3. If instructors complete the new Group Reformer education and feel they want to extend their knowledge and learning, they can seamlessly join the Reformer Pilates Instructor Level 3 to explore more creativity and put their own stamp on signature moves.

The new Balanced Body Education offering was created in direct response to global market demand. As consumer interest in Pilates continues to rise, due largely to its exposure in the media and across social media channels as a favourite amongst high profile celebrities and athletes such as Harry Styles, Margot Robbie, Ronaldo Cristiano and Lebron James, the availability of ‘oven-ready’ qualified instructors has lagged.

Joy continues: “The market is crying out for quality education that upskills existing club-based instructors to deliver Group Reformer Pilates classes, in a concise timeframe. Our new education program is not a watered-down version of our incumbent Reformer Pilates Instructor Training. It is a specialized program which delivers essential Pilates content to qualified instructors and allows instructors to begin teaching while learning.

In November, Balanced Body Education partnered with Ten Health & Fitness to deliver an international Educator training conference at the Ten Health & Fitness training centre in Notting Hill, London. 20 Balanced Body Educators from around the world attended to become proficient in delivering the new Group Reformer education including several UK-based Educators.

Joy adds: “Our team of global Balanced Body Educators are now ready to roll-out our Group Reformer education program. In the UK, the Group Reformer education program can be delivered at one of our partner venues or at a Balanced Body customer’s studio.

“Our goal as a company is for as many people as possible to experience the benefits of Pilates. Right now, accessibility is limited by a lack of qualified instructors. With our new Group Reformer education offering, we are addressing this need and creating professional growth opportunities for fitness instructors and new business channels for operators.”

The Group Reformer program is available for booking now. For more information, contact program manager Christine Crooks.

Award-winning classical Pilates studio, Exhale Pilates, has opened a new site in the heart of Marylebone, London, furnished with Contrology® apparatus from Balanced Body, global provider of Pilates equipment and education with a trading history spanning more than 45 years.

The new location marks the third addition to the Exhale Pilates brand, with existing studios in North Finchley and Primrose Hill frequented by A-listers including Harry Styles and Sadie Frost. Founded by Gaby Noble, who has over two decades of experience in practising and teaching Pilates, Exhale’s focus is on traditional, hands-on training utilising the Contrology equipment which celebrates the classical foundations of Pilates per the original specifications of Joseph Pilates’ equipment.

On the launch, Noble explains: “Exhale Pilates is the home of classical Pilates, championing transformative workouts that embody the core principles created by Joseph Pilates. It is Pilates in its most authentic form and our mission is to educate and inspire people to realise their personal abilities through this methodology.”

“I fell in love with Pilates after seeing first-hand how it transformed my body after suffering a spinal injury. From this passion, Exhale Pilates began, and it has gone from strength to strength. I’m excited to open our third studio in the heart of Marylebone and be partnering with Balanced Body Contrology line.

The equipment’s aesthetic appeal and specifications preserve the work of Joseph Pilates and gives our clients the true Classical Pilates experience, the perfect fit for Exhale. The studio focuses on small group Tower and Reformer classes for beginner, intermediate and advanced levels, as well as one-on-one training which also utilises the Contrology Cadillac (Trapeze Table), Ladder Barrel, Chairs and Pedi Pole.”

The popularity of Pilates is dominating the fitness industry at the moment, and Exhale’s expertise is steeped in a background of education, with all teachers completing a full 600 hours of comprehensive training.

Chanin Cook, Director, Marketing for Balanced Body adds: “It’s been an honour to partner with Exhale Pilates on the launch of its new studio. Gaby and her team demonstrate a first-class, authentic classical Pilates offering that revives the original works of Joseph Pilates using a variety of our Contrology equipment which works different parts of the body through intelligent sequences that promotes full range of movement. They are best-practised in action, with a highly qualified team of instructors and in a pursuit to champion the classical methods.”

To find out more visit Contrology or to learn more about Exhale Pilates visit exhalepilateslondon.com

New Reformer Pilates studio, Avalon Pilates, has opened in Clapham, South West London with an ‘Aussie-style’ aesthetic and offering reflecting the passion of owner, Anna Mounsey-Heysham, who first fell in love with Pilates whilst living in Sydney where she discovered the fitness, health and rehabilitation benefits of Pilates first hand.

“I’ve always been obsessed with exercise for my own physical and mental health.” Anna explains. “Whilst in Sydney, I tried Reformer Pilates and fell in love with it. It helped me recover from a chronic knee injury and I never looked back.”

Completely converted, Anna trained as a Pilates instructor in Australia and on returning to London, gave up her corporate career and began teaching Pilates full time, with her heart set on opening her own studio with an Australian twist.

The dream recently came to life with the opening of Avalon Pilates, named after Avalon beach in Sydney, and which promotes a warm, welcoming atmosphere where people can come for contemporary Pilates; from fundamental style classes, chill and stretch sessions and pre and post-natal classes through to ‘dynamic’ or ‘intense’ Reformer Pilates, 1-1 sessions and the studios signature Tower burn classes.

“The interest we have seen since we opened our doors has been more than I could ever have hoped for.” Anna adds. “The popularity of Pilates, and Reformer Pilates, is really on the rise and despite it being early days, most of our classes are full on a regular basis.”

On her decision to partner with Balanced Body on the studio’s equipment, Anna adds: “I did all of my instructor training using Balanced Body apparatus and I absolutely loved using it, especially the Allegra 2 Reformers. The high-end style, feel and quality of the Balanced Body apparatus is second to none and there was no question, they were the perfect partner for me and the first-class offering we wanted to provide at Avalon Pilates.”

The studio offers private, 1-1 sessions where instructors are also able to teach using the Balanced Body Cadillac (Trapeze Table), Wunda Chair and Ladder Barrel to give clients the opportunity to deepen their repertoire and utilise the equipment for more focused rehabilitation purposes.

Katya Ryzhova, UK Business Development Manager, Balanced Body adds: “Avalon Pilates is a truly beautiful studio which provides its clients with a friendly, luxurious experience which is matched by its high-quality instructors, equipment and programming. Anna has maximised attention to detail, and managed to perfectly merge the methods of contemporary Pilates with more exercises and variations allowing for injury rehabilitation and instructor creativity. We look forward to supporting Anna in Avalon’s continued future success.”

To find out more visit Balanced Body or Avalon Pilates.

As part of its global tour, Balanced Body is for the first time bringing its internationally acclaimed professional continuing education event ‘Pilates On Tour’ to Manchester, England.

Uniting the professional Pilates and movement communities for three jam packed days of workshops, seminars, classes and networking, this movement event will host some of the world’s most celebrated presenters, educators and influencers, all sharing their thought leadership and expertise to deliver an event at the cutting edge of thought leadership and continuing education.

Aimed at Pilates instructors, fitness instructors, personal trainers, group exercise instructors, studio operators, physiotherapists and chiropractors, Pilates On Tour will focus on how to deliver workshops based on movement science and dynamic class programming that build clients’ skills, confidence, strength and performance as well as techniques and tools to work with clients of all fitness abilities, special populations and chronic conditions.

Speaking of the event, Joy Puleo, Director of Education, Balanced Body says: “This is the 12th year Pilates on Tour will be hosted in the Uk, but it’s our first visit to Manchester. Every year the event is a sell out and we expect this year to be no different. Pilates On Tour provides a rare opportunity to bring the movement professionals together, to share ideas, learn new skills and develop new talents. We welcome Pilates professionals and fitness instructors looking to be at the forefront of movement concepts, practical application and techniques.”

The event will take place May 17-19,2024 in the Piccadilly District, Manchester Central at etc.venues.

Early Bird tickets for one-, two- or three-day attendance are on sale now. To purchase tickets and to see a full agenda, visit: pilates.com/pilates-on-tour-manchester

Combining art, design and fitness to deliver an inspiring and progressive experience that strengthens both body and mind, high-end boutique brand, BLOK has added Reformer Pilates to its offer at two of its four studios.

“Our BLOK community has totally embraced Reformer Pilates,” says Anna Freeman Head Trainer of Pilates and Reformer at BLOK. “We have 8 Reformers at our Clapton studio and 10 at our Shoreditch studio and it's proving to be a huge hit.”

BLOK partnered with Balanced Body® to provide the reformers. Anna adds: “I have been teaching Reformer Pilates on different types of machines for many years and we chose to go with the Allegro 2 Reformers at both studios because they are very well built and deliver an outstanding user experience. From order through to install the Balanced Body team were supportive and responsive. We look forward to an ongoing partnership with them.”

BLOK offers Reformer Pilates on a per class or class bundle basis that sit outside of the standard membership and class charges.

Anna adds: “In addition to bringing new opportunities to strengthen mind and body at BLOK, Reformer Pilates has created a whole new revenue stream for our studios which is producing a healthy additional income.

“The appeal of Pilates is expanding as more and more people understand the breadth of the mental and physical benefits. In addition to core strength, Reformer Pilates can also improve mobility, balance, posture as well as offering injury prevention, recovery and pain management. Reformer Pilates is really for anyone and everyone, all ages and all genders from beginners to experienced Pilates practitioners.’’

“We have recently launched a new class, RFRMR Essentials designed to fine-tune Pilates skills, build confidence using the Reformer and break down the more technically challenging movements. Delivered in an open-level class format, RFRMR Essentials is suitable for everyone.”

BLOK’s Clapton studio launched Reformer Pilates in May, followed by Shoreditch’s Reformer Pilates launch in September.

In a bid to optimise engagement and establish closer connections with its key overseas audience, US based Pilates brand, Balanced Body® is expanding its UK operation.

As a global provider of Pilates equipment and education with a trading history spanning more than 45 years, Balanced Body has been supplying the UK remotely from its headquarters in Sacramento, California for the last 20 years. Now, as the popularity of Pilates continues to rise and with the UK identified as a high growth market, the brand has decided to build an equipment supply and distribution network, alongside an education provision that serves its UK audience directly.

Naming AIT as its new, in-country, logistics partner, Balanced Body has established a large storage facility in Berkshire and appointed Katya Matiienko as its UK Business Development Manager.

Tonhi Tran, Director of Sales at Balanced Body says: “By housing high volumes of stock in the UK we can get equipment and accessories out to our customers much quicker. Katya will also be on hand to answer any queries, arrange product demonstrations and generally be our main representation, on the ground in the UK.”

In addition, an Authorised Training Centre is being established in Putney with Pete Pallai, an experienced Pilates practitioner, former Olympian, semi-professional Rugby player and Balanced Body Educator.

Balanced Body’s Education Director, Joy Puleo, continues: “Balanced Body Education brings the best of movement science to movement education. We have been delivering training and education to Instructors around the world for nearly 20 years and have educated more than 30,000 Instructors.

With our new training centre, we are also launching Group Reformer training for fitness professionals in the UK.

This new education program is designed to upskill club trainers, providing them with the training, tools and class development resources to be immediately successful in delivering innovative, effective Group Reformer classes.” Following on from the success of the new Group Reformer class, Balanced Body Education® will deliver additional bespoke training programs for fitness professionals from Q3/Q4.