Pilates - Expensive and Hard to Find

Mat Pilates is provided at Arcadia Fitness Sports club and costs just $15 for a day visit.

What is Pilates excersing??

What is Pilates excercising???

I signed up for a Pilates class held at a local studio through the town's Adult School curriculum but the studio offers 7 sessions for $80 that can be applied to any of the Pilates offerings. It is on the pricey side however, is relaxing and challenging and in my mind, worth it. Plus, you connect with the other students in the class and having a 'not flaky' instructor does help. Stephanie...it's a shame your gym didn't have someone more reliable to teach those sessions. I don't belong to a gym club but can use the facilities here at Stanford for free which I do for cardio and weight training.

Hi Everyone! I'm sorry that its hard for some of you to find pilates classes where you live. If you really look around, you'll probably find classes in hidden places so you don't have to resort to a video, because, like Carrie H said, there are cons to starting pilates from a video. Many people try a pilates video, then hurt their necks or low backs, or don't think pilates is hard enough, because they were only getting the "empty shell" of the exercises. I think its a really great idea to try at least two private sessions with a certified instructor before joining group classes, so you can get the most out of pilates. When you're ready to join a class, know that besides pilates studios, there is the YMCA, community colleges, yoga studios- these places sometimes offer pilates classes. I even teach a pilates class in the party room at a local restaurant once a week before the evening rush! So the classes are out there.... sometimes you just have to ask around.

I do understand that sometimes videos are the only way to go, and that's ok, too, its just not at all the same as a real, live instructor!

I checked out some of the gyms near my home and found that the small pilates/yoga studios had the best instructors. I found it very helpful to just bite the bullet and start with a couple of private classes with a good instructor. I told the instructor about my injuries and that I was planning on switching to group mat classes because of the $$. I learned all the basics and also how to protect my back and my injured joints. When I started the group classes I made sure I was right up in front near the instructor and wasn't afraid to ask questions.

I agree that Pilates classes can be very expensive and hard to find. I started with Pilates from the Mari Windsor DVDs. I actually think those are a better instructor than the live ones I've had. It's not rocket science. If you have back issues you probably need a pro, but anyone else can use videos. Of course, it's going to be better with a great instructor, but there are few of those in my opinion.

From a Pilates pro, you do not want to start Pilates from a DVD. The DVD cannot check your form and even sports-minded people mess up on form without a pro to watch them the first few times. It is worth the money to get a lesson or two before trying it on your own, or joining a club that offers mat pilates and reformers. I live in a small town in south Texas, and my club offers mat Pilates twice a day and has reformer lessons members can sign up for. Any modern health club would have that by now, I would think.

You can also download some videos to your iPod, then connect your iPod to the TV and there ya go! I just took my first Pilates class today (no machines, just used the mat and exercise ball) and really enjoyed it.