Which is best – Should I choose 1:1 Pilates or a class?
This all depends on a number of factors:
Some include: Are you a sociable person? What is your reason for doing it? Do you have specific goals? What are you looking for? How much can you afford?
Looking at 1:1 Pilates first…
It is the more expensive option – but you’re paying for what you get, the personal tuition and extra things such as personalised workouts, resources and information, support and attention, that come with that.
If your new to Pilates, getting 1:1 lessons to begin with can be extremely helpful. You’ll learn and understand the concept of core and how to engage it properly, as well as all the principles and techniques involved, much more quickly and in depth than in a class where the instructor (as much as they would like to) can’t always spend the necessary amount of time required to explain all this to newcomers. The personal lesson to start you of will ensure that you understand the correct technique and make your experience of Pilates much more fulfilling and beneficial. It’s so important to get the basics correct.
1:1 sessions can also help if you need a bit of extra help with a specific movement, technique or exercise. You’ll be able to focus on the exact issue with the instructor being able to fully explain and guide you through how the movement should work, enabling you to be able to perform it correctly in future. If you’re a member of a class, some instructors will offer one-off 1:1 sessions for cases like this.
If you have health challenges, 1:1 sessions can be enormously beneficial, as the workout can be tailored to your needs, and all the exercises can be specifically adapted for you. The instructor will be able to work with you to achieve many health benefits. It’s very advantageous if you can’t get to classes or have special requirements.
In a similar way, if you have a specific goal, you’ll get a personalised workout plan, using a combination of exercises that achieve that goal more quickly. With the instructor monitoring your progress, you’re able to work together to achieve much more, and get bigger results that are important to you.
If you’re looking for support and guidance with your exercise, an instructor working with you privately can keep you accountable, make sure you have the right workouts that are safe for you, and talk to you about things.
In a 1:1 situation you’ll gain a much deeper understanding not only of Pilates, but also of your own body and mind. You’ll also have better access to resources and information through conversations with your instructor and things they can provide you with you to improve your knowledge.
On the other hand…
Classes are the cheaper option. If you’re on a tight budget, they are much more affordable.
They have a community feeling and can be very sociable. You can attend with friends, and more likely make new friends there. You get to workout with likeminded people, and benefit from the motivation and support of each other.
They’ll be a wider variety of exercises, as the class instructor must cater for everybody’s needs each time. So, it’s a much more generalised workout, which is great if you want to work on a bit of everything. You’ll get to try out lots of different movements.
Classes are a lot less intense. Not in the difficulty of the workout, but in the way that there are more people around, the instructor isn’t constantly focusing eyes on just you. Whilst the instructor will make sure you’re doing the exercises correctly and safely, they won’t be adjusting your every movement or position.
Classes are ideal if you don’t have specific goals, but just want to keep fit and healthy, maintaining mobility, flexibility and gaining a strong core. You’ll still get all the benefits Pilates has to offer.
Some instructors offer classes based on fitness or difficulty levels, such beginners or advanced. Others offer mixed ability classes with plenty of options for each exercise so people can work at their own level. It’s always good to try out a few classes, as all instructors will teach differently, to find the style and class you like best. The more you enjoy the class and instructor, the bigger the benefits you’ll get from it.
In conclusion – both have their benefits, and you just need to weigh up which one meets the majority of your own needs best. There’s no reason why you can’t try out both to see which you find best. Or start with one and change to the other as needed. Decide what fits with your current health and fitness plan and enjoy the journey.
Any Pilates is better than none!