Your Questions, My Answers

Group classes are in two locations in and around Wimbledon.

Private lessons are mainly in my studio, where we use the original Pilates equipment.  In some circumstances, where, eg mobility or child care are an issue, I can come to your home.

Yes and no. The only way to lose way, yes the only way, is to reduce your calorie intake - ie eat less. Exercise can help, particularly high impact calorie burning exercise, but without dieting, you'll never achieve your goal. To loose a pound of fat you need to deprive your body of some 3500 calories! Your average high impact aerobic class burns just about 400- 500 calories, and only if you don't cheat!  However, all exercise, including Pilates, can improve your body image and make you feel better about yourself and about dieting.  It has been proven that post exercise your food cravings are less severe, and whilst you exercise, you don't eat!  So Pilates can be a tool helping you take control over your body and shed those unwanted pounds.

Please wear comfortable clothing that will allow you to stretch easily and lie on your back without hurting you or restricting your movement. No belts please, and no jeans. Men - please wear tracksuit bottoms or - if you opt for shorts - wear legging or cycling underneath.The more fitting the clothing the better I can see any misalignments and help you improve the quality of your movement.

That is entirely up to you and depends on the amount of time you have and how committed you are, and what your goals are. Most people do one group class a week, many supplement it with a weekly or twice monthy private lessons.  Three times a week is not excessive to achieve quicker results.

In any case, regularity and commitment are most important: once a weak every week is better than nothing for months and then doing several sessions one after another, when the injury strikes. Unlike other disciplines where even a single session of, say, aerobic exercise, can benefit you, the effect of practicing Pilates is more subtle and cumulative over time.

No, you don't need anything apart from an open mind, commitment and sense of humour.  I bring all the rest, from mats to any small props I decide to use in the class.

Pilates and Yoga are different disciplines, but there are similarities.  Many exercises are based on equivalent Yoga exercises, but whereas in Yoga the aim of an exercise may be to get into a posture and hold it, in Pilates we are concerned with how we get into that end position.  It is the quality of the movement that matters, so you may find that an exercise feel gentler than in Yoga or much more demanding, when you discover the right muscles to use to create the best possible movement suitable for your body.

Pilates method evolved over the years and it now different from the original set of exercises designed by Joseph Pilates. We each of us Pilates teachers have added elements to it which we discovered through our training, our own body awareness and newest research into body sciences. I teach Pilates as a cross between the classical method as developed by Joseph Pilates, elements of Yoga, elements of physio-derived rehabilitation exercises, and even ballet.