Pilates in Singapore: Questions to Ask When Looking for the Right Studio

Experts have found that those who practice Pilates experience several benefits. This type of exercise can potentially reduce pain, increase strength and improve posture. However, the exact benefits someone experiences can vary. 

Read on to learn the questions to ask when looking for a suitable studio to practice Pilates.

1. When and Where are your Classes?

What's your work schedule and what is the studio's class schedule? Both of these should sync. Ideally, you should have enough time to travel between your workplace and/or home and your chosen Pilates studio.

Find This Out First

It will be inconvenient if you find a studio with all the best classes only to find out you can't match the timings. You may then have to start your search all over again.

Calculate How Long It Takes To Travel

Location matters, estimate how long it will take to get to the studio from home and/or your workplace. If you can't make it in time, consider going with another option.

2. Do you offer Group or Private Classes?

Group and private Pilates classes all have their own benefits.

Group Classes

Classes with large groups can be a great choice if you're a social person. Your energy level should rise when you're in a group setting and help you through vigorous sessions. Plus, seeing other people working hard can encourage you to do the same.

Private

Conversely, a private Pilates trainer can give you more individual attention than one who teaches a group. Private Pilates trainers can work on your specific needs, guide you with proper equipment use and ensure the accuracy of your exercises. Just recognize that a private trainer will likely cost more than one who teaches a group.

3. Do you do Classical or Contemporary Pilates?

There are two different schools of Pilates. Classical Pilates instructors align most with the original teachings of Joseph Pilates. Contemporary Pilates instructors have adapted their training to modern medical research as much as possible.

The type of Pilates class you choose depends on your needs and preferences. If you're not going into Pilates for injury rehabilitation, the classical school can suit you just fine. You can get plenty of benefits from simply exercising with Pilates.

If you have an injury or medical condition you're trying to rehabilitate, contemporary Pilates may be better suited it is backed by medical science.

4. What Kind of Equipment Do You Use?

It's not a good idea to start with advanced Pilates classes at the start. You also don't have to go into advanced classes if you wish. However, if you want to eventually progress to advanced classes, you need to choose the right studio for it.

Pilates Mat Classes

Pilates mat classes, for instance, are great for beginners as they're a good introduction to what Pilates is and tend to be less intense.

Pilates Equipment Classes

More advanced classes will have various types of equipment, the most common being the reformer. The instructors have to monitor you closely to ensure that you're using the equipment correctly.

5. Do You Offer Cross-Training?

Pilates classes will only offer so many benefits. Do you want your body to be as toned and energized as possible? Then you may want to do other exercise activities alongside Pilates. 

If this is your goal, look for a studio that also offers other types of exercise classes. Try to look for stretching, aerobic, or cardio classes. Pilates classes don't include cardio and stretching and only become aerobic at advanced levels.

6. Do Your Classes Fit Me?

Along with offering different schools of Pilates, Pilates studios also often offer classes for certain demographics and their needs. For example, there are classes for prenatal, people trying to lose weight, people who need rehabilitation, etc. This will affect what you get out of these courses.

Consider What You Need

You need to carefully consider what you want to get out of your Pilates classes such as your goals. After figuring this out, you need to search for that specific kind of course. If you do this, you'll get what you want to get out of your Pilates class.

If You Can't Figure This Out

If you're not sure what you want, do some research on the types of Pilates classes out there. Use these descriptions to help yourself decide on what kind of course you need. You can then look for what you need.

7. Have Customers Liked Your Classes?

Some information, such as the instructor's attitude and the toughness of a class, is difficult to learn without taking a class. You can take a single class to test how you like the overall vibe of a studio. However, if you don't want to do this, there's another way to find this information.

Look for Reviews Online

Look at customer reviews. You may find some of these available on the Pilates studio's website. If not, you may be able to find them on other sites such as Google.

Find Pilates Customers

Social media sites such as Facebook should have specialized sites for people who practice Pilates. Once you're on one of these, ask the group about the best Pilates studio Singapore offers. The people in the Pilates group should be eager to give you some examples.

Do you not want to deal with social media sites? If so, try to ask friends, family members and acquaintances about Pilates studios in Singapore they have visited. At least a few of them should have some recommendations for you.

8. Are Your Instructors Trained and Certified?

Pilates trainers in Singapore don't necessarily need certifications and training to teach. However, instructors who have taken training courses tend to give better quality classes than ones without training. Thus, you want to ensure that the instructors you look at have been trained and certified. 

Find Credentials

If you go onto a Pilates studio's website, you should easily find the credentials of their instructors. These should detail the certification courses that they took, how long they've been teaching, etc. If you can't find this information, ask the studio about it.

Research Credentials

Don't just take the training and credentials that a Pilates instructor has at face value. Every training program is different. You should do some research on the training programs they underwent to verify their credibility.

The Right Credentials

How to identify a good Pilates instructor? This depends on the amount of training that an instructor undergoes based on what they teach.

For example, 200 hours or more is fine if the teacher only teaches mat-based Pilates. A teacher who teaches more advanced techniques should have 500 hours of training and practice or more.

9. What Are Your Cleanliness Standards?

COVID-19 isn't as much of a threat as it once was (though the virus is still out there). However, there are still many diseases that people can spread to each other. For this reason, it's important for Pilates studios to take their cleanliness practices seriously. 

Online or Customer Service

Before visiting a Pilates studio, look for information on its site that tells you how the studio deals with cleaning its mats, floors, equipment, etc. If you can't find this information on their site, try talking to the studio's customer service. They should be able to describe how a studio handles cleaning their studio.

During a Tour

If you go to the studio for a studio tour, consider trying to visually assess how clean a studio looks. For example, the mats and equipment shouldn't have sweat or dust on them.

You should also check how well-organized the studio seems. If there's equipment scattered about, you may end up tripping, falling, and injuring yourself.

10. How Do the Classes Make Me Feel?

Some Pilates studios offer free introductory classes. If you want to
take a studio up on this offer, make sure to evaluate every step of your first experience that you can. This will help you decide if the studio is the right one for you.

Instructor Clarity

An instructor you can't understand isn't necessarily a bad instructor.
They may just struggle to speak in a way you can interpret.

Instructor Vibe

This is something that is up to your own interpretation. Some instructors have vibes that you can gel with and some don't.

How You Feel Later

Evaluate how your body feels the day after you take your course. It
should feel like it was challenged but didn't become too strained. If
you feel way too tired, the instructor may be too tough for you.

Try Our Pilates in Singapore

Now you're well on your way to finding the best studio for Pilates in Singapore. Once you find it, you should be able to get the best benefits for your needs. 

While you're searching for Pilates courses in Singapore, take a look at ours. Our studio, Pilatique Pilates Studio, offers private, duet, and small group Pilates courses. In addition, all of our trainers are fully certified. 

Don't worry if you're uncertain about what our courses can bring you. We offer a free 30 to 45 minute starter class.

Just click on the pictures on this page related to your closest studio and fill out the form.