Pilates socks: how to choose grip socks for mat and reformer
Why reformer studios ask for Pilates grip socks, when bare feet are fine, toe, full-toe or strappy styles, how to size them and wash them so the grip lasts.
Kelsey Gaines
Kelsey taught group mat classes in Portland and ran a small studio for a while, which taught her as much about rent as about reps. She writes the home workouts and the business pieces: equipment, programming, teacher training and running a room.
Stories by Kelsey
How to choose a resistance band set for home Pilates
A resistance band set for home Pilates should give you a few graded strengths of the band you will use most, and ideally two kinds of band: a long flat band…
How to price Pilates privates, duets, groups and mat classes
A worked guide to pricing Pilates privates, duets, small apparatus groups and mat classes, from rent and equipment to teacher pay, packs and intro offers.
A twenty-minute classical mat sequence for your living room
Joseph Pilates set out 34 mat exercises in Return to Life Through Contrology, and he meant them to be done in order. Each one warms up something the next will…
Why Pilates outlasted aerobics, step and every other fad
How Pilates survived aerobics, step and spinning: dancers, physiotherapists, a 2000 court ruling that made the name generic, and the long reformer boom.
Resistance bands for home Pilates: types, strengths and a session
A resistance band is the nearest thing most homes have to a reformer spring. It is not the same. A spring gives a steadier pull and the carriage supports your…
Big reformer classes and what one teacher can actually see
What one teacher can and cannot see in a reformer class of ten or twelve, where spring changes go wrong, and when a small group or private is the better buy.
What makes good Pilates apparatus, from springs to upholstery
What separates good Pilates apparatus from poor: frames, springs, straps, upholstery, wood versus aluminium, home-built machines and the safety checks to run.
Why Pilates teachers join guilds, and what the Pilates Guild is for
Why Pilates teachers join guilds and associations, what the Pilates Guild does for one classical lineage, and how a teacher chooses the right group to join.
Weekend courses, untrained teachers and the cost to Pilates
Weekend Pilates courses versus comprehensive training: why thin training matters, what clients can ask a teacher, and how experienced teachers can help.
Ten practical ways to declutter your Pilates studio
A ten-point plan for clearing out a Pilates studio, from a props audit and smarter storage to cleaning routines, room flow and the digital mess behind it.
How Pilates teachers progress clients from basic to advanced
How good Pilates teachers decide when a client is ready for the next exercise, from readiness signs to springs, tempo and transitions, and why slow works.