A blog about Pilates and fitness

Ease Pilates does things quite differently to other studios in Cambridge. Find out more about whether we are the best studio for you in our new page:  our how and our why

  You may not be aware of this, but Pilates is at war with itself. After bubbling along amicably for many years, with teachers delivering mat lessons in gyms and village halls and studios offering classes on the apparatus, Pilates has recently become a fashionable exercise style for the rich and famous. This has inspired lots of people to open up reformer studios, some of which truly teach Pilates, and some of which teach fitness on a reformer. Some long-standing teachers are getting very upset and feel threatened by these new upstarts shaking up the industry, but I see it differently. I believe all movement is good, and that there is something for everyone. However, I also believe that for reasons of safety, it's important for people to understand the distinction between the various exercise systems that identify as Pilates. Here is my understanding. You can broadly categorise Pilates into four groups: Classical Pilates:  This aims to preserve the method exactly as taugh...

A common question I get asked is, do I need to use the headrest or head cushion? This is usually from people who wish to correct a rounded posture or forward head, working on the assumption that lowering the headrest on the reformer will help straighten the upper back. After all, if the head is lower, surely the spine will lengthen too? Unfortunately, that’s not what happens. For people with a naturally rounded upper back (which includes most of us to some degree), lowering the head doesn’t magically straighten the spine. Gravity and willpower alone won’t do the trick! Instead, the upper back stays as it is, but the head tilts back, forcing the neck into an extended position. This can feel uncomfortable and may lead to strain in the neck. A headrest or head cushion doesn’t push the head forward or encourage forward head posture; it simply supports it in a more neutral position. If the upper back has more curvature, keeping the headrest too low can force the neck into extension, creatin...

Pilates is the perfect workout for those who love variety.  A single session can pack in 30 to 40 different exercises—far more than the 5 to 10 exercises you might expect in a traditional gym workout. This blog post explores the reasoning behind this, and the trade offs between more and fewer exercises per session. So why is Pilates different?  In the gym, the goal is often hypertrophy—muscle growth. A strength-focused workout typically involves a small number of exercises performed in multiple sets, each with a high number of repetitions. The idea is to fatigue the muscles, encouraging them to rebuild stronger. Generally, hypertrophy training falls within the 6-12 rep range, whereas strength-focused training often uses fewer reps (e.g., 3-6) with heavier loads. Pilates, on the other hand, isn’t primarily about building bigger muscles. Instead, it’s about creating a balanced body—one that moves well, stays strong in all ranges of motion, and is resilient to the demands of dail...

  Is bending to lift bad for your back? There’s long been debate over whether bending and lifting cause disc herniations. Some believe these movements are risky, while others say our spines are built to handle them. So, who’s right? The Case for Caution Research shows  repeated  bending and lifting can contribute to disc herniations. When you bend forward, the pressure in your spinal discs shifts backward. Add lifting, and the load increases further. Over time, this can cause the soft centre of a disc to press through its tougher outer layers, leading to a herniation. This has led to advice like “keep your back neutral” or “lift with your legs” to reduce strain. The Other Side of the Story Critics argue that avoiding bending and lifting isn’t a perfect solution. Straight-backed lifting increases muscle fatigue and shifts force elsewhere, creating other risks. Plus, some spinal flexion is inevitable, even with ideal technique, and they complain that laboratory based experi...

The Best Pilates Studio in Cambridge Ease Pilates has been awarded the Best Pilates Studio in Cambridge for 2024 by Quality Business Awards! Thank you to our fantastic team for delivering the best Pilates classes and customer service, and to our wonderful clients who make it a joy to work for Ease Pilates!