Your first visit.
The practical answers, written out rather than implied. Most first-timers are not nervous about the exercise — they are nervous about not knowing where to put their shoes.
Still not sure which class?Three questions and we will name one.
The first fifty minutes
Written for somebody who has never been in a pilates studio at all.
Ten minutes before
You arrive and somebody says your name
Reception is the first door. Shoes come off and go on the rack; bags and coats go in the cubbies in the corridor, which are not lockable and have never once been a problem. Whoever is teaching will come and find you rather than making you announce yourself.
Five minutes before
A short, direct conversation about your body
Anything hurting, anything recent, anything you have been told to avoid. It takes about ninety seconds and it is the reason the rest of the class works. You are not being assessed and nothing you say will get you turned away — it changes which springs you are on, not whether you are allowed in.
The class
You will spend the first ten minutes lying down
Breathing, then footwork, which is the least dramatic thing imaginable and is where everybody starts. Springs get changed several times. If you are on the wrong one, somebody will change it without announcing it to the room.
Afterwards
Nobody makes you stay and socialise
There are two showers and a changing room. Most people leave within ten minutes. If you want to ask something you did not want to ask in front of the class, the instructor will still be in the room putting springs back.
The practical bits
- What do I wear?
- Anything you can move in that will not fall over your head when you are upside down, which rules out loose t-shirts more often than people expect. Leggings or shorts and a top that stays put. No zips or hard buttons on the back — you lie on that.
- Do I need grip socks?
- Yes, and it is the only thing you must have. The carriage and the footbar are slippery and bare feet slide. We sell them for £12 and lend a clean pair free if you forget, so nobody has ever been turned away over socks.
- What if I turn up late?
- If the class has started we cannot let you in. This is not a discipline thing — the first five minutes set the spring load and the shape of the session, and joining after it puts you in the position of guessing. Come to the next one and we will not charge you twice.
- How early should I arrive?
- Ten minutes for your first class, five after that. The ten minutes are so somebody can walk you to a reformer, show you the straps and the springs, and ask about anything in your body before the room fills up.
- Is there parking?
- No car park. Picton Street is residents-only 9am–6pm; the nearest pay-and-display is Ashley Road, about four minutes away, and Stokes Croft has free evening parking after 6pm. Most people walk or cycle — there are eight bike hoops directly outside and we have never seen them all full.
- Can I bring water?
- Yes. There is a tap and a filter in the corridor, and we do not sell bottled water.
- Do I need an app?
- No. There is no app, no account and no password. Book by phone, by email, or at reception on your way out.
- Will anyone look at me?
- The instructor will, because that is the job. Nobody else will, and after roughly three weeks you will stop believing they might. This is the single most common thing people say after their first month.
Which class can I actually book?
Two of the six are open to somebody who has never used a reformer:Foundations and Rehab & Recovery. The other four assume you already know the machine, and every one of their pages says so plainly rather than leaving you to find out in the room.
Anything else — call0117 456 0192, orsend a message. A person reads it, usually the same day.