Our philosophy first
Let’s not pretend we’re neutral. We love Pilates. Like, love-love it. The kind of love where you talk about it at dinner parties, annoy your family, and mentally analyze strangers’ posture in the grocery store. We love the system. We love how nerdy and smart it is. We love that it somehow manages to be both deeply subtle and wildly humbling. We love watching people come in “just to stretch” and accidentally end up rebuilding their entire relationship with their body
So yes, we’re supportive of everything, but we are absolutely, unapologetically, emotionally invested in Pilates.
And just so we’re clear, these answers are my perspective. Not “the truth.” Not a manifesto. Just one Pilates-obsessed human sharing what she’s seen work, over and over again.
If this sounds like your kind of energy,
your kind of studio,
your kind of people…
Come on in. 😌
Is Pilates the same as yoga?
They’re different systems… and honestly? They make a great couple.
Yoga is ancient.
Like… thousands-of-years-old. Breath. Philosophy. Spirirtual 🧘♀️✨
Pilates showed up in the early 1900s.
Less chanting. More “oh wow, my spine works better.”
Strength, mobility, coordination, posture, and a whole lot of full-body teamwork.
Some people are in long-term, committed relationships with both.
(We love a blended family.)
You don’t have to choose.
And here’s where I’ll lovingly bust a myth:
A lot of people think yoga is where you go to get flexible…
and Pilates is where you go to get strong.
I actually don’t agree.
I taught yoga. I taught Pilates. I did both for years.
And Pilates is what made me flexible
Is Pilates just one thing, or are there different types?
There are many styles of Pilates.
Which is why you’ll hear names like:
• Classical Pilates
• Contemporary Pilates (Stott Pilates)
• Reformer Pilates
• Fitness Pilates
• Athletic / bootcamp-style Pilates
• (and yes… places like Club Pilates)
All of them trace back to the same roots, but they’re expressed very differently depending on training, philosophy, and intention.
At The Pilates Mat Room, we teach Classical Pilates.
That means we work from the original system, order, and framework created by Joseph Pilates, using authentic equipment and a detail-obsessed, build-it-properly approach.
Other studios may blend Pilates with fitness formats, circuits, or modern interpretations.
Different kitchens. Different recipes. Same original cookbook.
Should I do Pilates or weight training?
Our honest answer, almost always:
Both.
But… if real life says you can only manage one right now: one schedule commitment, one financial commitment, then yes, we’re obviously going to choose Pilates. 😄
Why?
Because we see it every day.
We see clients building strength without constantly being injured.
We see joints getting happier and mobility increasing.
We see people moving better in their workouts, their sports, and their lives.
Pilates builds the foundation.
How you organize. How you stabilize. How you move.
Weight training builds on top of that foundation.
Heavier. Stronger. More powerful.
Together, they’re magic.
But if you’re starting with one?
We’re always going to bet on the one that helps you move well, recover better, and keep doing the things you love, not just this year, but long-term. 🤍
Should I only do Reformer Pilates?
The reformer is incredible.
Truly. A fan favourite.
And… it’s also just one piece of a much bigger system.
Classical Pilates isn’t a one-machine show. It includes mat work, the Wunda Chair, barrels, the Cadillac, and small apparatus, each one bringing its own personality, challenges, and sneaky little gifts to your body.
The mat teaches you to own your strength (no springs, no help, just you and gravity having a conversation).
The chair builds power and precision (tiny surface, big results).
The reformer builds flow, resistance, and support (smooth, satisfying, slightly addictive).
At The Pilates Mat Room, we offer the FULL equipment so your body learns the work from multiple angles. That’s where better carryover happens.
And honestly? If you only ever did reformer, you’d be missing a huge part of what makes Pilates… Pilates.
The reformer is amazing.
And, if all you have access to is a reformer, do reformer. Bodies love movement.
If you're attending a studio that only offers reformer, you’re usually experiencing fitness or contemporary Pilates… and missing out on the rest of the system that makes this work so rich, so intelligent, and so effective.
Should I do Pilates or Lagree? Aren’t they the same?
Lagree and Pilates are not the same thing.
And they’re not meant to be.
Lagree is a fitness class built around intensity, muscle burn, and workout-style training.
Pilates is a movement system designed to teach your whole body how to move better, strength, control, mobility, coordination, posture, and how everything works together.
From the outside, they can look similar.
Both use spring-based machines.
But they were created for different reasons, and they create very different experiences.
And just like yoga and Pilates, I don’t actually think people need to choose between them.
Different methods can serve different seasons.
Different goals.
Different days.
One important piece of context though:
Lagree couldn’t exist without Pilates coming first.
So yes… there are similarities.
And yes… obviously I’m biased. I own a Pilates studio. 😄
I chose Pilates because it has never let me down.
Because it keeps working.
Because it gives me more the longer I stay with it.
If Lagree is something you enjoy, great.
If yoga is something you love, amazing.
If weight training is your thing, go lift.
And if you’re looking for a system that teaches your body how to work better inside all of that…
…that’s where Classical Pilates fits. 🤍
Do I have to be in shape, skinny, or flexible to do Pilates?
Absolutely not.
In fact… that’s kind of the point.
You don’t get “in shape” to do Pilates.
You do Pilates… and your body changes as a result.
You don’t need to be flexible.
You don’t need to touch your toes, own matching workout sets, or know what your “core” is.
Pilates was literally designed for bodies that weren’t feeling great.
Stiff bodies.
Injured bodies.
Tired bodies.
Bodies that haven’t moved in a while.
Bodies that move a lot but feel cranky about it.
At The Pilates Mat Room, we don’t teach to a “type” of body.
Come stiff.
Come tired.
Come strong.
Come curious.
Come with a sense of humour... (Heavy on the sense of humour. 😄)
Can men do Pilates?
If I had a dollar for every time a man thought Pilates was just pulsing, tiny weights, and women in matching sets… I’d have a second studio by now.
And honestly? I get why.
The internet has done Pilates dirty.
It’s been marketed like it’s either a stretch class, a dance workout, or a pastel fashion show.
But here’s the part that usually surprises people:
Pilates was created by a man.
Joseph Pilates.
Originally for boxers, soldiers, and injured men who needed to rebuild strong, capable bodies.
We teach men who lift.
Men who golf.
Men who ski.
Men with back pain.
Men who sit at desks.
Men who play professional sports.
How do you train to become a Classical Pilates instructor?
You become a student.
Before you teach Pilates, you learn Pilates.
You take class.
You build a consistent practice.
You learn the mat and the equipment.
You experience the system in your own body.
Because you can’t teach what you haven’t lived.
I’ve taken many teacher trainings over the years, Pilates, barre, yoga, and others. I’m a lifelong learner. I love learning, and I’ll never stop. It's too fun. But if there’s one thing I’ve learned from being inside multiple methods, it’s this:
A strong teacher training program doesn’t start with teaching.
It starts with becoming a real student of the method.
The programs that actually create long-term, confident, capable instructors are the ones that require you to:
• know the work before you train
• take regular class
• observe real teaching
• practice in your own body
• and have enough time to truly learn the system
Pilates is not a weekend skill.
It’s a craft.
It’s something you can build a real career with. Something you can do full-time, grow into, and keep deepening for decades, if that’s what you’re looking for.
That’s why Classical Pilates training is an investment.
In time. In study. In mentorship. In yourself.
Classical programs typically take 12–24 months and often cost several thousand dollars to complete, because learning to work with bodies responsibly, skillfully, and long-term takes time.You train your eyes to see what’s actually in front of you… not to deliver a perfect, scripted cue. (Sorry. Had to say it.)
If what you’re looking for is a system, a craft, and the foundation for a real teaching career…
then the Classical method is absolutely worth exploring.
And it always begins the same way.
You become a student. 🤍