Reformer Pilates has seen a significant rise in popularity in the UK, with the number of businesses offering these classes increasing nearly ten-fold between 2024 and 2025. This rapid growth has led to calls for formal regulation of Reformer Pilates to ensure safety and quality in instruction.
Industry growth and concerns over instructor qualifications
The surge in Reformer Pilates businesses has created a shortage of highly qualified instructors. To meet demand, many providers have resorted to intensive in-house training programs. However, the Pilates Foundations teachers’ association has warned that classes can be “potentially dangerous in the hands of someone who has had a short period of training,” citing documented cases of injuries.
Rebecca Hosking, owner of Maison du Pilates in Bournemouth, supports the idea of more regulation. She notes that the industry has evolved, with many new training providers offering shorter courses that may not provide sufficient depth. Hosking highlights the importance of ongoing education for exercise professionals and expresses concern about the shift toward a more athletic approach to Reformer Pilates, which may differ from the remedial focus of earlier training methods.
Calls for minimum training standards in Reformer Pilates
Nathan Benjamin-Smith, owner of Reformer Pilates Bicester in Oxfordshire, emphasizes that the issue is not just a shortage of instructors but the rapid expansion of the industry outpacing the availability of well-trained professionals. He points out that shorter training courses vary widely in quality.
Nicki Fussell, a Reformer Pilates instructor teaching at several locations including The Barns in Reading, stresses the risk of injury when clients are taught by under-qualified instructors. She advocates for minimum training standards and encourages clients to verify their instructor’s qualifications. Fussell herself completed a two-year Polestar course involving over 200 hours of training and has taught more than 10,000 classes.
Benefits and community aspects of Reformer Pilates
Reformer Pilates, originally developed by Joseph Pilates during World War I as a rehabilitation method, focuses on controlled movements that target muscles often overlooked in other exercises. When practiced safely, it offers benefits such as improved posture, increased flexibility, and full-body muscle toning.
Jessica Rowe, a regular participant, highlights not only the physical improvements she has experienced but also the sense of community within her classes. She appreciates the dedicated focus on body awareness and the supportive environment for women.