Getting started
What to expect in your first Pilates class
The short answer
Arrive ten minutes early, wear fitted clothing and grip socks, and expect to spend most of the class lying down. You will not be expected to know anything, and a good teacher will set your springs and check your positioning throughout.
Practical preparation
Grip socks are required at most studios — bare feet slide on the carriage and ordinary socks slide worse. Fitted clothing matters because the teacher needs to see your alignment, and loose fabric hides it.
Arrive early enough to tell the teacher about any injuries, surgeries or pregnancy. This changes what they program for you, and mentioning it as the class starts is too late.
- Grip socks — required at most studios
- Fitted clothing so the teacher can see alignment
- Arrive 10 minutes early to complete an intake form
- Mention any injuries, surgeries or pregnancy
- Water, though you will not need much
What the class is actually like
Slower than most fitness classes and more verbal. Expect a lot of specific instruction about where your ribs, pelvis and shoulders are, and comparatively few repetitions.
You will spend most of the class lying on your back. Standing work on the carriage is advanced and unlikely to appear in a beginner class.
It is normal to feel uncoordinated
Almost everyone finds the first class confusing. The breathing pattern runs opposite to intuition for many people, and the cues reference body parts you have not consciously moved before.
That resolves within three or four sessions. Judging the method on the first class is judging your unfamiliarity with it rather than the method.
What good teaching looks like
A teacher who asks about your history, sets your springs rather than leaving you to guess, and offers a modification without being asked. If you leave a beginner class having been given no individual attention, try a different studio.
Class size matters here — above about ten people, individual attention becomes impossible regardless of the teacher.
Frequently asked questions
- What should I wear to Pilates?
- Fitted clothing so the teacher can see your alignment, and grip socks, which most studios require because bare feet slide on the carriage.
- Do I need to be fit to start Pilates?
- No. The reformer springs assist movements you have not yet built strength for, which makes it one of the more accessible starting points.
- Will I be able to keep up in my first class?
- Most people feel uncoordinated for the first three or four sessions, which is normal. Book a beginner class rather than a mixed-level one.
- How many classes before it makes sense?
- Usually three or four. The breathing pattern and the cues take a few sessions to become familiar.