We asked pilates instructors from 7 of the top Singapore pilates studios to share their views. They say why they love these core-strengthening, low-impact workouts and exercises including reformer pilates – and the top reasons you should give it a try.
Singapore Pilates Studios
The Viva Group – Wellness & Pilates Studio in Singapore
Vivian Twiss, Pilates instructor and founder
I discovered Pilates when I was searching for a workout to improve my posture and develop a strong, but not bulky physique. After one month of practice, I noticed a big difference, and felt stronger, more flexible and toned – and, I’ve never looked back!
Now, as a pilates instructor, I help our clients to sculpt their bodies, improve their athletic performance, lead healthier lifestyles and reap all the other benefits Pilates provides.
Pilates is just such a big part of my life, and I continue to see and feel all of the positive changes that it has on my mind, body, and soul.
Vivian’s top five reasons to practice reformer pilates
- It’s a full-body workout that improves overall fitness and body awareness
- Increases strength and flexibility without creating bulk
- Restores the natural curves of the spine, improving posture and stability
- Helps with rehabilitation and injury prevention
- Helps with mindfulness and stress management
About these Singapore Pilates Studios
Both beautiful studio locations offer group, private and duet Reformer Pilates classes (6am to 9pm daily). They use Pilates Reformer, Cadillac, Stability Chair, Barre and Mat. The Keppel Bay studio location has even got a detox juice bar, and a beautiful nail and hair salon that uses only vegan and non-toxic nail products, and sustainable and sulphate-free hair products.
The VIVA Group – Pilates and Wellness
• #01-23 Quayside Isle Sentosa Cove, 31 Ocean Way | 9186 0716
• #02-02/02-02A Marina at Keppel Bay, 2 Keppel Bay Vista | 9186 0716
thevivagroup.com
FitNut Loft Pilates & Fitness
Aly Khairuddin, Owner and Stott Pilates Instructor
Pilates is an excellent post-rehab exercise programme, and can be particularly beneficial in helping someone through their surgeries. It combines so many types of movements in so many directions. In fact, Pilates saved me when I went through my breast cancer journey. A bilateral mastectomy and reconstruction and nine other surgeries left me immobile and in pain. It was when I dedicated time every single day to rehabilitating myself with Pilates that I regained mobilisation in my arms. Emotionally, I was happier, no longer depressed and thankful that I had found a way to make myself better.
At FitNut Loft, we offer mat Pilates flow, Reformer Pilates and, our signature class, Reformer Strong and Lean, which combines weight training, HIIT and Pilates to get everything you could possibly need from your daily workout. This is the Pilates class that can actually help someone lose weight; we know because we have measured the results of all our clients, and the results have been astounding!
Aly’s top three reasons to practice Pilates
- Helps you feel younger and stronger again as you age
- Gives you energy and strength to play with your kids
- Plays a major role in supporting female health; this includes repairing diastasis recti (abdominal separation) after childbirth and avoiding incontinence
About this Singapore Pilates Studio
FitNut Loft delivers Pilates, including Reformer Pilates, and strength training workouts for women in their 40s and 50s who are looking to get stronger, have more energy, lose weight and eliminate body pain as they age – all in a non-judgmental space.
FitNut Loft
Loft 2 Pandan Valley, #01-201
8686 8299 | fitnutloft.com
Options Pilates Studio
Erick Mendoza, Master Trainer at Options Pilates Studio
Pilates has been especially beneficial to the clients I’ve worked with during the past two years of lockdowns. Many of them had come to me saying that they were having a hard time being stuck working from home, without even a simple walk to Starbucks during the day. Professionally guided Pilates workouts proved to be just the outlet they needed to help fight off the negatives of sitting at home all day.
One of the many benefits they’ve seen is reduced stress levels; this comes from the endorphins of physical exercise, and also from the routine and structure that comes with having regular appointments in the studio.
In the pilates studio, we have also noticed more new clients arriving with generally bad posture from sitting all day. Many also complain of weight gain during the many lockdowns. I’m happy that I can help my clients combat these issues. Pilates can improve posture, strengthen the core and improve overall fitness.
Sonia Kakodkar, Instructor
I started practicing Pilates as a means to stay fit when joint aches related to an illness made my usual exercise regime impossible. Constant practice helped strengthen my joints and led me to a speedy recovery. I’ve been a Pilates addict ever since, and I know it will keep me in shape for the rest of my life.
Pilates has great versatility; it’s so much more than a general exercise method. People of all ages, genders and special physical conditions can practice it. More than anything, I love how there is a scientific approach to every movement.
As a Pilates instructor, I enjoy being a small part on a client’s journey to rediscovering their own body. Seeing the way different people’s bodies respond differently to the same exercises never ceases to amaze me. The feedback I get, and the trust that my clients put in me, challenges me to be better and do better every day.
Sonia’s top three reasons to practice Pilates
- Tones the body and increases muscle strength
- Helps ease back pain
- It’s the safest way to exercise while recovering from injuries
About this Singapore Pilates Studio
Options Pilates offers a variety of private and group Pilates classes, including pre- and postnatal classes, post rehab-focused sessions and dedicated classes for older adults. Sessions are held at three different locations: Orchard (Wheelock Place), Oxley Rise (One Oxley Rise) and Bukit Timah (Sime Darby Centre).
Options Pilates
9739 7085 | optionspilatesstudio.com
The Moving Body Studios
Audrey D’Cotta, Co-founder, Pilates Master Instructor & Gyrotonic Educator
My personal life-enhancing experience with Pilates and Gyrotonic happened almost two decades ago. At that time, I was an aerobics instructor teaching large group classes and very active. But, I was also suffering from back pain due to scoliosis. Through regular Pilates and Gyrotonic practice, my back pain went away. The freedom from pain that mindful movement offered was my catalyst to found The Moving Body, following my passion to reach out and help others not just keep fit, but also achieve a wider range of health and wellness goals through the form of movement that their body needs the most. It brings me joy that I get to create memorable moments each session with my clients, even as I support them in their everyday life and they reach new milestones.
Audrey’s top three reasons to practice Pilates
- Decreases stress
- Improves strength and posture
- Enhances breath work, which helps improve overall body function
Kelvin Tan, Pilates Master Instructor at The Moving Body East Coast Studio
I attended my first Pilates class about two decades ago as well with the intention of applying Pilates to my own personal training at the gym. I soon fell in love with the holistic practice and saw it as more than just a means for my own training. Through the increase of body awareness, Pilates has helped to improve my overall flexibility, mobility and strength. I figured that the next best thing was to teach and share the many benefits of Pilates with my clients. These benefits include better posture, increased strength, enhanced fitness performance, easier movement and increased body awareness.
About this Singapore pilates studio
The Moving Body offers private, semi-private and group classes in-studio on various equipment, including the Pilates Reformer, Cadillac, Chair, Ladder Barrel and the Gyrotonic Expansion System, led professionally by certified Pilates and Gyrotonic instructors. The studio also offers physiotherapy and osteopathy services, to complement rehabilitation through prescribed clinical and exercise treatments.
Don’t miss the chance to get 50 percent off your first private Pilates or Gyrotonic session, and a first-time discount on Reformer Pilates and Gyrotonic group sessions, at The Moving Body!
The Moving Body
* Bukit Timah: #03-09 Guthrie House 1 Fifth Avenue | 9653 3809
* East Coast: #05-02 Tides Building, 217 East Coast Road | 8222 3853
* River Valley: #01-15 The Herencia, 46 Kim Yam Road | 8128 9062
themovingbodygroup.com
Advantage Pilates Studio
Tiffany Anne, Co-founder and Instructor
As a clumsy child, I found it difficult to concentrate and I lacked body awareness. I was then enrolled in Pilates classes for children and it was fun. My posture improved, along with my concentration and coordination.
As I got older, I began to understand the importance of having deeper core strength and the “why” behind each movement. And, as a dance enthusiast, and someone who is prone to injury and imbalance, Pilates principles gave me the control I needed to stay injury-free. I became a fitness professional in 2016 and went on to teach Pilates shortly after.
To me, Pilates has always been a sustainable way to lead a healthy lifestyle and provide genuine help to my clients. I particularly love the excitement when I’m told, “My lower back pain is gone since I’ve started your classes,” or the smiling looks couples give each other after making progress on their roll-overs.”
Tiffany’s top three reasons to practice Pilates
- Helps with stress management
- Improves body awareness
- Keeps the body and spine mobile in a sustainable way
Advantage Pilates offers private and group reformer and mat Pilates classes online, and in-studio at five locations: Plus Building (20 Cecil Street, #05-02). Core Collective Anson (79 Anson Road, #21-01), Core Collective Dempsey (27A, 30B/C, Loewen Road), Marine Parade and Hometeam NS Balestier (31 Ah Hood Road). There are classes available for both beginners and seasoned Pilates practitioners, and great group classes like Pilates HIIT and Stretch, which combines high-intensity interval training and stretching.
Advantage Pilates
8831 8599 | advantagepilates.sg
UFIT Health & Fitness
Jayme Joy Ng, personal trainer and Pilates instructor at UFIT Fairmont
A combination of long-distance running, martial arts, dance and bodybuilding left me with poor posture and consequent body aches. Pilates helped me improve my muscle imbalances and posture, eventually eliminating my aches and pains. It has also helped me become more mindful of how I stand, sit and walk, so that I can prevent future injuries as I age.
Melissa Pascual, Pilates instructor at UFIT Orchard Clinic
Pilates is a natural form of “rehabilitation” to reset the body back to a neutral and optimised state. Using resistance-based exercises, particularly on the Reformer, it’s a safe and effective workout that targets the entire body, strengthens the core and elongates the spine.
Nick Lange, physiotherapist and Pilates instructor at UFIT Club Street
The Reformer is a great tool for injury prevention and rehabilitation, and can be especially beneficial for managing osteoarthritis. Patients with knee osteoarthritis who would normally shy away from traditional exercises like squats prefer the Reformer because it’s low impact, and allows full range of movement while strengthening muscles.
About these Singapore Pilates Classes
UFIT Health & Fitness offers individual and small-group reformer and mat Pilates classes led by qualified physiotherapists and musculoskeletal practitioners.
UFIT Health & Fitness
Club Street, Orchard and Fairmont Hotel, Raffles City
ufit.com.sg/health/pilates
SmartFit Pilates
Lila Roosmalia, Senior Instructor at SmartFit Pilates
Pilates is about more than just exercise – it’s a strength that we carry into all aspects of our daily lives.
As an instructor, I have seen clients in many different stages of life: recovering from injury, struggling with constant aches and pains, preparing for a physical challenge and even during pregnancies. Whatever their situation, our priority at SmartFit is always to understand their goal and guide them through a personalised Pilates journey to help them achieve it. My favourite thing to do is be creative in designing an effective, challenging and fun Pilates programme for a client. I love to see their mindset shift as they begin to move away from habits that no longer serve them and embrace that mind-body connection, listening to their body’s needs and treating it with kindness. Hearing that my clients can now perform their best in all of life’s activities with comfort and ease brings me the greatest joy.
Lila’s top reasons to practice Pilates
- Activates your stabilising muscles, which are important for supporting your spine and preventing injury
- Promotes healthy ageing and better balance, stability and coordination, thanks to the repetition of sequences
- It’s for everyone; Pilates is low impact, and can be practiced by people of any age, fitness level and ability
About this Singapore Pilates Studio
Aimed at helping clients to live feeling confident, energised and pain-free, SmartFit Pilates is a boutique Pilates studio (located right next to Tanglin Mall) that offers private, duet and small group classes for every age, body and fitness level. Sessions can be held in a variety of languages (including Japanese, Korean, Tamil and Bahasa) and are taught on a variety of apparatus including the Reformer, Cadillac and Wunda Chair – even the TRX – so you get the most from every minute.
Don’t miss the chance to get 50 percent off your first private or group session with SmartFit Pilates! Contact the studio now to book.
SmartFit Pilates
#01-01, #04-03 Tanglin Place, 91 Tanglin Road
8571 8549 | smartfit.com.sg
This article first appeared in the March 2021 edition of Expat Living. You can purchase the latest issue or subscribe, so you never miss a copy!
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