Why what you do between sessions matters just as much as the time you spend in the studio.
After nearly two decades of teaching movement, there is still one conversation I cringe at the thought of having: telling a client that once a week might not be enough to achieve what they're hoping for.
The truth is, I've never been particularly comfortable with the "upsell." I've always preferred to let the work speak for itself, and I don't want anyone to feel pressured into purchasing more sessions.
And I certainly don't believe Pilates is the answer to everything. It has been an important part of my own wellness routine for years, but it isn't the end goal. It's a means to an end.
The goal is to move through life with greater strength, freedom, confidence, and ease. To pick up your children without thinking twice. To enjoy a tennis match and spend the afternoon in the garden. To travel comfortably, or simply get out of bed in the morning feeling good in your body.
Creating meaningful, lasting changes often requires more than showing up once a week.
Your Body Is a Creature of Habit
Think about how many hours you spend sitting at your desk, looking down at your phone, driving your car, or moving through the same familiar patterns every day.
Your body becomes extraordinarily good at doing what you repeatedly ask it to do.
Unfortunately, not all those patterns serve us well. That's often what brings people to Pilates in the first place.
Perhaps you consistently shift your weight into one hip. Maybe your shoulders creep toward your ears when you're stressed. Perhaps you've spent years compensating for an old injury without even realizing it.
These patterns didn't develop overnight. They developed through thousands of repetitions, over months and years.
So it makes sense that one hour of Pilates each week may not be enough to change them.
One hour can introduce a better way to move. But it takes repetition to make that movement familiar, and consistency to make it habitual.
This is where frequency matters.
Joseph Pilates Was Pretty Clear About This
“If you will faithfully perform your Contrology exercises regularly only four times per week for just three months…as outlined in RETURN TO LIFE, you will find your body development approaching the ideal, accompanied by renewed mental vigor and spiritual enhancement.”
Four times per week!
Let's be clear: Mr. Pilates wasn't simply talking about losing weight or changing body composition. His philosophy was much bigger than that. He envisioned a body that was strong, capable, nimble, and full of energy.
And in a world where we're increasingly unable to unplug from anything, four times a week can sound nearly impossible, doesn't it?
But I think the important takeaway isn't necessarily the number four. It's the idea that Pilates was intended to be a regular practice, not simply an appointment on your calendar.
With consistent practice, you begin to recognize your compensations. You develop greater control. Movements that once required enormous concentration start to feel more natural.
And eventually, the work begins to follow you out of the studio.
That's when Pilates becomes truly valuable.
Once a Week Has Value. Consistency Creates Opportunity.
I want to be careful here, because I would never suggest that coming once a week is a waste of time. It isn't.
For some people, one session a week is an important starting point. For others, it may be all their schedule or budget currently allows. And for someone who is already physically active and practicing what they've learned outside the studio, one weekly session may be a wonderful complement to everything else they're doing.
But when someone comes to me hoping to fundamentally change their posture, improve long-standing movement habits, build strength, or address years of compensation, I think they deserve an honest conversation about what that process might require.
In my experience, practicing two to three times per week creates more opportunities to reinforce new movement patterns and build upon what we've learned.
That doesn't mean everyone needs to be in the studio three times a week. It means finding opportunities to practice, whether that's with a teacher, in a group class, or independently.
Because change requires repetition. And the more consistently we practice, the more opportunity we give ourselves to make those changes stick.
And Yes, I Know What You Might Be Thinking...
"Well, Nicole, you just raised your prices. How on earth am I supposed to come four times a week?"
Fair question. And believe me, I understand the irony.
I hate raising prices. I really do. There are important reasons behind those decisions, including my commitment to creating sustainable careers for our teachers and maintaining the quality of instruction you deserve. But I also understand that doesn't make it any easier on your end.
Our team is actively working on ways to make consistent practice more affordable. We're collaborating to bring clients with similar goals together into thoughtfully designed small-group classes, creating more opportunities to practice without the expense of additional private sessions.
I don't have every answer, but I want you to know we're working on it.
I'm Not Asking You to Make Pilates Your Life
I want Pilates to make the rest of your life better.
Recently, I had an email exchange with a client whose attendance had slipped a bit. She shared that she was no longer experiencing knee pain and had taken up tennis and horseback riding.
Thanks to Pilates!
Now, from a business perspective, we certainly notice when someone starts coming less frequently. But hearing that she's out there enjoying her life, doing things she might not have felt comfortable doing before?
That's a WIN!
And it's exactly why I believe in this work.
The investment you're making isn't simply in the hour you spend with your instructor. It's in how you move through the other 167 hours of your week.
I'm certainly not suggesting everyone needs three private sessions every week.
I encourage clients to find a combination of private instruction, small-group classes, and independent practice at home that works for their lives.
And right now, we have seven apprentices offering complimentary classes through January 1st. They're wonderful, and I genuinely encourage you to take advantage of the opportunity!
If you've ever wondered why we encourage you to work with multiple teachers, this is also part of the reason. Having more than one instructor you're comfortable working with opens up scheduling options. It makes it easier to build a consistent practice around your life rather than trying to fit your life around one teacher's availability.
There isn't one perfect formula. What matters is finding something you can sustain.
My Responsibility Is to Tell You What I Believe Will Work
I suppose this is where I need to get more comfortable with the conversation I've avoided for so long.
When I recommend practicing two to three times per week, it isn't because I think everyone needs more Pilates in their calendar.
It's because I've spent years watching what happens when people begin to move differently, feel stronger, and discover that their bodies are capable of more than they thought.
And I've also seen how frustrating it can be when someone is putting in the effort but not experiencing the progress they hoped for.
I want to be honest about what I've learned, while respecting that everyone comes to this work with different goals, resources, and demands on their time.
I'd much rather help someone build a realistic, sustainable practice than encourage them to commit to something they cannot maintain.
Because at the end of the day, my goal has never been to get you to do more Pilates for the sake of Pilates.
My goal is for you to think about your body less, because it's serving you better.
Pilates has been a constant in my life through different careers, different seasons, and different physical demands. My practice hasn't always looked the same, and it certainly hasn't always been perfect.
But I've continued to return to it because of what it gives me outside the studio.
That's what I hope you find, too.
A practice that supports the life you want to live.
