The Fitness Pilates Blog

January Reset: Going Back to Basics with Fitness Pilates

January Reset: Going Back to Basics with Fitness Pilates

New Year classes are a brilliant opportunity to take things right back to basics — both in technique and in concept. In a fitness world that’s constantly evolving with new trends and formats, revisiting the fundamentals is powerful, even for your most experienced regulars. January is the perfect time to reset movement quality, deepen understanding, and rebuild strong foundations.

Here are my tips for taking your Fitness Pilates classes back to basics this month:

Revisit the origins of Pilates

Go back to where it all began. You could share a short newsletter or class introduction about Joseph Pilates, how the method was developed, and why the principles are still so relevant today. When class members understand the history and philosophy, they gain a deeper appreciation of the movements and their purpose.

Re-teach the Pilates principles

Spend time talking through the core principles — breath, control, concentration, alignment, precision, and flow — and show how we apply them in a modern-day Fitness Pilates session. Encourage members to slow down, focus on awareness, and truly feel the movement.

Return to your original Fitness Pilates foundation exercises

Go back to the key basics taught on the course — all of which are rooted in the original 34 matwork exercises. These movements may be simple, but they are the foundations from which we can grow and improve.

Refine your cueing and coaching

Use clear, simple cueing so beginners understand exactly what you want them to do, which muscles they should be working, and what they should expect to feel. This helps reduce overwhelm, builds confidence, and improves movement quality for everyone — not just new starters.

Create an inclusive, welcoming environment

Fitness Pilates is for everybody. In your language, marketing, and social media, reflect real people, real bodies, and real classes. Right now social media is full of “perfect Pilates aesthetics”, but that’s not what our real FP classes look like — and that’s exactly what makes them authentic, supportive, accessible and SUCCESSFUL – communicate this…. its so important in this moment in time. Don’t be intimidated by the imagery we are seeing on social media – YOU DO YOU and show the realness of FP.

Back-to-basics teaching is about strengthening the foundations so every client moves better, feels better, and progresses with confidence throughout the year ahead.

Thousands of people every day take part in your Fitness Pilates classes and you are doing an amazing job.

Wishing you a fantastic new year

Love always

Rachel xx

We have so much planned for FP and 2026 the future is so bright!

If you’re interested in Reformer Teacher Training, either Fitness Pilates Reformer or the Level 3 Reformer Pilates (Group & One-to-One) qualification, we’re running face-to-face courses at the C2GO Studio on 2nd and 3rd January. Full details are below.

If you’re considering adding Reformer to your teaching or studio offering, I also have a great contact for sourcing reformers — so please feel free to get in touch for a chat on 07976 268672.

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