Whether you are discovering Reformer Pilates or looking to deepen your practice, one question often comes up: private sessions or group classes? Both formats have their merits, but they do not meet the same needs.
Here is how to make the right choice, and why precise teaching makes all the difference.
Private sessions: precision first
In a private session, everything is built around you: your level, your posture, your goals and how you feel that day. Every movement is observed and adjusted in real time.
It is the ideal format if you want to:
- start out and build solid foundations: breathing, centring, alignment, spring settings and safe use of the machine;
- return to exercise after an injury, a period of pain or a pregnancy, with your doctor's approval;
- reach a specific goal: posture, mobility, deep strengthening, sports preparation;
- progress faster, since every minute of the session is dedicated to you.
Group classes: energy and consistency
A group class brings several people together, each on their own machine, following a shared sequence. The group's energy is motivating, helps you train consistently, and the cost is often lower.
This format is best suited to people who have already mastered the fundamentals. Its main limitation lies in its very nature: the teacher's attention is shared among all participants. Corrections are therefore less frequent, and less precise.
Driving for twenty years… and thinking you drive well
Think back to your driving test. On that day, you checked your mirrors, kept both hands on the wheel and respected every safe distance.
A few years later, most drivers have picked up small habits: one hand on the wheel, a forgotten blind spot, braking a little late. Nobody notices them, least of all the driver, who feels perfectly at ease. Yet if they had to retake the test today, they would be far from certain to pass.
Pilates works the same way. Once the exercises feel familiar, the body finds shortcuts: a shoulder that creeps up, a pelvis that tilts, a breath that is held, a movement driven by momentum rather than control.
These compensations are invisible from the inside: you feel you are doing it right, while the work is no longer happening where it should. Over time, progress stalls and tension can build up in the neck or lower back.
In a group class, these small deviations easily go unnoticed. In a private session, they are spotted and corrected before they become habits.
Alexandra's eye: seeing what others miss
Any teacher can correct an obvious mistake. What sets Alexandra apart is her ability to detect errors that are barely perceptible: a slightly misplaced point of support, a range of motion that goes a few millimetres too far, tension building up without you even feeling it.
This keen eye goes hand in hand with genuine attentiveness. Alexandra takes the time to understand your body, your history and how you feel, then adapts each exercise: a word, a gesture, a spring adjustment.
It is these details, almost invisible, that make the difference between doing a movement and doing it right. They make every session more effective, safer and more lasting.
How to choose?
| Your situation | Recommended format |
|---|---|
| You are new to the Reformer | Private sessions, to build solid foundations |
| You want a programme tailored to your body type | individual lessons, carefully tailored to your needs |
| You have a specific goal | Private sessions, with a tailored programme |
| You already practise in group classes | A regular private session, to check and refine your technique |
Even for an experienced practitioner, a regular private session acts like a vehicle inspection: it brings the fundamentals back up to standard and gets progress moving again.
