How Often Should You Do Pilates? It's Not About a Number, It's About Your Why

A question we receive almost every day is “How often should I do Pilates?”  I guess the easy answer is for me to put a number on it.  But I also know everyone has a life outside the studio and we are all carrying our own weight.  So, for me personally, by setting a number of sessions per week I could be blocking or discouraging someone from their goal and I could never do that.  So instead, I like to respond to my clients or potential clients with a question back “Well…why are you here doing Pilates?”  

Every person has their own journey and has a reason why they are coming to the studio.  I am almost certain it isn’t so they can be the “ultimate superstar Pilates practitioner”.  Ok, ok maybe this could be the case for some, but I believe the “why” we all have in common is we are coming for MOVEMENT.  

They want to play with their kids or grandkids.  They want to run a marathon, go skiing, hiking or mountain bike racing.  They want to wake up and not feel stiffness in their joints or have to awkwardly roll out of bed just to get their feet to the floor.  They want to go through a workday and not be bound up with stress and tension in their neck, shoulders or low back.  They are recovering from an injury and want to become stronger than they were before to prevent future injuries.  They want to lose weight and begin a journey to a healthier lifestyle.  They want to do something for themselves.  They need a mental release.  

To summarize, they want to MOVE through life with ease, grace, strength and confidence.

So, with this knowledge, I now know the goal.  It is then my job to assist them in the final outcome with measurable steps along the way.  I am now here to support my client in their journey and give them some tools and confidence that they will be able to achieve their goal be it they come to Pilates 1 time a week or 7 times a week.  I am confident that with their commitment and consistency, we will see measurable progress and with that progress, they will have the drive to better themselves as they see fit for their individual goals.  

What I can say for certain is by doing Pilates, you will feel a difference in your body instantly.  You will feel your body wake up and muscles you may not have known existed otherwise.  You will leave feeling alive and well. 

I am not sure if that answered the question, but let’s just go with what Joseph Pilates probably said best himself – “In 10 sessions you’ll feel the difference, in 20 sessions you’ll see the difference, and in 30 sessions you’ll have a whole new body.”