Pilates for Every Body: Beyond the ‘Pilates Princess’ and Into Purposeful Movement

As part of my Yoga in Motion fundraiser for the Gidget Foundation, I’ve been reflecting on how movement can be a lifeline during the perinatal period. For me, that lifeline was Pilates. It kept me grounded (and honestly, sane) during a very difficult, high-risk pregnancy. At the time, I often felt disembodied — like my body wasn’t really mine anymore, just an incubator for my baby.

My pre-natal Pilates teacher, Denise Dolan, was such a gentle, steady presence through that. Every week she held space for me, and those classes became one of the few places I felt safe in my body.

When I finally came back to Pilates 18 months after my son was born, working with Denise again helped me rebuild not just my strength, but my confidence and sense of self. My experience of Pilates has been nothing like the glossy, influencer version we often see online. For me, it’s been about grounding, rebuilding, and rediscovering my body after everything it’s been through.

To explore this, I sat down with Denise to talk about breaking the “Pilates princess” stereotype and reclaiming Pilates for everyday mums — the ones who show up tired, leaky, strong, tender, and everything in between.

Can you share what first drew you to Pilates, and what inspired you to specialise in pre and postnatal work?

Denise: I was a gymnast for 13 years, and I had recurrent injuries that were always coming back, when I had jumped in to see a physio regarding one particular injury she had given me some pilates exercises to rehabilitate, after seeing the incredible difference in my body within just a few weeks, I couldn’t believe that the constant pain I had, had dropped drastically and was less frequent. I then had finally discovered a studio, where I now teach! (One Hot Yoga in South Yarra) that offered the pilates method, and where the instructors actually teach.

My second reformer class I was hooked, as I mentioned the issues I had had in my body were slowly disappearing after having a consistent practice with the studio. I don’t particularly specialise in pre and post-natal, but when you work with so many students, you get to know them, know their life and develop a wonderful relationship with them or maybe you are helping them with a current injury, you start to build trust with them. From there, they will automatically come to you to share their journey as you have already gained their trust. It is a wonderful experience to be a part of as an instructor.

Many people associate Pilates with a particular image — sleek studios, designer activewear, and “perfect” bodies. How would you describe the true spirit or philosophy behind Pilates?

Joseph Pilates, created the Pilates method with the goal in mind that everyone can live their life well and to their fullest. In fact he had recommended we do four sessions per week to see a difference in the strength in our bodies. The chair is a wonderful example of this, it was originally designed to sit in your living room, and you can take it out to use it for exercise whenever you wanted, Joseph Pilates was ahead of his time! But his goal was absolutely not for people to have a certain aesthetic, it was to live injury and pain free. And to age to well. This is the true spirit of Pilates.

However, as the fitness industry has grown and changed, along with social media, many people and many studios definitely do encourage a certain look, or use what is called “crop top marketing”, and in reality you absolutely don’t have to look a certain way to come to class. Come as you are, ready for a work out, ready to get a sweat on, get your hair a bit messy, and just wear whatever you feel good in, but do it for you.

Joseph Pilates originally called his method “Contrology” — focusing on the mind-body connection. What do you think we’ve lost (or gained) in the modern interpretation of Pilates?

I do see a lot of studios offering “Pilates”, or using Pilates to describe the exercises that they are offering, and when you go to their classes, or see what they are doing, you realise pretty quickly that it is not Pilates.

I think there are a lot of misconceptions of what Pilates actually is, when I ask new students if they have done Pilates before, they will confidently tell me yes but when you see them move in class, learning any of the traditional repertoire they are quite confused and struggle with these exercises.

Of course, this is not their fault it is just false advertising.

So I feel there is just a little bit of a misconception now a days, and one of the most important things we try to give students, is to allow that 45 minute class to be just for you. But with phones, watches etc you can see people find it difficult to disconnect, so trying to keep the mind body connection in class can be challenging as an instructor, you want your students to feel like they’ve had a mental break for those 45 minutes.

However the fantastic thing we have gained, is if you ask anyone now a days whether is it the true Pilates method or not, everybody is moving! Whether it is pilates, yoga, tennis, padel, HIIT, lifting in the gym, the fantastic thing is everybody is doing some form of exercise they love, and that is the important part!

What are some of the key benefits of Pilates during pregnancy and the postpartum period?

Pilates is a fantastic way to stay fit and strong during your pregnancy. No pregnancy is the same, and many women can have many different and difficult complications throughout, and Pilates has so many amazing exercises, and different equipment we can use to help everyone to exercise well. Pilates can help with keeping strength throughout the pelvic floor, fantastic for posture and shoulder/arm strength which is helpful when Bub comes around, and of course just general fitness and strength. People are often concerned they can’t do ab curls during their pregnancy, however there are so many ways in Pilates to keep core strength without having to ab curls or lay on your back.

Pilates is a great way to rehabilitate postpartum, particularly in “small group/clinical Pilates” where there can be maximum 4 people in the class, whether you are just wanting some personalised guidance, for example maybe you have had a caesarean, we can definitely help to build back to doing ab curls, recover overall strength or even just to get back into moving, the 4:1 space is perfect for this.

For new mums who might feel disconnected from their bodies or unsure where to start, what is one gentle way to begin moving again safely?

Having a baby, depending on each person’s situation of course, but for some new Mums it can be very overwhelming. Some women might have a multitude of support, or some may have very little. I think having a baby is something we are so accustomed to, we take it with a grain of salt and there is an assumption that women just know what to do when the baby comes, and for many it can be a challenging time.

If you are feeling disconnected from your body from a mental health perspective I would definitely recommend speaking to your doctor, or maybe you already have a therapist, someone you know you can trust, to give you good solid advice and guidance at this moment. If it is a case where you are just looking to get back into exercising again but are unsure where to begin or what exercises you can or cannot do, a private session would be a great option.

That way you can speak with your instructor privately, and you can go step by step. You may wish to jump into group style classes again so as many private classes you and your instructor feel would be beneficial, then maybe small group/clinical classes until you feel confident again to jump into bigger group classes.

Are there particular Pilates movements or principles that can help with common postnatal challenges (e.g. rebuilding core strength, posture, breath)?

All of them! However besides the principles, in small group/4:1 classes we have the equipment and the tools to help rebuild core strength at your own pace.

How can someone know they’re ready to return to exercise after birth — and what should they look for in a good pre/postnatal instructor?

After 6 weeks in general, most women unless you’ve had some complications during your pregnancy will receive clearance from their doctor to exercise again. After they have had clearance from their doctor, they are fine to get back into exercising! I would definitely look for an instructor who has had pre/post natal training, clinical Pilates or small group as I have mentioned above is a great place to start as you can have your exercise plan tailored to you, and then they can jump back into group classes at a later stage. It would also be worth discovering a studio that you would come to know and trust who will guide you through your pregnancy and help you when you return.

What’s a common misconception about Pilates you’d love to debunk?

That Pilates is just for women! And Pilates is just a stretch!

If you’ve done a Pilates class you will for sure know it is not just a stretch, Pilates helps us to build functional movement, and mobility (strength + flexibility) and Joseph Pilates was himself a man, so for any guys out there thinking to come but unsure, know that Pilates is for everyone!

How can we make Pilates spaces feel more inclusive — for people of all shapes, sizes, and stages of motherhood?

I think moving forward having studios that are gender neutral, which a lot of studios are absolutely doing, for example choosing a neutral tone for the aesthetic of the studio, music is important too, to have music that is for everybody. But most importantly going to instructors who are trained well in the Pilates method, and who have your best interests at heart. It is one thing to go to a class, and another to take a class. Where I teach the students take a class, meaning they come and listen to our professional advice, they take their practice seriously, as they take Pilates as an investment in themselves.

When you see a studio has built a community and the instructors and students have a great relationship from coming to the studio for so long, massive green flag!

What do you hope new mums take away — not just physically, but emotionally — from your classes?

I always hope that anyone who comes to my class has left feeling good. Feeling like they got a good work out in, learned something, found a cue I may have said in class that helped to deepen their practice, and mostly had some “me time” and had fun! Honestly, the most important thing is when you come to class you have prioritised those 45 minutes just for you, a gift for yourself, and that’s the most important thing.

Talking with Denise reminded me that movement doesn’t have to look perfect — it just has to feel like you. Whether it’s Pilates, yoga, walking, or dancing in the kitchen with your baby, it’s about finding those small moments that bring you back to yourself.

As we mark Perinatal Mental Health Week (23–29 November), this conversation is part of my Yoga in Motion fundraiser for the Gidget Foundation, supporting the emotional wellbeing of parents through pregnancy, birth and early parenthood.

Every stretch, step and breath is dedicated to helping more mums feel a little less alone — and a little more at home in their bodies again.

I would like to thank Denise for her time, expertise but also her support during my perinatal period. You can follow Denise on Instagram here and find details where and when you can practice with her (she is always happy to meet new students!).

You may also like to read/listen to: