How to Get More Out of Class (From Your Instructor)

By Sophia Crane

Results in Pilates don’t come from doing more reps or taking more classes—they come from how you show up in each movement.

Recently, I’ve received questions from students about how they can progress faster. Here’s what I tell them:

1. Get Out of Autopilot

It’s easy to just follow along, do what the instructor says, and check the box… but Pilates only works if you’re actually in your body. Try picking one specific focus each class: your lower core, syncing breath to movement, or even your transitions between exercises.

2. Slow Down Your Movement

Momentum will always cheat the work. Instructors cue movement in a specific tempo for a reason. Control on the way in. Control on the way out. Notice where you can squeeze more juice out of an exercise—and where you might be skipping over the hard parts.

3. Smaller Can Be Stronger

Bigger isn’t always better here. Lower your leg. Deepen your scoop. Be specific with your end ranges. Working where you can maintain control and connection is what actually builds strength. If it feels subtle, you’re probably doing it right.

4. Breathe With Intention

Holding your breath disconnects you. Your breath helps you find your core, stabilize, and move with control. And you also need it to laugh at my jokes! Make it easier on yourself and allow audible exhales when you need them.

5. Stay in Your Own Body

Looking around the room, watching too closely in the mirror, comparing, trying to keep up—that’s where you lose results. This is your class. We are here for you. The more you focus on how something feels, rather than how it looks, the more you’ll get out of it. And yes—when I demonstrate, it looks a certain way… but that’s my job. I’ve spent a lot of time in the studio :)

6. Consistency Over Intensity

One connected, intentional class will do more for you than five distracted ones. Coming three times in one week and then disappearing for a month won’t move the needle much. Results don’t come from pushing harder—they come from showing up consistently and participating in the work.

It’s easy to slip into just going through the motions in a Pilates class. But every time you slow down, reconnect, and really feel what you’re doing, everything changes. The work goes deeper, lightbulbs go off, and results start to come faster. You’ll even notice your body feels different by the end of class.

You don’t need to do more. You don’t need to push harder.
You just need to show up a little more present, curious, and grateful each time.