There was a time when my week revolved around Pilates class bookings. Not in a particularly healthy, “movement is medicine” kind of way, but in a slightly unhinged race to book a reformer the second the schedule opened, only to discover that every woman within a 20km radius had apparently been waiting for the exact same 6.30pm Tuesday class. Then there was the dreaded waitlist. Has anyone ever actually made it off a Pilates waitlist, or is that just a cruel little feature designed to keep us hopeful?

Yep, I do love a studio Pilates class. But lately, I’ve found myself doing more and more sessions at home, which got me wondering: are we actually better off ditching the studio altogether? Or is there something to be said for having someone else count the reps while you quietly question why your legs are shaking during an exercise that looks suspiciously easy?

In-Gym Pilates: The Case for Staying in Class

There’s a reason studio Pilates has become such a fixture in our fitness routines. Being guided by a qualified instructor makes a huge difference, particularly if you’re new to Pilates, returning after a break or working around an injury. There’s someone keeping the pace moving, correcting your form and reminding you to actually engage your core rather than simply thinking about engaging your core (guilty).

And then there’s the equipment, which is another major drawcard. A good reformer, tower or Cadillac can cost thousands of dollars and takes up roughly the same amount of floor space as a Volkswagen Golf, so having access to one at a studio without needing to actually own one is a pretty sweet deal. 

Then there’s the studio itself. The beautiful interiors, the flattering lighting, the mirrors and those fancy sheer linen curtains that somehow make sweating through a hundred tiny pulses feel like a luxury experience. There’s no need to clear a space in the living room or roll up the rug before you start, and if your Pilates studio is inside your gym, you can also combine your class with some cardio or a quick weights session afterwards.

The accountability factor is also seriously underrated. Booking a class and knowing other people are expecting you to turn up provides a level of motivation that you just don’t get at home. It’s much easier to convince yourself that you’ll do Pilates “later” when later doesn’t involve a cancellation fee. Some gyms will even follow up if you’ve disappeared for a while, which is either wonderfully supportive or a little bit like being gently parented by your gym manager.

The downside is that studio Pilates can be expensive, particularly when classes are charged on top of an existing gym membership (hello extra $29 a week!). Popular classes can also book out incredibly quickly, meaning the time you actually want to work out might not be available at all. And while I’m sure people do successfully get off waitlists, I have yet to meet one…

At-Home Pilates: The Ultimate Convenience

The biggest appeal of Pilates at home is obvious: you can do it whenever you want, for as long as you want and at whatever level feels right that day. You don’t need to drive anywhere, you don’t need to book anything and nobody cares if you turn up in pyjamas with bed hair (although I personally find that putting on a cute activewear set does make me approximately 37% more likely to exercise).

You can squeeze in a 15-minute class between meetings or do a full session on a Sunday morning, depending on what your day looks like. You can pause the instructor, repeat an exercise you didn’t quite understand or choose something gentler when your body isn’t feeling its best. 

There’s also no shortage of tutorials out there. YouTube is packed with free Pilates workouts, while subscription platforms such as Fluidform Pilates, Bodylove Pilates and The Pilates Class offer more structured programs if you prefer having someone tell you exactly what you’re doing and when. It’s also worth checking your private health insurance, as some policies and member programs include access to online fitness and wellbeing platforms. Essentially—and sadly!—there are now very few excuses left not to move your bod at home. 

Except, perhaps, the fact that your home Pilates setup consists of a yoga mat you’ve owned since your uni days, and a resistance band that has been living in a drawer since COVID lockdown times. 

This is where I’ve found that having the right equipment makes a surprisingly big difference. Not because you need to spend hundreds of dollars to do Pilates at home (you absolutely don’t), but because good-quality equipment can make your workouts more comfortable, more varied and importantly, something you actually want to do.

I’ve been lucky enough to trial a selection of MoveActive pieces at home, and they’re the kind of products that sit snugly between functional workout equipment and the sort of thing you don’t mind leaving out in your living room (eg. cute but conventional). 

The MoveActive Hand Weight Bars in Matcha ($79.00) have become a fast favourite for adding resistance to arm and upper-body work. At 2kg, they’re enough to make those deceptively gentle-looking Pilates arm sequences properly challenging without turning the workout into a weights session. The shape also feels much more natural during Pilates movements than gripping a traditional dumbbell, and the soft matcha colour is a chic addition to the traditional grey or black setup. 

Then there’s the 20–22cm Pilates Ball ($20.00) also in a cute Matcha hue, which is a perfect example of why Pilates equipment doesn’t have to be complicated to be effective. It can be used between the thighs, behind the back or under different parts of the body to add instability and make familiar movements considerably harder. It’s small enough to store easily, too, which is important when your “home gym” is actually one corner of the living room.

The 1kg Ankle & Wrist Weights in Matcha ($89.00) have been really good for lower-body work and standing flows. They’re a simple way of adding resistance without needing to change up the format of your workout, and I like that they’re easy to incorporate into shorter sessions when you don’t have a whole hour to spare. They also feel secure rather than constantly sliding around, and weighty enough to feel like they’re actually doing something. 1kg sure does feel heavier after 15 reps of cactus arms!

A Medium Resistance Band ($28.00) is another one of those pieces of kit that is a must-have for any home Pilates kit. It’s useful for everything from glute and leg work to stretching exercises, and the MoveActive version provides enough resistance to make a difference without feeling like you’re in a fight with a giant rubber band. It’s also tiny enough to throw into a suitcase, which means there is really no excuse for abandoning your Pilates routine the second you leave home. (Although I have 100% packed workout gear on holiday with every intention of using it, and then spent seven days eating croissants instead.)

And then we have the Crew Grip Socks in Raspberry Ruffle Pink ($22.95), because hey, if we’re going to exercise we may as well do it in style! The grip is super secure and stable, particularly for movements where you’re working barefoot or on a slippery surface, while the ruffle detail adds a little *whimsy* to the whole situation. They are very much giving Pilates girlie, in the best possible way.

But the piece I think I’ve probably enjoyed most is the Studio Yoga Mat in Espresso ($120.00). It’s made from vegan leather and has that slightly elevated, boutique-studio look that makes rolling it out at home feel more like setting up a proper workout area than moving a piece of foam around your living room. The mat has good cushioning and grip without feeling too soft, and the curved shape and espresso finish are so elegant and elevated. The colour is also perfect for concealing any dirty marks or brow sweat fallen during downward-facing dog. 

And while I’m fully aware that owning a beautiful Pilates mat will not make me fitter, I do think there’s something to be said for creating a space you truly enjoy using. If your workout equipment looks good, feels good and is sitting there ready to go, the barrier between “I should probably do some Pilates” and actually getting on the mat is much much smaller.