I've Taught Pilates for Over a Decade: If You’re Not Seeing Results, You May Be Skipping This Simple Step

Hands up if you've fallen in love with Pilates in the last few years, whether that be on your mat at home or in a studio? It's been the workout of the moment for a hot minute now, encouraging millions of women worldwide to embrace low-impact, muscle-boosting movement.

The stats do the talking, really: ClassPass Pilates bookings rose 66% from 2024 to 2025, cementing its spot as the platform's most-booked workout globally for the third consecutive year. In 2025, it surpassed 27 million global searches on the app, leading to industry reports (including this UK-specific 2026 industry report from APPI) describing the sweat session as moving into a “post-trend era."

Long story short: Pilates is here to stay and showing no signs of slowing down.

But if you've been practising for a while now and not noticing the many (read: core strength, improved posture, better flexibility and more) benefits it promises, that's where I come in. I'm Ashlea McKee, a classical Pilates instructor, MC UK Master and founder of Élan Wellbeing and the Pilates with Ashlea app. I've been teaching Pilates lessons for over ten years now, with a current residency at London's The Newman Hotel.

Keep scrolling for the one Pilates essential that you may be overlooking in your practice (spoiler alert: it's really simple). And if you're keen to learn more about your practice while you're here, be sure to read our guides to the best Pilates exercises for beginners, best Pilates core moves, best core sculpting Pilates moves and the best Pilates bar exercises here.

Not Seeing Results From Pilates? Try This Simple Tweak

One of the most commonly overlooked elements in Pilates is the mind-body connection. If you feel like you’re not seeing results or experiencing all those amazing benefits of Pilates we hear so much about, this could be the missing piece.

When we talk about the mind-body connection, we’re talking about bringing mindfulness into every movement. This helps us connect to our breath, improve our form, and engage the correct muscles.

In Pilates, we often work from what we call the 'powerhouse' - the deep abdominal muscles and the muscles surrounding the trunk and pelvis. We initiate many of our movements from this strong centre to support and protect the spine, build stability, and help the rest of the body move more freely.

How important is proper form?

Proper form is so important in Pilates. It’s what helps to transform the body by using technique and alignment to get as much as possible out of every exercise. Simply moving the body is still great, but moving with intention is where the real magic happens. Understanding the purpose behind each movement helps us find proper form, engage the correct muscles, and unlock all those amazing benefits Pilates has to offer.

Good form can vary because there’s no such thing as perfect form or one exact way that every exercise should look. All of our bodies are unique and different in terms of their structure and the way they move.

When we talk about good form, we’re talking about moving correctly for your body, working in alignment, and recruiting the right muscles. This helps us avoid placing unnecessary pressure on the wrong areas or reinforcing unhelpful movement habits that could over time contribute to imbalances, discomfort, or even injury.

Often, you won’t know what needs adjusting unless you have someone there to guide and correct you, whether that’s in a group class or a 1:1 session. Make sure your instructor isn’t just telling you what to do, but also teaching you how to do it. That’s when you know you’re in a good Pilates class.

How does the mind-body connection affect the effectiveness of your workout?

Pilates is mindful movement, so it’s really important to tune into that connection. It isn’t always easy at first, especially if it’s something you’re not used to. Personally, my favourite thing about Pilates is how it takes you out of a busy mind and brings you into the present moment. You can focus on what you’re doing, how you’re doing it, and how your body feels. Through breathing and intentional movement, Pilates can leave you feeling amazing and energised from the inside out. Rather than moving aimlessly or feeling disconnected, you become completely connected and present in the room. This helps you progress, build strength, develop greater body awareness and, in turn, live a healthier and more balanced life.

There’s no quick fix for anything, but with consistency and drive, Pilates can definitely help you feel a difference. Moving with greater mindfulness and intention can transform not only how you move and progress in class, but how you feel in everyday life. You may begin to stand taller, feel stronger and more energised, experience a greater sense of calm, and find more mental clarity. These are just some of the amazing benefits that a consistent Pilates practice can help you build over time, and what I've noticed the difference in.

What should people be focusing on mentally during Pilates?

Pilates is an individual practice, and I think it’s important to start with the foundations and build from there. A big part of that (and one of the main principles of Pilates) is breath. One of the best ways to bring yourself into the space is to connect with your breath and then begin connecting your breath to your movement. This is a great way to kick-start that mind-body connection. As you become more in tune, listen closely to your instructor’s cues and ask yourself the following questions:

• Are you thinking about both how and why you’re moving?
• Are you observing which muscles or areas of the body are working?
• Are you lengthening, creating a two-way stretch, making a connection, or forming a particular shape?
• Are you thinking about the shape of the movement, the resistance within the body, and the control behind it?

I really recommend returning to the 6 commonly recognised principles of Pilates - breath, flow, precision, concentration, centring, and control. Try to bring these elements into every class, even if your teacher isn’t specifically cueing them. Coming back to these principles helps you maintain an intentional and authentic practice, so there is always purpose behind both the how and the why of every movement.

Any common exercises where people tend not to engage the right muscles?

It’s very common to use momentum rather than engaging the right muscles and moving with control. A great example of this is the Roll Up, a classical mat exercise that you might recognise from the classical Pilates repertoire. You begin lying on your back, then curl and peel yourself off the mat to come into a C shape, reaching over your toes before controlling the movement back down. As instructors, we often see the arms swing forward to lift the upper body. When that happens, the heels may also begin to lift, and we can lose that full-body connection. Although you’re getting yourself up, you’re not necessarily moving mindfully or using control.

Instead, try breaking the movement down. Breathe in to prepare, then breathe out as you slowly begin to lift. Think about the body moving in sections, using your breath to control every part of the movement. Visualisation and imagery can really help with this mind-body connection. As you roll back down, imagine melting your spine into the mat, one vertebra at a time, rather than flattening your body straight down. As you come up, rather than simply stretching forward and flattening the shape, think about lifting out of the hips to create a big C curve. Visualising that C can help you connect more deeply to your body while developing greater control and body awareness.

Could poor alignment explain why someone isn’t seeing physical changes?

Alignment and technique could definitely explain why an exercise feels harder than it should. You might be engaging the wrong muscles, compensating on one side, or relying on one side more than the other, which can leave you feeling unbalanced. If we’re not using our centre, everything can feel a little heavier and harder.

If we’re not connecting to our breath, it may be more difficult to sustain the movement, and without that mind-to-muscle connection, we can end up moving a little aimlessly, without much intention behind what we’re doing. But just because an exercise feels easy doesn’t mean you’re not progressing.

A foundational exercise can feel just as challenging as an advanced one when you perform it with real focus and intention. This also comes down to finding an instructor who knows how to challenge you. Even with something as simple as a shoulder bridge - lifting the hips and then rolling back down- there should be detailed cues that help you connect to every part of the movement, top to toe and feel yourself building strength, stability, and control.

What is one simple adjustment people can make?

One simple thing you can take into your next class and something you may not have heard before. It's the idea of oppositional stretch, or what we sometimes call a 'two-way' stretch. This helps connect the whole body and strengthen the mind-body connection, supporting better form and technique. For example, think about bird dog, where you’re in four-point kneeling and reaching one arm and the opposite leg away from your centre. You can also apply it to an abdominal exercise while lying on your back, reaching your arms and legs in opposite directions. Imagine your legs being pulled one way as your arms reach in the other, while staying strongly connected through your centre. Rather than forcing a greater range of motion, think about creating more active length through the body.

Often, we think we’ve reached as far as we can, but by connecting more deeply, using the breath, and engaging the deep core, we may find a little more length and strength within the movement. So, in your next class, think about where you can create that two-way stretch and find two opposing points of connection.

If someone feels like they’ve “plateaued” with Pilates, what would you recommend?

My biggest advice is don’t give up. Try a different class, a different instructor, or even a different style of Pilates. Pilates is a whole system, but the formats we see most commonly today are mat and reformer, as well as tower and other studio apparatus. If you’ve gone straight into reformer, I really recommend exploring the mat and learning the foundations.

You can do this at home through the Pilates with Ashlea app, where you’ll find more than 200 classes, including beginner guides, exercise tutorials, and full-length sessions. For me, mat work is where it’s at, while reformer can be a brilliant complement and may feel more dynamic depending on the teaching style. It’s also worth exploring different studios. You’ll find fitness-based, contemporary, and classical Pilates, and every space will have its own atmosphere, teaching approach, and style of cueing. Just because you’ve tried a few classes and haven’t loved them, it doesn’t mean Pilates isn’t for you. You may simply not have found the right fit yet.

If you’ve only practised on the mat, you might enjoy introducing apparatus or props such as the Magic Circle or Pilates ball. You could also explore reformer, tower, or a fully equipped Pilates studio. There are so many ways to experience and progress within the method. When you find a teacher, studio, and community that you really connect with, stick with them. Movement should feel amazing and be something you genuinely look forward to. Of course, we all feel tired sometimes, but your practice should ultimately leave you feeling fuelled with positivity.

If it’s within your budget, I’d also recommend booking a 1:1 session. Personalised guidance can help you understand what your body needs and give you specific tools to take into your group classes. That could be a single introductory session or a package that allows you to explore your practice more deeply.

And if you’re in London, you can join us for group mat classes at The Newman in Fitzrovia that are challenging, educational and just as fun.

Shop MC UK Pilates essentials here: