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Review: Seven pilates studio to check out in Singapore

In the past one to two years, I started to see more and more clients mentioning that they have been attending pilates classes. As a chiropractor, this piqued my interest and I started going for some classes myself. Today, I will share with you my experiences at the pilate studios in Singapore which I have attended.

Do note that this is strictly based on my own personal experience alone. It is not a professional recommendation for or against pilates classes as treatment for any chronic pain or conditions. If you have any health conditions, current or past injuries, it is best to speak directly to the studio or your healthcare provider before attending a class.

As I am also not a licensed or certified pilates instructor, it is fair to say that I have no subject matter expertise in pilates itself. My feedback for each studio, therefore, is more of a layperson than one of a professional.

P. S., You need to wear socks for reformer classes and most will require that you wear grip socks.

Warrior Studios – Clarke Quay, Chinatown, Raffles Place

Warrior Studios offer yoga, pilates, and barre classes. On top of that, they also have pre- and post-natal classes targeted at expectant and new mothers.

For reformer, they offer four type of classes: Reformer Foundations, Reformer Signature, Reformer Burn, and Reformer Jumpboard.

I think it’s fair to describe them as a contemporary studio? They don’t just do the more bread and butter pilates classes but also offer classes with a slight HIIT or cardio component to it.

Initially I thought they would be more yoga-ish since they started (I think) as a yoga studio. I utterly wrong! I attended the Signature class, not even the Burn, and did break a good sweat. The exercises were adequately challenging. Hard enough to keep you panting but not so advanced that you cannot keep up.

warrior studios, reformer pilates, gym founder
Came across this Instagram post by Warrior Studios Melanie Foo and 100 resonated with it A few years ago we started a CrossFit gym that we subsequently closed While we didnt receive negative online reviews per se the lack of appreciation for the challenges for starting a gym among general Singaporeans is poor In the end we just called it a day cos it was not worth the effort

The instructor gave clear instructions and was able to proficiently guide everyone through the exercises. She often check on students individually and gave cues or regression as appropriate.

Overall, the class is suitable for beginners looking for a frills-free, higher intensity workout. It is probably not suitable for purist who are looking for something more technical or strict.

Join the right pilates class for the right training

For beginners looking for step-by-step guidance or have special considerations that need extra attention, the Signature class does not provide that. You may want to consider their foundation classes or private classes though I have not personally attended any of them.

I do recommend giving Warrior Studios to try if you are looking to pick up pilates as an exercise. It is definitely not a light workout so do mentally prepare yourself for that.

You can visit Warrior Studios at 37 Hongkong Street near Clarke Quay and Chinatown MRT. They occupy the first, third, and fourth level of a shophouse!

STRONG Pilates

They have great showers. haha! Of all the studios I have been to, they have the nicest showers and the only one that I actually used. So, if squeezing a workout in the middle of your workday is your thing, STRONG Pilates may just be for you.

STRONG Pilates definitely did open with a bang when they announced that they plan to open a whooping 11 studios in Singapore! Currently they have four studios at Tanjong Pagar, Orchard, Holland Village, and Robertson Quay.

I am not sure what was the maximum capacity for each class but the studio was massive! For the class I attended, it fairly quiet with only about five to six participants? Some of them are regulars and seem to know what they are already doing.

strong pilates singapore, high intensity reformer workout
I would admit STRONG does look intimidating in photos and on social media While the exercises are on the higher intensity side the instructor and staff were friendly and welcoming Once I settled in I quickly got very comfortable It is not an intimidating space to be in Photo via STRONGs website

From memory, there were screens that provide guidance on what exercises you should be doing. You get your own station that comes with a modified reformer with a Concept2 BikeErg or RowErg attached. The class is fast but well-paced and definitely strongly skewed to the HIIT side.

F45-like: high Intensity but low-impact

Overall, the experience feels almost like F45, another Australian fitness franchiser, but with less interaction between participants.

Note that the music is … not soft. Personally, I do not prefer loud music so it took a little getting used to. If you are sensitive to sound, this is something you will want to take note of.

strong pilates singapore, aesthetic toilets
I cannot resist myself but to post a picture of their locker area The showers were a solid 1010 Great for people who tend to exercise in the middle of their workday Photo via <a href=httpswwwtimeoutcomsingaporesport and fitnessstrong pilates studio target= blank rel=noopener>Time Outs<a> website

I did enjoy my time at STRONG Pilates as well. In my opinion, it is not suitable for people who are new to exercise or have little exercise background. While the exercises on their own are not necessarily complex, there is a fair bit of moving between the reformer and the bike or rower. Because it is a timed (?) workout, you need to be able to keep up or may feel disorientated.

The instructor was attentive and excellent at motivating the class. She was also at the same time respectful of physical limitation and did on occasional suggest another participant to take it slower. Because the exercises are fast-paced and you don’t really stay long on each exercise, there is some but little technique or skills work. Having said that, the exercise did go through each exercise prior to the start of each exercise block.

If you are physically active and have preferences for HIIT workouts, you should definitely check out STRONG Pilates!

STRONG Tanjong Pagar
6A Shenton Way, #02-01 OUE Downtown Gallery

STRONG Orchard
6 Handy Road #02-01

STRONG Holland Village
7 Holland Village Way, One Holland Village, #03-35/36

STRONG Robertson Quay
22 Martin Road #03-01

Push Pull Give – Kreta Ayer, Outram Park

10/10 will recommend Push Pull Give!

Whether we like it or not, we have our own biases when choosing a gym or fitness studio. Some of these preferences don’t even have a direct effect on the quality of the training or the benefits! I personally prefer small classes (though small is not always better) and small studios, so Push Pull Give fits very much into what I look for.

It’s very no frills. They are on the second floor of a shophouse and have a couple of reformers. There are toilets and showers should you need them. So, pretty much everything I need is there.

push pull give pilates, group reformer class
Definitely one of my better pilates experiences The class size is small and the coaching was excellent Pull Give also offer other exercise classes such as calisthenics and functional training Photo via Push Pull Gives website

The class size is small. Only six pax. They offer Reformer Foundations and Reformer Intermediate. I have attended both classes and could keep up even with little to no experience in reformer workouts. They are different from the earlier two studios in that there is little to no cardio component.

I did attend multiple classes at Push Pull Give cos their class times suit me. For the few classes I attended, there is fairly little difference in exercises each time. There were a couple of less experienced students at the Intermediate class I attended and the instructor did opt for easier classes instead. This is one of the reasons why I would always prefer a small gym that offer small group classes. There is a lot of flexibility.

Of all the studios I tried, Push Pull Give offered the most helpful advice and technique adjustment. I could personally feel and visually observe a difference during the session, and even more so between classes. I think having a small group size without a cardio or HIIT focus allow them to slow things down to provide a balanced workout that is suitable for me.

If the cardio or high intensity aspect is important to you, Push Pull Give will not be a good fit. Try Warrior Studios instead!

31A Kreta Ayer Road 

Do note that pilates is only offered at Kreta Ayer studio and is NOT available at Push Pull Give Tiong Bahru.

Happy Pilates Club – Ann Siang Hill, Telok Ayer

I must preface that my experience at the club does not mean it’s not a good studio or that the instructor was not good. I think sometimes instructor-student fit is important. What the studio offers is probably not what I look for as well? In other words, it’s more personal preference than anything else.

The instructor I had is very experienced and was technically very proficient. She was able to identify the areas that I am poorer at, and also took time after class to give home exercises I could do to work on these areas. In fact, this is the only studio I attended that gave me post-class feedback!

What I didn’t like about my experience was that they are quite strict technique wise. I signed up for their foundation class so it’s fair that they focused on technique. Unfortunately, I think, there was so much technique work that there wasn’t so much of a workout. haha! I don’t think I perspired at all during the session.

No one-size-fits-all exercise solution

The other thing you should know about me is that I am a lazy-exerciser. I exercise the bare minimum to stay physically healthy. I also prefer, when I attend group classes, to not have to use too much of my brain. The way I see it, group classes are there for me to clock exercise minutes. If I am struggling to find motivation to exercise for that day, group classes is the solution. All I need to do is to show up and I will get a workout in either I like it or not.

Again, I must emphasised that I don’t think Happy Pilates Club is no good. I am probably just not their audience!

If you are looking to work on pilates skills or to focus a lot on the technique nitty gritty details, Happy Pilates Club will likely be suitable for you.

10A Ann Siang Hill

Advantage Pilates – Raffles Place

The word that comes to mind was … clinical. It honestly looked more like a clinic than a workout studio. Makes sense. Given the number of people who have tried pilates for back pain, and the number of physiotherapists and chiropractors that offer them, pilates does have some clinical vibes to it.

I am not sure if they have any clinical staff (e.g., physiotherapist) on their team. But the Advantage Pilates team is huge! On their website, they have a total of 21 instructors.

The class was surprisingly more casual than expected. I thought it would be very strict and technical, but it wasn’t. It’s more of a workout than Happy Pilates Club but less than the other studios I have attended.

The group size was also small. Maybe five to six pax? So there was definitely a lot of attention given to all the students. For some reason, it felt a little impersonable. Maybe because it’s a more serious place? I am not sure.

Again, personal preferences and biases, it was not the place I was looking for so I didn’t go back. I mean, I work as a chiropractor. The last thing I want is to exercise in a clinic-vibes place. You know what I mean?

Advantage Pilates Centre

183 Upper Thomson Rd, B1-04 Longhaus
20 Malacca St, #09-00, Malacca Centre, 
1 Marine Parade Central #12-04

Flow Playground

If you are looking for a fun pilates studio, I think Flow Playground would be it. The class vibes is quite light. Overall the atmosphere is very vibrant and cheery.

The class size is one of the bigger ones that I have attended. Although STRONG could fit way more people, it was not at capacity so the class size was actually still fairly small. I think because of the bigger class size, it felt as if I was just doing my own thing.

In my personal opinion, Flow Playground feels more of a mental well-being exercise group. While the exercise selection did take effort, the overall takeaway, for me, is more of the happy vibes. I certainly did feel like my mood improved after the class.

12A/B Sago Street

SG Pilates

As a business, I am not sure what SG Pilates is about. It’s not like their class was bad as such. But they don’t seem to have a unique offering.

When I check their website today, it was outdated and didn’t include all the studios they have on it. The SG Pilates website also seems to focus more on space rental so I am not sure how their business work. Their Instagram is slightly more updated with their last posted dated 3 Jan.

Of all the studios I visited, SG Pilates had the biggest class size. The instructor was very efficient at making her rounds. She was prompt with feedback and was pleasantly assertive with technique work. I think it makes learning way easier for me.

Interestingly, the class gave very corporate vibes. It felt like there was a fixed programme to cover. It also felt a bit hurried cos I think we were running behind.

I went to the studio at Chinatown, which is at 35B Pagoda Street. Their social media listed their Orchard address at 190 Clemenceau Ave #05-03. For more information about their other studios location at Kembangan, Bugis, and Upper Thomson, please reach out to them directly.

Which is the best pilates studio in Singapore?

Honestly, it depends on what you are looking for! I have provided as much of my thoughts as possible so you can use that to decide which studio may suit you. Overall, the best pilates studio for me is Push Pull Give @ Kreta Ayer and Warrior Studios.

For Push Pull Give, I like that the classes are pilates-focused and in small groups. There is time and space for you to explore movements and improve on your technique. As for Warrior Studios, it was a very well-paced workout that had both reformer and cardio components. I would have gone back again but their class times unfortunately does not suit me.

We are very blessed in Singapore with the number of fitness offerings we get. We have a plethora of gyms and fitness studios available to meet our exercise needs and preferences. Even for reformer pilates alone, we are spoilt for choices!

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    author avatar
    Jesse Cai
    Chiropractor

    Jesse, a chiropractor with a unique approach, believes in empowering his clients to lead functional and fulfilling lives. Jesse worked with high-level Australian athletes, including roles such as Head Sport Trainer for Forrestfield Football Club, board member of Sports Chiropractic Australia, and member of Sports Medicine Australia.

    author avatar
    Jesse Cai Chiropractor
    Jesse, a chiropractor with a unique approach, believes in empowering his clients to lead functional and fulfilling lives. Jesse worked with high-level Australian athletes, including roles such as Head Sport Trainer for Forrestfield Football Club, board member of Sports Chiropractic Australia, and member of Sports Medicine Australia.
    author avatar
    Jesse Cai Chiropractor
    Jesse, a chiropractor with a unique approach, believes in empowering his clients to lead functional and fulfilling lives. Jesse worked with high-level Australian athletes, including roles such as Head Sport Trainer for Forrestfield Football Club, board member of Sports Chiropractic Australia, and member of Sports Medicine Australia.