Pilates FAQs | Private Sessions & What to Expect

Joseph Pilates stated in his book, “Return to Life through Contrology”, that his Pilates method should be done 4 times per week. Ideally, scheduling a Pilates class or private session 2 to 3 times per week allows you to see the benefits and achieve your goals in a timely fashion. Moving your body every day is a good thing, so doing Pilates every day is acceptable. If you are cross-training and participating in another sport or fitness activity, adding a Pilates workout once a week is also beneficial.

We believe that anyone can benefit from Pilates, including someone new to exercise or someone who has been away from their favorite sport or exercise routine for a period of time. We offer an initial private consultation where we discuss your goals, assess your health and fitness level, and create a program to build your strength at your pace. Your workouts are a collaboration between you and your teacher where your comfort and pace are fine-tuned in each workout.

Whether you play a specific sport like golf, soccer, or tennis or enjoy running, cycling, or swimming, we consider you an athlete. Cross-training and resistance training are essential for any sport or fitness activity.  Pilates is total body strength training using spring resistance and body weight to complement your sport. Pilates also helps to elongate your muscles and focuses on increasing mobility and flexibility.

Pilates focuses on your core postural muscles to keep your body balanced and support your spine. The benefits of a consistent Pilates program include increased coordination, strength, and mobility, proper posture, mental and spiritual rejuvenation, and overall enhanced quality of life. Creator Joseph Pilates said, “Physical fitness is the first requisite of happiness. (It allows us to) easily and satisfactorily perform our many and varied tasks daily.”

Pure Pilates is a fully-equipped studio offering a workout on all the “apparatus” which include the Reformer, Cadillac, Chair, Ladder Barrel, and Spine Corrector. We also use small props such as the foam roller, magic circle, bands, and balls to enhance your workout. Our teachers are also trained in the Pilates Suspension Method (TRX) and the Balanced Body Orbit™ to add some non-Pilates exercises to a session.

Pilates is a unique system of strengthening and stretching exercises that strengthen the core postural muscles, which help keep the body balanced and provide support for the spine. Strengthening these deep torso muscles can alleviate and prevent back pain. Pilates exercises include total body strengthening of all the muscles.

Pilates is a physical fitness program that incorporates strengthening and stretching exercises that requires control of the mind, strengthen the body’s core, and provide self-confidence and a sense of well-being. The 8 movement principles are: Whole Body Movement, Breathing, Balanced Muscle Development, Concentration, Control, Centering, Precision, and Rhythm.

A private one-on-one session at Pure Pilates is $120 when purchased in a 4-pack ($480) or 8-pack ($960) membership. Your first visit is a 55-minute Private Discovery Session for $75 — a one-on-one consultation and workout where we learn your body, goals, and schedule.

Our private memberships run $480 per 4-pack (one session a week) or $960 per 8-pack (two sessions a week), each valid for 6 weeks. Monthly auto-renew members save an additional 4% with a 3-cycle commitment. Partner sessions split the session cost between two people.

In a private session you have a comprehensively certified instructor watching only your body for the full 55 minutes — adjusting spring settings, correcting form, and building the session around your needs that day. Group reformer classes cost less because one teacher divides attention among many bodies on a set routine. If you have an injury, a condition like osteoporosis or scoliosis, or specific goals, that individual attention is what makes the work safe and effective.

Pilates strengthens and tones the deep core muscles, which improves posture and can make your midsection look and feel firmer. But no exercise burns fat from one spot — visible fat loss comes from an overall calorie deficit through diet and activity. Pilates supports that by building muscle, improving movement quality, and making other activity easier and more enjoyable.

Honest answer: quality instruction costs more than a gym class, results build gradually rather than overnight, and Pilates alone is not high-calorie-burn cardio — most clients pair it with walking, running, or cycling. Equipment work also has a learning curve, which is exactly why we start everyone with a private Discovery Session instead of dropping you into a group.

For the right goals, yes. The reformer's springs add resistance and support that mat work alone can't provide, which is why it works so well for building strength after injury, during recovery, and at any age. Clients who commit to 1–2 sessions a week typically feel a difference in strength and daily movement within the first month — and our $75 Discovery Session lets you feel the equipment before committing to a membership.

They're hard in different ways. Pilates emphasizes precise, controlled strength work — especially the deep core — often on spring-resisted equipment. Yoga emphasizes flexibility, held poses, and breath. Neither is universally harder; our instructor Vienna Maglio teaches from over 20 years of yoga practice alongside her 600-hour classical Pilates certification, and can help you understand how the two complement each other.

Your first session is a private consultation offered at a discounted price. After the one-on-one session, you and your teacher can discuss what services are best for you and get you scheduled for your next sessions.

Our teachers have completed accredited Pilates certification programs that included 500 to 700 hours of classroom time, observation, and student teaching. These hours take 8 to 12 months to complete with a final written and practical exam. All teachers have passed the national certification exam (NPCT) and regularly attend continuing education classes to expand our knowledge and offer fresh perspectives in our sessions. Please see our Meet Our Staff page for more details.

If you need to cancel a private session, contact your teacher directly. You must cancel at least 24 hours in advance of your session, or you will be charged. If you are more than 15 minutes late and do not contact your teacher, you will be considered a late cancel and be charged for the session. Prepaid sessions are transferable but not refundable. We offer other options for partner and ensemble session cancellations. Please see our Policy page for full details.

Our On-Demand library offers over 100 workouts for you to choose from. The workouts are as short as 15 minutes and range up to full-length 60-minute classes. You may choose your workout based on duration, Pure Pilates teacher, or the type of class, which includes a mat, props, apparatus, and other workouts like meditation and stretch.

Pure Pilates is a barefoot studio. You can work out in bare feet or socks. We recommend a grippy sock for your workouts. Wear clothes that you are comfortable moving in and a second top layer that can be added or removed for your comfort.

We accept all major credit cards. All appointments, classes, and workshops must be paid for in advance.

We have a variety of options, including private sessions with just you and your teacher, partner sessions with a friend or another studio member in a semi-private setting, pop-up mat classes, and virtual ensemble sessions. See our Services page for all options and pricing.

We are located on 45 River Road in Summit, NJ, near Equinox Summit. Our location is perfect for residents of Summit, Short Hills, Millburn, Berkeley Heights, New Providence, and Chatham. The entrance to Pure Pilates NJ is located behind the building with plenty of on-site parking.