Testimonials

“Quite simply, I feel so much stronger and this is from my back getting more flexible. My energy has improved and muscle tone has increased, really love Pilates.  ”

“I have had classes with Paula for almost 5 years. Entering the menopause, my doctor advised that Pilates would be an excellent thing to do. Due to my busy lifestyle it is invaluable to have one to one classes at home in the comfort of my living room, and where she can help me precisely with my technique. She really pushes me and my core stability is very strong now. I love my Pilates sessions and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Paula to anyone.”

“My back has got stronger and I am able to go back to running without any sciatic pain. Pilates is not just for women!”

“With no former experience of Pilates I didn’t know what to expect, but Paula tailored the class perfectly for beginners such as me”

“Since joining Paula’s Pilates class, I have noticed a definite improvement in my posture and my back has become significantly stronger.”

“I have been attending Pilates classes run by Paula Trowbridge in a variety of venues for the past 8 or 9 years. I joined a class when recovering from spinal abcesses which had resulted in a year of serious ill-health when my mobility was limited. I found the exercises so beneficial to regain my comfort in walking and moving again. Paula is very careful to ensure people are O.K. and are able to move safely. After two years of doing Pilates I had no pain on walking and regained more flexibility. I have continued attending as I enjoy the classes as they are always varied. Paula has a gentle way to encourage everyone but also stretch their abilities. She is very knowledgeable and keeps up to date with training. I find that if I do not attend a class for two weeks I become stiff in my movements. I have made progress in Pilates in terms of my posture, mobility and body control, but still have lots to learn (and practice!).

I would certainly recommend Paula’s classes.”

“Paula has helped me keep focused on my goal of losing weight and gain fitness. Pilates has helped me get back to fitness and now I feel motivated to walk most days and even get on my indoor bike. Would recommend Paula’s 1-2-1 classes to anyone feeling uneasy about joining a class.”

“I was introduced to Paula by way of a personal recommendation in 2009 when it became clear that my lower back problems were deteriorating further and my exercise routines were not sufficient to combat the difficulties that I faced on a daily basis.

My experience has found that attention to the body’s ‘core muscles’ is now viewed as an essential foundation to maintaining not only a properly functioning body (in mechanical terms) but also to avoiding injury as best as practically possible. Crucially, this belief is not confined to those people with specialist strenuous activities (ballet dancers, rugby players etc) but afforded to anyone wishing to achieve a posture throughout the day that reduces stress on their bodies. Poor posture leads to strains, common aches and possibly injury. Pilates helps us to minimise these strains with their associated injuries and go about our daily activity with less physical limitation. 

Paula has enabled me to build on the release from pain after my second operation by focusing on the strengthening of my core muscles coupled with an increasingly better posture which allows my body’s muscles to function correctly in the manner in which they were designed. This has been a gradual process but the patience required has started to pay dividends. She has cleverly guided me into subtly using pilates not only during the weekly sessions but, importantly, as an addition to my daily lifestyle. Her techniques can be applied to any number of routine activities such as driving, walking, sitting at a desk…I even use it while standing up brushing my teeth! The applications are almost limitless.

 In particular, it has helped me that Paula herself has previously suffered from back problems. Her understanding of my condition has enabled her to relate directly to my difficulties and apply the appropriate pilates techniques in a safe and comfortable manner.”

“I suffered a back injury when playing rugby aged 15, and I am now a few months away from 50. The intervening years have ranged from a daily dull ache to full incapacitation. I came to Paula about two years ago, and have met with her weekly on a one-to-one basis. We started gently and she identified my limitations and areas of weakness.

From there she designed a programme of exercises and stretches that would help me to overcome both the physical and psychological barriers that were preventing me from moving freely. She has an amazing eye for detail, which she always describes as being picky. I see it as her wanting to get it right.

And ‘get it right’ she certainly has. I cannot begin to describe the difference this has made to my life. I feel stronger, leaner, and fitter, and I now have a confidence in my back that years of failure had for many years seemed impossible. Thank you seems so inadequate, but thank you anyway. ”