Pilates principles

What is Pilates?

The Seven Principles of Pilates

A practical lens for how we teach: focus, alignment, and intentional movement—so every session is effective and sustainable.

Core concepts

The principles we coach

Use these as cues in your sessions: how you breathe, where you initiate movement, and how smoothly you transition—all matter.

Principle 01

Breath

All exercises are performed with rhythm and dynamism, connecting heartbeat and respiration through perfectly timed breathing.

Principle 02

Centering

All movements are controlled through the centre, or "powerhouse." Exercises are done with proper alignment to maintain balance in the body.

Principle 03

Balance

Learn how to move your body with the precise balance required for the equipment you’re using to ensure a safe and effective workout.

Principle 04

Control

When performing exercises properly, you control all your body movements. Habit does not guide the execution of the exercises.

Principle 05

Coordination

Exercises on a Pilates apparatus require perfect coordination to be executed correctly.

Principle 06

Precision

Exercises are performed with clear structure and precise form. The work emphasises quality, not quantity, to achieve the full benefit of each exercise.

Principle 07

Flow

The workout is designed for one exercise to flow naturally into the next, with minimal movement between exercises to create maximum flow.

How to use these principles

In practice, you do not “do” one principle at a time—you integrate all seven. In your next session, pick one cue (for example: breath or centering) and maintain it throughout your programme.