ABOUT REFORMER AT THE FIT COLLECTIVE
From the laid back vibes in our beautiful studio, to the careful curation of all our sessions, our intention is to help you fall in love with reformer Pilates, with movement, and with taking care of yourself. This intention of creating enjoyable experiences comes first, because the exercise you love is the exercise you stick with. We seek to help you feel empowered, strong, and capable and we firmly believe these feelings are accessible to all.
Whilst we use modern exercise science and strength training principles to help develop your strength, we encourage intuitive movement, supporting you to notice your body’s responses to the exercises and adapt your effort levels accordingly. Focusing on moving slowly with concentration and control, we gently encourage you to push when you can to help improve different aspects of fitness.
You will feel us very much present with you in class, often at your side, whether to offer an alternative option, suggest a minor adaptation to your posture, or to check in to see how you are experiencing the movement. We hold your hand and gradually let go as we feel you growing in confidence, staying to nudge and support you when needed so you constantly develop your practice.
The Reformer Studio
Evoking calm and peace like a warm day in your favourite space, the studio becomes your happy place. Its earthy, soft industrial meets Bali vibes encourage you to breathe a little slower and deeper. With the very best reformers (Balanced Body Allegro 2s) and towers too, you have all your additional pieces of kit on your peg board behind you.
Our bespoke essential oil mixes, diffusing during classes, the dimmable lighting and the soft soothing music all combine to give you that sense that all is well.
Our Approach
Pilates can feel very different depending on the studio you visit and the teacher’s approach. The best way to get to know our brand of reformer and tower Pilates is to come and give it a try of course but let us give you a bit of a flavour here. Our aim is always that you go away feeling amazing, settled, accomplished and at peace. Every aspect of your experience is considered to achieve this balance from the beautiful studio that becomes your sanctuary to the carefully curated classes and the careful attention to each individual.
We combine modern exercise science with Pilates principles in a fusion of both contemporary and classical styles. Respecting the beauty of Pilates, we use strength training principles to help build stronger bodies. With careful guidance to develop your form you will find we support you to move intuitively whilst offering gentle nudges to get the most of your workouts. Expect a mix of challenge and chill in all our classes, so you leave feeling energised, spent, but relaxed.
We get to know you, and as we do, we learn what’s important to you. You should always feel you can come along no matter how you are feeling that day and get exactly what you need from your workout. Our aim is always that you go away feeling amazing, settled, accomplished and at peace. Every aspect of your experience is considered to achieve this balance from the beautiful studio that becomes your sanctuary to the carefully curated classes and the careful attention to each individual.
We don’t have a night club vibe (although we have some great sounds to compliment your workout) and we don’t feel like a clinical studio (but are trained Pilates therapists and will notice your movement and help you improve it). We are also not a HIIT studio (although some of our classes can elevate your heart rate a fair bit) and our classes don’t insist you wait around a lot for instructions before you start each move. So, what are we? We offer Dynamic reformer Pilates, informed by science for the best possible results, adaptive to your needs with a strong focus on form and the development of your holistic fitness and well-being.
The Teachers
Run by a mother and daughter team, we work together very closely to ensure consistency of care to help you get the most from your practice.
“I love training with Deborah. I have 100% trust in all that she does. Her skills and experience shine through, something I have not found in other trainers, with them only making my injuries worse and repelling me from exercise.”
With a career spanning 34 years in the fitness, Pilates and education sector Deborah is a highly regarded fitness and Pilates teacher, teacher educator, consultant, inspector and author.
After taking her first exercise to music course at age 18, Deborah begun her own fitness business teaching public step, aerobics and body conditioning classes. After also working as a personal trainer, she became a college fitness lecturer, presenter, author and moderator of national fitness qualifications and then a university lecturer and writer. Her drive, passion and enthusiasm led to her securing a position as an Inspector for the Adult Learning Inspectorate and later Ofsted, inspecting fitness education courses. This work steered Deborah towards consultancy and training with senior management teams in colleges, universities and training providers around the country helping them to improve the quality of their education provision.
This teaching and assessing fitness and Pilates teachers and visiting thousands of classes around the country provides Deborah with unique insight into what makes great learning and the way in which we experience movement and Pilates.
With over 20 years teaching Pilates specifically and 7 years (over 10,000 hours) teaching reformer Pilates, Deborah is level 3 and level 4 mat Pilates qualified with level 4 qualifications in both mat and reformer Pilates therapy. Deborah is also qualified to teach tower, pre and post-natal exercise and Pilates, children and teenagers, and has a wide range of other specialist fitness qualifications. She is a qualified personal trainer and holds a post 16 certificate of education and Masters degree in Health which focused on body image and health behaviours.
What Deborah says:
There’s a lot of noise about what is and isn’t Pilates and how to do it right, but I like to take a person-centred approach and help individuals find their way of practicing Pilates developing intuitive movement whilst building self-efficacy. Seeing people become more confident in their movement, building growth mindsets through the mastering of skills in truly wonderful.
I’m a forever student of teaching and learning: I teach the Pilates, and my participants teach me how they learn. Staying curious is essential and I am always reflecting and analysing everything we do.
Coming back to teaching my own classes and building a base here in Chester for the last 7 years has been lovely in many ways. But now, in our own bespoke beautiful studio working alongside my daughter every day is such a joy and I am so thankful for all our wonderful clients that put their trust in us.
After a childhood of sitting in the back of the studio watching her mum (Deborah) teach and a long time in dance training/performing, Brogan created a love for all things movement and was perhaps destined for a career involving taking care of the body and mind. After a year of dance college, at 17, she began her fitness career
teaching dance fitness and barre, becoming a personal trainer and then moving onto mat and Reformer Pilates.
Brogan is a qualified personal trainer and holds her level 3 mat Pilates qualification, her reformer Pilates qualification, gained at Ten Pilates London and tower qualification from MK Academy London. Teaching fitness and Pilates now for 7 years, she continues her education and is currently studying her pre and post-natal qualification.
Having grown up with fitness and Pilates educators, Brogan has been able to develop a deep understanding of the body and how it responds to exercise and is particularly adept at adapting exercise to suit the individual. She brings her love of dance, her choreography skills and teaching insights together to provide highly enjoyable experiences that ensure results.
What Brogan says:
With my passion for dance and choreography, I love to pair my music with the feel of each exercise to give the class a full atmosphere. This helps takes everyone into a special place to really switch off from the outside world and focus on here and now within the room
I believe and understand that everyone is here for different reasons and so it’s important to allow a bit of flexibility throughout the sessions to allow each person to work on their needs/wants. This means that nobody will/should look the exact same during each movement as we are all different and have different requirements. I encourage each person to focus on themselves and adapt movements to suit not only their needs but for the exercises to feel right for their bodies.
With our gorgeous new studio, my mum and I have created a safe and welcoming environment for our clients to relax and open up to us to help each person get exactly what they want from their experience here with us.
