Small Equipment, Big Impact: 5 Benefits for Your Pilates Classes
Adding small equipment into your Pilates classes can transform the experience – for both you and your students. From flex bands and hand weights to foam rollers, magic circles, and soft, small overballs, this versatile kit offers a wealth of benefits and variety.
Generally students enjoy the variety that equipment brings – it’s exciting to try something new and adds an extra challenge to their practice. For you as a teacher, it’s a great way to keep classes fresh and engaging, while still staying true to the core Pilates principles.
What Are the Benefits of Small Equipment in Pilates?
1. Increased Resistance and Challenge
Adding in small equipment gives you an opportunity to add resistance to exercises, which in turn:
- Increases the challenge
- Enhances strength training
- Improves balance and stability
- Supports better joint function
- Helps reduce the risk of injury and osteoporosis
2. Targeted Muscle Activation
Using small equipment can help target and engage specific muscles or muscle groups, allowing your clients to work with greater precision. It’s particularly useful when focused support or attention is needed in certain areas, especially if there’s a muscle imbalance or weakness.
3. Improved Body Awareness
Small equipment gives valuable feedback to the user, helping them tune into their own alignment and control. This helps improve exercise technique and overall practice, builds proprioception, and leads to better movement quality over time.
4. Supported and Accessible Movement
For students who would benefit from support, equipment such as flex bands or magic circles can assist with alignment and make movements more accessible. This creates a more inclusive class environment where everyone can participate safely and confidently.
5. Enhanced Flexibility
Equipment can be used to assist stretching, allowing students to go deeper than they might otherwise be able to without assistance. Tools like the flex band, magic circle, or even the foam roller can be especially effective, and when used appropriately, they can improve flexibility and help bring balance to the body.
Learn to Use Small Equipment with Confidence
In our CPD workshops, you’ll explore how to use small equipment both safely and effectively. A wide range of exercises will be covered – some you’ll already be familiar with and will learn how to adapt using small equipment, while others will be entirely new, made possible by replicating movements from the broader Pilates repertoire, including those typically performed on the Reformer or other large equipment.
Join Our Next Pilates CPD Small Equipment Workshops
Ready to add small equipment to your teaching toolkit? Join us at our upcoming CPD workshops to gain practical skills and renewed inspiration.
If you’re ready to bring more creativity and variety into your teaching, I’d love to see you at one (or more!) of our small equipment CPD workshops. Whether you’re just getting started or want to deepen your knowledge, these sessions are designed to be practical, inspiring, and full of ideas you can use straight away.
Sunday 1st June
Flex Band Workshop – 9.30am–12.30pm
Overball (Soft Ball) Workshop – 1.30–4.30pm
Sunday 22nd June
Foam Roller Workshop – 9.30am–12.30pm
Magic Circle Workshop – 1.30–4.30pm
Ready to book your spot? I’d love to practise with you.
Article by: Stacey Beattie
