Private vs Group Pilates Classes
Meghan Burns cueing a group Reformer Jumpboard session at Luma Pilates, Edinburgh's New Town
Short answer
For most people, group classes are the right starting point. The progression path at Luma is designed to develop your practice systematically, and class sizes are small enough for your instructor to cue you individually throughout. Private sessions add the most value as a complement to group classes, not a replacement for them.
What a group class gives you
Group classes at Luma run with small numbers by design. That means your instructor can see you, cue you individually, and adjust what you are doing throughout the session. It is not the anonymous experience that the word "group" might suggest.
Group classes also offer something that private sessions cannot replicate: the energy of practising alongside other people. There is a particular kind of motivation that comes from being in a room where everyone is working with focus and intention. Most clients find it sustaining in a way that solo sessions do not always provide.
Group classes are also significantly better value. A single Reformer class is £30, with class packs and subscriptions bringing that down to £19 per class on a 12-month subscription. View full pricing.
At Luma, our group Reformer classes run from Reformer Fundamentals through to Reformer Pilates 3, with a clear progression path between them. Barre, Mat Pilates, and Yoga classes are also available as group sessions.
What a private session gives you
A private session gives you one thing that a group class cannot: your instructor's complete and undivided attention for the entire session.
In a 1:1, the session is built around your body specifically. Your instructor can spend time on the movement patterns that are particular to you, address the imbalances or limitations that a group class has to work around, and progress you at a pace that is determined entirely by what you need rather than what works for the group.
Private sessions are particularly valuable in a few specific situations.
If you are completely new to the Reformer and want to learn the fundamentals before joining a group class, a 1:1 gives you a head start that makes everything that follows more productive.
If you are working with an injury, a chronic physical condition, or a history of movement problems, a private session allows your instructor to work with those specifics in a way that is not possible in a group setting.
If you are an experienced practitioner who has identified a particular weakness or technical gap in your practice, a private session is the most efficient way to address it.
Anna Marchington has spent over 20 years working with clients in both private and group settings. What she observes is a clear distinction in what each format produces. In a group class the instructor is teaching the work: the exercises, the principles, the progression. In a private session the instructor is teaching the person. Both are valuable, but they produce different things, and the clients who combine both tend to develop fastest.
Lucia Poulter teaching a private Reformer session at Luma Pilates, Edinburgh
Pricing comparison
Group classes: from £19 per class on a 12-month subscription, or £30 as a drop-in.
Private 1:1 sessions: £90.
Private 1:2 sessions: (two clients with one instructor): £135 total, which works out at £67.50 each. This is a good option for two people who want more individual attention than a group class provides but want to share the cost of a private session.
Which should you choose?
For most people, group classes are the right starting point. The progression path at Luma is designed to develop your practice systematically, and the group environment provides both the instruction and the motivation to keep coming back.
Private sessions work best as a complement to group classes rather than a replacement for them. One private session alongside two or three group classes per week is a combination that many of our most committed clients settle into. The private session addresses the specifics; the group classes build the consistency.
If budget is the primary consideration, group classes offer exceptional value for the level of instruction you receive. If individual attention is the priority, particularly at the start of your practice or during a period of physical challenge, a private session is worth every penny.
My recommendation hasn’t changed in 26 years of teaching. Start in a group and add private sessions once the foundations are in place.
Lucia Poulter teaching a group Reformer session at Luma Pilates, Edinburgh
Getting started
New to Luma? Our introductory offer of 3 Reformer or Tower classes for £48 is the best place to begin. It gives you enough sessions to understand how the group class works and whether you would like to add private sessions to your practice.
View our class schedule, browse all classes, or get in touch to ask about booking a private session.
Written by Lucia Poulter
Lucia is lead instructor and co-founder at Luma Pilates. She teaches both group and private sessions at the studio and has a strong view on when each one is the right choice. If you would like to talk through which option suits where you are right now, get in touch, she‘s happy to help.
