 Yes! Pilates can absolutely help reduce persistent back pain when it's taught by experienced instructors who tailor it to how you move. What you need to know:
Continue reading to find out more... When pain won't go awayBack pain affects millions of people every year and, for many, it becomes something they simply learn to live with. The good news is that there’s now a growing body of research showing that Pilates can be an effective way to help reduce persistent low back pain, improve movement and build confidence in your body again. But here’s something that’s equally important. Not all Pilates is taught in the same way. At Soul Pilates, helping people move out of pain has been at the heart of what we do since we opened our very first studio in 2015. WHY SOUL PILATES IS DIFFERENTWhen we opened our first studio, we weren’t based on the high street. We were based inside a busy osteopathic practice. That meant we spent years working closely alongside osteopaths, seeing clients transition from treatment into movement. We learnt first hand that while hands on therapy can be incredibly valuable, long term change happens when people learn to move differently. Over the last decade we’ve worked with thousands of people experiencing back pain, neck pain, hip pain and other musculoskeletal problems. That experience has shaped the way we teach today. Rather than simply taking people through exercises, our focus is on helping your body move more intelligently. WHY DOES BACK PAIN HAPPEN?There are many different causes of back pain, which is why it’s always important to seek appropriate medical advice if your pain is severe, unexplained or accompanied by other concerning symptoms. However, one thing we see time and time again is that people aren’t necessarily weak. They’re simply inefficient. Our bodies are incredibly good at finding the easiest way to complete a movement. Over time we begin to rely on the same muscles, the same joints and the same parts of our spine over and over again. Those areas gradually become overloaded. Meanwhile, other parts of the body contribute less and less. It’s a little like asking two members of a team to do all the work while everyone else stands back. Eventually those two people burn out. The body works in much the same way. A SPINE THAT SHARES THE WORKOne of the biggest things we look at is how your spine moves. Your spine is designed to distribute movement across many different joints. Yet when someone has back pain, we often find that they’re only moving through a handful of segments while the rest of the spine has become stiff or underused. Those few mobile segments end up working far harder than they were ever designed to. The result? More compression. More strain. More irritation. At Soul Pilates, we gently encourage movement throughout the whole spine, helping each segment contribute a little more effectively. When movement is shared more evenly, the overloaded areas no longer have to do all the work. The body becomes more efficient and many people begin to notice that everyday movements feel easier and more comfortable. pilates isn't about working harderOne of the biggest misconceptions about Pilates is that it’s simply about strengthening your core. Strength matters. But strength without efficiency often just reinforces poor movement patterns. Our philosophy has always been different. We believe the body becomes stronger when movement is intelligent, precise and efficient. Instead of asking your body to work harder, we teach it to work better. That means improving coordination, control, balance and awareness so that your muscles work together as a team rather than competing against each other. When the body moves well, unnecessary tension reduces and everyday activities often become much easier. WHAT RESEARCH SAYSResearch over the last two decades suggests Pilates can be an effective option for many people with persistent low back pain. Studies have shown that Pilates programmes can help improve pain levels, physical function and disability compared with doing very little or receiving minimal intervention. Clinical guidelines for managing persistent low back pain also increasingly recommend exercise and movement as part of long term care, with Pilates being one evidence based option. Of course, Pilates isn’t a magic fix. The best results come from an individualised programme that’s appropriate for your symptoms, taught by experienced instructors who understand movement and can adapt exercises to your needs. how to get startedIf you’re experiencing back pain, we recommend starting with a few private sessions.
That’s because no two people experience back pain for the same reason. A private session allows us to understand how your body moves, identify where you’re compensating and create a programme that’s completely tailored to you. In a 1:1 session, you'll have access to the full Pilates studio, not just the Reformer. Using equipment such as the Cadillac, Wunda Chair, Ladder Barrel and Spine Corrector allows us to support or challenge the body in different ways, making movements more accessible than they would be on a mat alone. Then, as their knowledge and confidence grows, many of our clients choose to progress into our small group classes. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to reach out to us at [email protected]. See you in the Studio! Nic Lenny Founder of Soul Pilates Studio & Soul Pilates Education Host of Beyond the Reformer Podcast  If you've landed here searching for the best Reformer Pilates studio in Bristol, here's some good news: Soul Pilates was recently named South West Studio of the Year 2026 at the Reformer Pilates Studio Awards!
What you need to know in a nutshell:
I'm Nic Lenny - the founder of Soul Pilates - and my team and I are so proud of this award because of the story behind how Soul got here. Bristol's Reformer Pilates boom, and why experience still matters. We were the first Reformer studio to open in Bristol for several years, before the Pilates scene exploded recently. To give you an idea, even just a year ago, there were 7 Reformer studios in the city. Today there are more than 27. So that's a lot of new choice for clients, and it's genuinely great to see so much interest in Pilates in Bristol. But it also means picking the right Reformer Pilates studio has never been harder. The Reformers look the same everywhere and class descriptions can read almost identically. What doesn't show up on a website though is time served. Soul has been in Bristol since 2015 and that decade isn't just a nice bit of history. It's a decade of refining how we teach, a decade of learning what helps people recover from injury or build strength safely, and a decade of building the kind of trust that only comes from showing up, week after week, for ten years straight. That's the expertise you get when you walk into Soul. What makes this award special was that it wasn't decided by a panel or judges. It came down to votes from the hundreds of clients across our three Bristol studios. Every vote came from someone sharing a real experience of our studios that has made a difference in their life. How Soul started Soul didn't begin as a business plan, it began with a car accident. After a serious accident left me with chronic neck pain, I spent years searching for something that actually helped. Eventually, Pilates was the thing that changed how I felt in my body, and it gave me back a sense of strength and confidence I'd lost. It also introduced me to people who'd dedicated their careers to helping others feel better through movement. That experience is what convinced me Pilates could do the same for a lot more people, if it was taught the right way. So I left a marketing career and retrained as a Pilates teacher and my goal was simply to build a place where people could get the same benefits I had, inside a community as supportive as the one that helped me. Soul opened in Queen Square in 2015 with one studio and a simple mission: help people feel stronger, healthier, and more connected to themselves. Ten years on, that's still the mission. We now have three studios in BS1, BS4 and BS7 and have welcomed hundreds of people through our doors over the past decade. Some come back from injury. Some come to build strength. Some just want an hour a week that's theirs. Soul has grown past the studio walls too. Alongside Reformer, Mat and Equipment Pilates classes, we now run Teacher Training programmes through Soul Education, Pilates Retreats, and an on-demand mat Pilates platform called Soul at Home. In 2025, I also launched the Beyond the Reformer podcast, featuring conversations with leading voices in the Pilates industry such as Brent Anderson, Tracey Mallett, Kristi Cooper, Rael Isacowitz or Michael King. The podcast is known for its honest, in-depth discussions on movement, health and longevity, and has ranked in the Top 10 on Apple Podcasts in 11 countries! However far Soul reaches though, Bristol is still home. Everything we've built has been shaped by the people who walked through our doors and trusted us with their movement journey. So thank you to everyone who voted for us. This award truly is a celebration of everyone who's been part of Soul over the last eleven years: everyone who's attended a class, recommended a friend, trained with us online, listened to the podcast, or simply made Soul part of their week. And if you're new to Reformer and curious to try it in Bristol, we'd love to welcome you .Here's how to get started. See you in the studio! Nic x If you’ve been thinking about trying Reformer Pilates in Bristol, you’re not alone. Reformer classes are becoming one of the most popular ways to build strength, improve posture, and increase flexibility - all while keeping workouts fun and low-impact. Whether you’re brand new to Pilates or just curious about the Reformer machine, this guide will help you take the first confident step into your first class.  What Is Reformer? Reformer Pilates uses a specialised piece of equipment called a Reformer, which features a moving carriage, springs, and straps to create resistance. Unlike traditional Mat Pilates, Reformer workouts add more variety, support, and challenge - helping you target muscles more effectively and improve overall body alignment. At our Soul Studios in Bishopston and Paintworks, we use Reformers from Balanced Body. Our founder, Nic Lenny, has been using them at home and in her studios for over a decade so she knows they are built to last and their springs allow for the subtlety that Pilates is all about. What to Expect in Your First Reformer Class It’s normal to feel a bit nervous before your first class, but don’t worry, everyone starts somewhere. Whether you join one of our Reformer classes on Gloucester Road or Brislington, here’s what you can expect:
What Class Level to start with Our Beginners Classes (Level 0-1) are the perfect place to start as they are designed to welcome people who haven’t done reformer before, walking you through the different parts of the Reformer machine and helping you build confidence in the fundamental moves. But if the timing of the Beginner Classes doesn’t suit you, feel free to join any of our Align Classes (Level 1). Simply arrive 5–10 minutes early to let your teacher know it’s your first class. They’ll explain how the Reformer works and have a quick chat about any specific needs you may have, so they can offer extra guidance and support during your sessions. To see when our different classes run, you can visit our Timetable and simply filter by studio to find the ones closest to you between our 2 Reformer Studios in BS4 and BS7. Tips for Beginners
With patience and practice, you'll quickly start to feel stronger, more flexible, and more in tune with your body. Ready to start? Book a drop-in class or try our Intro Offer of 3 Reformer Classes for £52.
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© Soul Pilates Ltd 2026
City Centre Studio: 57 Queen Charlotte Street, Bristol BS1 4HQ
Bishopston Studio: Bristol North Baths, Gloucester Road, Bristol BS7 8BN
Paintworks Studio: 107 Paintworks, Bristol BS4 3DL
0117 214 1655 | [email protected]
Soul Pilates Limited is a company registered in England and Wales with company number 10525634
Registered Office: 57 Queen Charlotte Street, Bristol BS1 4HQ
City Centre Studio: 57 Queen Charlotte Street, Bristol BS1 4HQ
Bishopston Studio: Bristol North Baths, Gloucester Road, Bristol BS7 8BN
Paintworks Studio: 107 Paintworks, Bristol BS4 3DL
0117 214 1655 | [email protected]
Soul Pilates Limited is a company registered in England and Wales with company number 10525634
Registered Office: 57 Queen Charlotte Street, Bristol BS1 4HQ