Beyond the Reformer

How Much Anatomy Do Pilates Teachers Actually Need to Know With Tracy Ward

Beyond the Reformer

Show Notes

"I really worry that we will lose the essence of what Pilates actually is. How much are we going to dilute it?" In this episode, Nic is joined by Tracy Ward - physiotherapist, Pilates teacher, and author of The Science of Pilates, published by DK. Tracy sits at the unique intersection of clinical practice and Pilates, bringing over 15 years of experience teaching, treating patients, and training new teachers through APPI. They explore what it really takes to understand anatomy as a Pilates te...

More from Beyond the Reformer

Oct 19, 2026

"I would rather be effective than sexy." In this episode, we are joined by Lindsey Hammond, Pilates studio owner, educator, and author of Teach Pilates Like It Matters. Lindsey has been running her first studio for 18 years and now trains teachers through her own education programme, which she is also licensing to studios. Together, Nic and Lindsey explore the gap between being qualified on paper and actually being ready to teach real clients. They unpack why teacher training covers the w...

Oct 12, 2026

"We looked really, really busy and busy isn't the same as profitable." In this solo episode, Nic, founder of Soul Pilates, shares the key lessons from a recent talk she gave on studio operations, and turns it into a mini workshop for Pilates studio owners. She opens up about the moment her accountant told her she'd made no money despite a full studio, and explains why good operations and good profit are part of the same thing. She walks through her three pillars of great studio operations...

Oct 6, 2026

"Good exit strategy is just good business strategy." In this episode, Nic is joined by Mitch McGinley, founder of Boutique Fitness Broker and author of The Number Nobody Talks About. Mitch has spent his career helping boutique fitness and wellness owners buy and sell their studios, closing over 70 transactions worth more than 30 million dollars, and he sold his own yoga studio before founding his brokerage. They explore what actually makes a Pilates studio valuable, and why it's rarely the th...

Sep 28, 2026

"I'm about as alpha male as it gets. I come from 30 years in special forces. It doesn't come much better than that. And I now teach Pilates and I absolutely see the benefits." In this episode, Nic is joined by Tim Gough, co-owner and instructor at Vagabond Pilates in Dorset, and a 30-year veteran of the Royal Marines and Special Boat Service. Tim shares how his wife Millie's own Pilates journey through cancer recovery pulled him into the method during deployment, and how that eventually led h...

Sep 21, 2026

"The second guessing is you're trying to be like somebody else and you can never be like somebody else. You can only be like you are." In this episode, Nic swaps the usual guest chair for an Agony Aunt session, answering real Pilates dilemmas sent in by listeners. She unpacks what's really behind imposter syndrome, why tactile cueing feels so nerve-wracking for so many teachers, and how to bring your full, authentic personality into the studio without oversharing, including a candid take on t...

See all episodes →