Common pilates act that everyone is guilty of doing at some point

News.com.au

3 days ago

An Aussie pilates instructor has called out an all too common exercise act that most of us are guilty of.
Adelle Petropoulos, 30, teaches pilates full time and does four classes a week. After a recent class, the Melbourne woman took to TikTok to rant about something she sees in the studio all the time.
'If this ever happens in your pilates class, just stop moving. You've done your class, everyone's worked their little tushies off. The instructor's put on harmonious music,' she said.
'Find your quiet, still space — that is not instructions for you to get up, take your straps off and start cleaning your reformer.'
She said all that can be heard throughout the quiet time at the end of the class are the sounds of cleaning spray and noisy personal items being bundled up.
Ms Petropoulos advised people to either leave before the quiet music, or don't come to the class at all as it interrupts others who choose to stay.
Speaking to news.com.au, Ms Petropoulos said as an instructor her job is to create the best 45-minute experience for every person in the room.
'When people start packing up before class ends, it disrupts that shared energy. It sends a message — intentionally or not — that the last few minutes don't matter, when in fact, they're often the most important: the wind-down, the breath work, the integration. Those moments are where the magic happens,' she told news.com.au.
'It's not just about etiquette, it's about respect — for the practice, the instructor, and most importantly, for the people around you who are still trying to be present. Everyone deserves that full experience.'
She said she understood that most people didn't mean any harm by it, as they're just busy, but it can be incredibly 'disruptive' and 'pulls others out of the moment'.
Ms Petropoulos said most people agreed with what she said in the social media rant. Another action, from her perspective, that causes similar issues is using your phone in class.
She mentioned that most people come in with a great energy and respect for the space.
'Just a reminder that we're all human — no one's perfect! But if we can all stay present, support each other, and treat the space with care, it makes a huge difference. Pilates is about more than movement — it's a shared community lead experience, and when we all show up fully, the energy in the room becomes something really special,' Ms Petropoulos said.
Simon Ngo, from Flow Athletic, described Ms Petropoulos' video as 'spot on and accurate'. He said while leaving during the cool down portion of the class at Flow Athletic, due to the relative intensity of the classes, is quite rare it seems to be a fairly common occurrence in pilates in general.
'I just feel like it's a 'what a shame' moment. It's as though you've gone to the effort of checking out the dessert menu but not ordered anything,' he said.
'Or more accurately, like you've ordered the dessert, it's arrived and you've decided to leave.'
He said people should stick around for that part of the class, as it's part of it for a reason.
'If you don't start a class without a warm up, why would you not finish with a cool down,' he said.
'Otherwise, a class would have been advertised 5 mins shorter. Plus, your instructors probably would have gone above and beyond to plan these Zen closing out moments.
'As much as people are time poor and, rather because of it, these few minutes of slowing down and reconnecting with ourselves are the stress-buster and self-care everyone needs in these of world of being busy today.'
He said in 2025, securing a spot in a pilates class almost rivals getting into the housing market so, if you land a spot, 'stay for the full experience'.