Common questions about Pilates and Prosecco

If you’ve never been to my Pilates and Prosecco evening before, you can be forgiven for being a little confused about how it all works.

Do you do Pilates with the Prosecco?

Do you need to be a regular Pilates attendee?

Is it actually in a church? How does that work?

If any of these questions sound familiar, here’s a quick Q&A on some of the most common questions about the event:

1. When do we drink the Prosecco? The refreshments bit is at the end. So no, no exercising with alcohol or champagne flutes. We do the Pilates first and head on to the refreshments area after.
2. When do we eat the cake? Same answer as above. No crumby choking hazards whilst doing roll ups. We exercise before cake. 
3. Exercise and cake? Surely that defeats the point. Nope. It’s a well kept secret that if you eat small bits of home made cake, after doing Pilates in a church, it’s calorie and fat free. It’s Pilates with Karen magic that I can’t divulge. 
4. Do you have to drink alcohol? No. There are other fancy, alcohol free options but Prosecco is quite fun.
5. Do you need to have done Pilates before? No. One of the nicest things about Pilates and Prosecco, the way I teach it, is that anyone can do it. You could even sit in a chair and enjoy the vibe/arm exercises/mobility. I teach in a way that’s layered. So we set up an exercise and add one or multiple layers of challenge so you can work at a level that feels right for you.
6. Is it hard? It does require some concentration and physical movement but this isn’t advanced Pilates. Pilates and Prosecco is a much bigger class than my regular weekly classes so I’m not going to teach the usual handstands and trapeze work. It’s a gentle, flowing Pilates class designed to make you feel good. 
7. Do you do handstands and trapeze work in your regular classes? No. I made that up. But there’s always a Christmas special to plan.
8. Can I come on my own? Yes, of course you can. Some people bring a friend or family member but it is not obligatory and we’re all pretty sociable.
9. I have a visual/hearing impairment. Can I still come? Yes. Just please let me know so I can make sure you’re in a position that works for you or we can discuss in advance how to make it easier for you to take part.
10. What do I need to bring? Please bring a mat, a blanket and a water bottle. Perhaps bring some socks too since church floors aren’t known for their warmth.
11. It’s in a church. As in actually in the church? Yes. We’re not in the church hall. We (I) clear out all the chairs/pews, give it a good sweep and create a beautiful exercise space. St John the Baptist church was designed as a meeting space for the town, in a time when there weren’t community halls. There are no fixed pews in order that the large space could be used to local gatherings. It’s great to be able to use the church for different types of gatherings today.
12. Is it a religious event? No. It’s a relaxing Pilates class with nice people in a beautiful building with refreshments. You do not need to believe in any God to attend, nor will you catch Christianity from church. However, I am a Christian, my faith is fundamental to me and therefore central to everything I do. Hosting a Pilates event in my church makes me incredibly happy. If you want to pray, do. If you want to enjoy the peace of a beautiful building, it’s there for you. The Priest and vicars at the church willingly loan me this beautiful building for my event to support me and my business and to encourage more local people to enjoy the peace of the church.
13. Do I have to be a Fit School member to come along? No. It’s open to everyone. Lots of our members do join us since it’s a great opportunity to check in and catch up but I and they love welcoming newcomers too.
14. I have specific dietary requirements. Do you cater for them? If I know in advance, then I’ll do my best to cater for everyone but above all, I like to make great cake. It’s a Pilates event, not a fully catered buffet! There’s always a gluten free option and everything is vegetarian (it’s cake). Every egg is free range from a local farm, my butter is organic and I use the best quality flour and sugar because it makes cake taste better!
15. How long does the event last? I open doors at 7 for a 7.30 start. The class duration is around an hour and we wrap everything up after Prosecco and cake at around 9.30.
16. Can I bring a friend/family member? Yes. It’s probably easiest to just email me about buying tickets for friends because everyone does need to sign/complete the pre-exercise waiver form before joining the class.