Pilates Association Podcast

In this third episode of Pilates at the Intersection , Bruce Hildebrand and incoming PAA President Kimberley Garlick explore what truly makes a good Pilates teacher beyond choreography, charisma, social media polish or the ability to perform advanced exercises. Kimberley frames good teaching as the ability to help the person in front of you move better, understand themselves more clearly, and feel...

In this third episode of In the Lane of Contrology, Bruce Hildebrand and Classical Pilates teacher Sharon Michau tackle one of the most challenging conversations facing the modern Pilates industry: when does healthy evolution become erosion? Sharon carefully distinguishes between thoughtful adaptation and the gradual thinning-out of the original method, arguing that while Pilates should continue e...

In this second episode of the Pilates at the Intersection series, Bruce Hildebrand and incoming PAA President Kimberley Garlick explore why teacher training standards matter more than ever as Pilates continues to grow across Australia. The conversation asks whether short-form training pathways are genuinely improving accessibility, or whether they risk producing underprepared instructors who are e...

In this opening episode of In the Lane of Contrology, PAA Podcast host Bruce Hildebrand begins a new conversation series with Classical Pilates teacher and PAA Committee member Sharon Michau by asking whether the industry is still teaching Pilates, or simply using Pilates equipment. Sharon draws a clear line between the apparatus and the method, arguing that the Reformer, Cadillac, Wunda Chair, ba...

In this opening episode of the Pilates at the Intersection series: An honest stocktake of a profession choosing its future of standards, identity and growth , PAA Podcast host Bruce Hildebrand begins a new weekly conversation series with incoming PAA President Kimberley Garlick , asking whether Pilates is becoming too fitness-focused. Kimberley brings a balanced and credible perspective, acknowled...

In this episode of the Pilates Science Podcast, host Bruce Hildebrand sits down with PAA President Robyn Rix to explore the growing evidence for Pilates as a meaningful intervention for people living with disability. Robyn explains that her recent research synthesis was driven by a desire to close the gap between what Pilates teachers see every day in the studio and what is formally recognised in...

In this episode of the Pilates Association Australia Podcast , host Bruce Hildebrand sits down with PAA President Robyn Rix to explore a question every instructor has seen play out in real life: why do clients often arrive feeling “heavy” and leave looking lighter, calmer, and more confident? Robyn shares the thinking behind her recent writing on posture and mood, introducing the concept of embodi...

This episode of the Pilates Association Australia Podcast introduces newly elected committee member Kimberley Garlick , studio owner, senior Polestar educator and long-time industry leader. In conversation with host Bruce Hildebrand , Kimberley traces her journey from ballet and human movement into Pilates, layering in decades of additional study in neurolinguistics, bioenergetics, kinesiology, ma...

The introduction episode of the Pilates Science Podcast sets the stage for a new, much-needed bridge between Pilates research and real-world practice. Hosted by Bruce Hildebrand on behalf of the Pilates Association Australia, with PAA President and PilatesScience.org curator Robyn Rix as co-host, the episode explains why this podcast exists: to make the growing body of Pilates research accessible,...

This episode of the Pilates Science Podcast tackles a big, practical question: what does the research actually say about the broad benefits of Pilates? Host Bruce Hildebrand and PAA President / PilatesScience.org curator Robyn Rix walk listeners through key systematic reviews and meta-analyses, translating academic findings into everyday language. They start with mental health, highlighting eviden...

In this episode of the Pilates Science Podcast , hosts Bruce Hildebrand and PAA President Robyn Rix explore the fascinating world of heart rate variability (HRV) and what it can tell us about our health, stress levels and resilience. They unpack what HRV actually measures—the tiny variations in time between each heartbeat—and explain how these fluctuations reflect the dynamic balance between the s...

In this episode of the *Pilates Science Podcast*, hosts Bruce Hildebrand and PAA President Robyn Rix explore how simply changing the **angle** of the body can dramatically alter muscle activation in familiar Pilates exercises. Robyn begins by sharing her studio experience with the Total Gym Gravity Training System—initially assuming that a slight incline would make chest lifts easier, only to disc...

Welcome to the first episode of the Why Pilates Podcast — a clear, practical introduction to the Pilates method with Lisa Jackson (PAA Education Officer). Learn what Pilates really is (and isn’t), discover the six core principles that make it powerful, and get simple, real-world tips to start moving smarter — not harder.  In this introductory episode Lisa Jackson explains the true spirit of Pilate...

Robyn Rix, President of the Pilates Association Australia, joins Daniela DeFabio to trace Pilates back to Joseph Pilates and his early work in “Contrology,” then translates that history into clear, usable principles for listeners. Robyn explains the six commonly taught Pilates principles — Concentration, Control, Centering (the “powerhouse”), Precision, Breath and Flow — and shows how they interre...

This episode delves into the often-overlooked power of breath in Pilates, focusing on diaphragmatic breathing and how it reconnects us to centre, calms the nervous system, and supports spinal function. Host Bruce Hildebrand unpacks why many people default to shallow, high chest breathing—especially under stress—and outlines the cascade of compensations that follow: tight necks and shoulders, brace...

In this episode Lisa Jackson sits down with Donna Bridge — a high-level rock climber, lifelong adventurer and soon-to-be 60-year-old who discovered Pilates just 18 months ago. Their conversation draws a vivid line between the demands of climbing and the principles of Pilates, showing how breath control, razor-sharp focus and embodied self-mastery translate between vertical rock faces and the studi...

Jen Guest (Physiotherapist, senior Polestar educator and long-time PAA leader) joins Daniela Di Fabio to unpack the pelvic floor in practical, teacher-friendly terms. The conversation opens with clear anatomy — the pelvic floor as a diamond-shaped stack of muscles and connective tissue — and a concise breakdown of its five key functions: support of the pelvic organs, sphincteric control, sexual fu...

In this episode we dive head first into a thought-provoking article (compiled with the help of a range of AI tools) titled The Corruption of Contrology: How Egocentric Capitalism is Ripping the Heart Out of the Pilates Industry. As the PAA, we know that this article may strike a chord with our listeners, as the article paints a stark picture of how commercial pressures are impacting the integrity...

Register for the PAA Conference here Hello and welcome to this Presenter Introduction series of the Pilates Association Australia Podcast. I’m your host Bruce Hildebrand and I’m privileged to bring you this series in the lead-up to the biggest event on the Australian Pilates calendar — the 2025 PAA International Conference, taking place in Sydney this September. From September 12th to the 14th the...

Register for the PAA Conference here Hello and welcome to this Presenter Introduction series of the Pilates Association Australia Podcast. I’m your host Bruce Hildebrand and I’m privileged to bring you this series in the lead-up to the biggest event on the Australian Pilates calendar — the 2025 PAA International Conference, taking place in Sydney this September. From September 12th to the 14th the...

Register for the PAA Conference here Hello and welcome to this Presenter Introduction series of the Pilates Association Australia Podcast. I’m your host Bruce Hildebrand and I’m privileged to bring you this series in the lead-up to the biggest event on the Australian Pilates calendar — the 2025 PAA International Conference, taking place in Sydney this September. From September 12th to the 14th the...

Register for the PAA Conference here Hello and welcome to this Presenter Introduction series of the Pilates Association Australia Podcast. I’m your host Bruce Hildebrand and I’m privileged to bring you this series in the lead-up to the biggest event on the Australian Pilates calendar — the 2025 PAA International Conference, taking place in Sydney this September. From September 12th to the 14th the...

Register for the PAA Conference here Hello and welcome to this Presenter Introduction series of the Pilates Association Australia Podcast. I’m your host Bruce Hildebrand and I’m privileged to bring you this series in the lead-up to the biggest event on the Australian Pilates calendar — the 2025 PAA International Conference, taking place in Sydney this September. From September 12th to the 14th the...

Register for the PAA Conference here Hello and welcome to this Presenter Introduction series of the Pilates Association Australia Podcast. I’m your host Bruce Hildebrand and I’m privileged to bring you this series in the lead-up to the biggest event on the Australian Pilates calendar — the 2025 PAA International Conference, taking place in Sydney this September. From September 12th to the 14th the...

Register for the PAA Conference here Hello and welcome to this Presenter Introduction series of the Pilates Association Australia Podcast. I’m your host Bruce Hildebrand and I’m privileged to bring you this series in the lead-up to the biggest event on the Australian Pilates calendar — the 2025 PAA International Conference, taking place in Sydney this September. From September 12th to the 14th the...