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Walking into a new studio for the first time comes with questions. Am I wearing the right thing? Will I be the only beginner? What if I’m not flexible enough? These are the questions we hear most often, and they are worth answering properly before you arrive.
This post covers everything you need to know before your first class at Polestar Pilates Studio Brookvale, so you can walk in feeling prepared rather than uncertain.
What to Bring
The list is short. Pilates is not a high-equipment activity.
The essentials
A water bottle. Grip socks, which keep your feet stable on the Reformer and mat surfaces. Most studios that use Reformers require grip socks for hygiene reasons, so it is worth having a pair before your first session. You can purchase them at the studio if you don’t have any.
Comfortable, close-fitting clothing that allows you to move freely without fabric getting in the way. More on that below.
What you don’t need to bring
A mat. The studio provides everything you need for class, including mats, Reformers, props, and equipment. You don’t need to bring anything to the class itself beyond yourself, your water, and your socks.
What Each Class Actually Feels Like
The three main class formats at Polestar, Reformer, Mat, and Power Plate, offer different experiences. Here is what to expect from each.
Reformer Pilates
The Reformer is a spring-based piece of apparatus that uses resistance to support and challenge movement. Classes run with a maximum of twelve people, which means your instructor can actually see you and offer guidance during the session. The Reformer provides feedback through the resistance of the springs, which helps you feel where the load is going and where it isn’t. Most people describe their first Reformer class as challenging in unexpected places, the smaller stabilising muscles rather than the obvious ones.
Mat Pilates
Mat classes use your bodyweight and occasional small props to develop strength, coordination, and body awareness. There is no apparatus, which means the demands on your own stability are higher than on the Reformer. Mat classes are a strong foundation for everything else. If you’re deciding where to start, mat work gives you a clear picture of how your body organises itself in movement, which is useful information regardless of which direction your practice takes from there.
Flow State
Flow State pairs 20 minutes on the Power Plate with 30 minutes in the infrared sauna, so pack for both. Wear comfortable activewear you can move in. Bring a towel, a bottle of water, and a change of clothes for after the sauna. Thongs or slides are handy for the walk out. We’ll have everything else here.
Choosing the Right Level for Your First Class
Most people underestimate themselves, and some overestimate themselves. Here is how to find the right starting point.
If you have never done Pilates before
Start with a beginner or foundation class. This is not a consolation prize. Foundation classes teach the movement principles that underpin everything else in the Polestar method. Starting here means you build the proprioceptive awareness and inner unit timing that make every subsequent class more effective. Skipping foundation work to start in an intermediate class usually means missing the layer of understanding that makes Pilates feel genuinely different from other exercises.
If you have done Pilates elsewhere
You may have solid movement awareness, or you may have learned patterns that need unlearning. Either is fine. Starting in a beginner or level-one class at a new studio gives you the chance to orient to the teaching style and the specific cues used here before moving into more demanding work. Most people who do this find that even familiar exercises feel different when taught well.
If you are coming back after an injury or a long break
Starting conservatively is always the right call. A studio session before joining regular classes is worth considering if you have specific concerns about an injury or a condition. It gives your instructor the chance to understand your history and design a starting point that is appropriate for where you are now, not where you were before the injury or the break.
The Worries Most Beginners Have (And What’s Actually True)
These are the concerns we hear most often. They are worth addressing directly.
I’m not flexible enough
Flexibility is not a prerequisite for Pilates. It is sometimes a result of consistent practice, but it is not where you need to start. Pilates is about control, coordination, and body awareness, none of which depend on how far you can reach. Stiff bodies are welcome here and work hard in ways that flexible ones often don’t.
I have an injury
Many people start Pilates specifically because of an injury. Polestar instructors are trained to observe, assess, and adapt movement for the person in front of them, which means your injury informs your programme rather than excluding you from it. Let your instructor know your history before class. That conversation changes how they cue you throughout the session. Healthdirect and Better Health Victoria both consistently support appropriately modified exercise for people managing musculoskeletal conditions. A good Pilates class is exactly that.
I’ll be the only one who doesn’t know what they’re doing
Everyone in a beginner class is finding their way. The instructors at Polestar are used to teaching people at the very start of a Pilates practice, and they are not watching to see who struggles. They are watching to help. The class environment here is not competitive. It is genuinely supportive, and that is a deliberate part of how the studio is run.
I’m worried I won’t be fit enough
Fitness is not the entry point for Pilates. Movement quality is. A first Pilates class is not about how much you can do. It is about starting to understand how your body moves. That is accessible to everyone, regardless of current fitness level.
Why Polestar
There are a lot of Pilates studios on the Northern Beaches. Here is what makes this one different.
The teaching runs deeper than choreography
Polestar instructors don’t teach sequences. They teach movement. Every instructor holds at minimum a Polestar qualification and has gone through a dedicated mentoring and assisting process before teaching independently. The method is grounded in biomechanics, motor control, and evidence-based practice. What that means for you in class is that the instructor understands why each exercise exists and can adapt it for your body specifically, rather than delivering a fixed routine regardless of who is in the room.
Small classes, not packed rooms
Maximum twelve people per Reformer and Mat class. Maximum three people per instructor in studio sessions. This is not a volume model. You will be seen, guided, and remembered from session to session. That matters for how quickly your practice develops and how safe the environment feels from the start.
The credentials speak for themselves
Cat Giannitto, the studio director, is the AUSactive Pilates Professional of the Year 2023. The studio won AUSactive Pilates Studio of the Year 2024. Polestar Pilates Education Australia is one of the most respected Pilates education organisations in the world, active in more than 50 countries. The studio in Brookvale is the flagship location of that organisation. The depth of the education that sits behind every class here is not incidental. It is the reason the teaching is what it is.
FAQs
What should I wear to my first Pilates class?
Close-fitting, comfortable clothing that allows you to move freely. Leggings and a fitted top work well. Avoid very loose clothing because it can get in the way of the instructor seeing your alignment, and in some Reformer exercises it catches on the equipment. You don’t need specific Pilates clothing. What you’d wear to yoga is perfectly fine.
Do I need grip socks?
Yes for Reformer classes. They are required for hygiene reasons and provide stability on the carriage and footbar. If you don’t have a pair, you can purchase them at the studio before your first class.
How early should I arrive?
Ten minutes before your first class. This gives you time to fill in a brief intake form, introduce yourself to the instructor, mention anything relevant about your health or injury history, and get oriented to the studio before the session starts. Arriving at the last minute for your first class means missing the context that makes everything run more smoothly.
How often should I come to see results?
Three sessions per week is the frequency at which most people notice consistent changes in how they feel and move. Two sessions per week maintain what you build. One session per week is worth doing but builds more slowly. Start with whatever frequency you can sustain and build from there.
What is the Kickstarter offer?
The 28-day Kickstarter gives you unlimited classes for 28 days. It is designed for people who are new to the studio and want to build a consistent habit before committing to a longer membership. It is the most practical way to experience different class formats, find the ones that suit you, and establish a routine before choosing a membership option. Full details are on the pricing page.
Your First Class Is Closer Than You Think. Here Is How to Book It.
If you want to start with unlimited access to find your rhythm before committing to a membership, the 28-day Kickstarter is where to begin. If you have specific questions about which class suits your starting point, get in touch, and we will point you in the right direction.
