Rural Sussex Girl Review: Cove Reformer Studio (Lindfield)

As someone who considers themselves moderately fit, I was a bit apprehensive about reformer pilates. I think it comes from the unknown - I mean it looks like it's some kind of torture equipment from medieval times, and as someone on the outside of that world you feel like perhaps you wont fit in. However, I plucked up the courage to attend my first beginners class, having convinced myself that the stretch would be good for me, at least.

The studio of choice is Cove Reformer Pilates in the beautiful Sussex village of Lindfield. I parked up on the high street (2 hours free parking) and walked round to find the studio, a cute little single story brick building adorned with lovely branding to welcome you in. I instantly was expecting a relaxing and welcoming space from the outside, which is exactly what hit me as soon as I entered.

The instructor, Georgia, was waiting to great me with a warm welcome. She smiled and shook my hand and started asking my if this was my first time. After I explained it was, she showed me into the beautiful reception area where you can leave your belongings in lockable storage. The space is white and bright, but not in a clinical way - they're really leaning into the seaside vibe, so was very calming and my nerves were kept at bay.

After storing away my bag I moved into the studio space, a small but considered space with 4 beds. As a newbie to this, I liked that the space was small - the thought of doing this in front of lots of people was a bit daunting, so I was relieved to find it was just me and 2 other ladies in the class, who were also really welcoming and supportive. Opposite the beds, a wall of mirrors greats you, which may feel intimidating but actually was very useful for the later stretches and checking your posture. And the overhead fans blowing down cold air were really appreciated on a warm morning.

Georgia explained the reformer bed to me and how it worked, but it wasn't until we got going that I felt comfortable it wasn't as complicated as it looked. As we went through the class, the instructor made sure that I was comfortable and understood the moves and what was coming next. I also found her knowledge and explanations of what we were doing and what we were working really helpful. She laughed and joked with us all to make the more trickier moves feel more bearable.

I will say this, that even though it was beginner class and on the lower difficultly level I could feel my muscles and body working, A LOT. I've done yoga in the past, but I really liked how this challenged you a bit more with the resistance aspect and I came away feeling energised for the day. Georgia also gave variations and options to make the moves easier or more challenging depending on how you felt, which I really appreciated.

Another thing I enjoyed about the studio was the choice of music that was playing. It wasn't the kind you'd expect from a class like that, but clearly music that the instructor liked and made a nice change from instrumental background noise as it gave me something to concentrate on when my abs felt like they couldn't hold on any longer.

The 50 minutes flew by, and I really enjoyed the class. I didn't build up a sweat or feel out of breath, but I definitely felt I had worked hard. I think I've been convinced that this form of exercise could really work for me, to change up my exercise routine and add in a bit more stretching and reaching into those deeper muscles. I'm sure it wont be long before I book in again at Cove, it was an all round great experience.

We were kindly gifted a space in exchange for a review. All views are our own.

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Written by Charlie Young