Feels FAQs

You can come back to pilates 6 - 12 weeks after giving birth depending on the type of birth you have had. Please consult with your doctor as we require clearance from your doctor before you start.

Please wear exercise clothes you feel the most comfortable in. Grippy socks are compulsory you can bring these with you or we have socks for you to buy at reception.

Grippy socks are compulsory at the studio for cleanliness and hygiene reasons. The grip in the socks is beneficial to avoid falling or slipping on the reformer.

That is absolutely fine, we can’t wait to have you in the studio and show you what the fuss is all about! If you are brand new to reformer pilates we advise you that you book into beginners classes for your first few classes.

Beginners classes are great introductory to Reformer Pilates. This is where you will learn all about the springs, the reformer bed and we will talk in depth about all the different exercises.

We also recommend that you come to the studio 10 minutes early to class so we can show you around the studio and the reformer bed.

We are an evidence-based pilates studio meaning we follow the most current and up to date scientific studies including the Australian Department of Health Pregnancy Guidelines.

Which you can read: https://www.health.gov.au/sites/default/files/2023-11/physical-activity-and-exercise-during-pregnancy-guidelines-brochure.pdf

These guidelines highlight that during pregnancy you should:

• Be active 7 days a week
• Do moderate intensity activities for 2.5 - 5 hours a week OR do vigorous intensity activities for 1 - 2.5 hours a week
• Do muscle strengthening exercises at least 2 days a week
• Do pelvic floor exercises

Sounds like a good week of Pilates to me!

The guidelines also state that during pregnancy you should avoid:

• Lying on your back for long periods of time after 28 weeks (try tilting your body on a 45 degree angle or laying on side)
• Avoid falling (activities that require a high level of balance and coordination)
• Significant changes in pressure (e.g. sky diving and scuba diving)
• Heavy lifting (unfortunately our 3kg weights don’t count as heavy lifting)

So throughout the class if you are pregnant we may work with you to ensure that you are not put in a position where there is a possibility of falling and if over 28 weeks we will either provide a pregnancy wedge to prop you up to a 45 degree angle or lay you on your side if we are lying on our backs. Otherwise, let’s concentrate on keeping you strong and moving throughout your pregnancy!

Note that there is no mention to not work your abdominals, it actually even states that strengthening the pelvic floor is a daily importance!

Should I be doing ab curls if pregnant or if I have diastases?

Many instructors mistakenly believe ab curls increase risk of abdominal separation. This is not true.

There are multiple studios showing zero harm to pregnant and postpartum people from ab curls and a recent systematic review found ab curls actually very slightly decrease diastases. Further, pregnant people who do abdominal strengthening during their pregnancy, including abdominal curls, tend to have less diastases and recover more quickly from postpartum

Thinking about the basic anatomy. When the rectus abdominis contracts (e.g. in an ab curl) it pulls itself together, narrowing the abdominal separation.

To read the research yourself, Google

PMID: 37286390

PMID: 36934466

But, the pregnant client next to me is not doing ab curls. Should I still be doing them while I’m pregnant?

Under the guidelines is also a note on keeping the pregnant client as comfortable as possible. As each pregnancy and bump is completely different some movements including laying on your back, single leg work or ab curls my feel more uncomfortable to one pregnant person than the next.

Therefore, at Feels we try to care for each pregnant client as an individual and understand that we may need to modify the exercises differently for each pregnant person in relation to their own body and pregnancy.

Yes, if you have never been on a reformer bed before we highly recommend booking into a beginners class to learn how the spring tension works and to get use to the moving carriage. Once you feel confident with the reformer machine and the pilates language we use, you are welcome to move into our other class types, mix up your weekly pilates!

Our studios are located in Avalon, Narrabeen, Cromer & Frenchs Forest.

We have sister studios... Those with memberships & packages at Narrabeen or Avalon can use either studio, and those at Cromer or Frenchs Forest can swing between each studio. For those that would like to go between any studio, you can reach out to us if you are on a membership and receive a code to use at a non sister studio to buy a discounted 1 class pack. Also look out for seasonal sales we have, then you can buy a discounted package to keep on your account at a studio you don't often use, we recommend buying a yearly pack for flexability!

Yes, our trainers are highly knowledgable and will be able to cater and modify the exercises to best suit you and your injury. However, if the injury is in an acute stage we recommend that you get physio clearance before coming to a group reformer class.

Yes you can! We offer one on one sessions with a qualified reformer pilates instructor for $100. We also have a package called “Restore your core” which is great for anyone post partum, post injury, post surgery or new to pilates. This includes 1 private session + 3 x beginner classes for $160.

After you add yourself to the waitlist you will receive a text message confirming you are on the waitlist. If a spot becomes available in the class you will receive a text message letting you know you are in the class where you have to CONFIRM your spot. You will have 2 hours to confirm your spot then it will move down to the next person on the list. Our waitlist texts come though from 5am until 10pm, so if you are keen to get into a class and are waiting on a text, keep your phone handy!

Yes we do!! If you refer a friend and they sign up to an Intro Pack, please tell us within the week to claim a $10 credit for your account to add to any pack. More friends, more rewards for you!

Our membership programs are the most cost effective way to workout at Feels. We have 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, & 7 classes per week memberships to offer our clients, and you can upgrade your classes per week at anytime! We have a minimum term of 12 weeks, the membership will continue to stay active until you tell us to cancel it. You can book your classes up to 6 weeks in advance with your weekly allocation of credits (these credits don't roll over each week). Memberships are best for those clients who stick to a weekly routine and know the classes they want to attend each week to avoid waitlists. You can also put your membership on hold at anytime for $5 per week.

Yes you can, we charge a fee of $5 a week while your membership is on hold, your membership will pick up where you left off once you are back. Our hold periods are for one week minimum, they start on the day your memberships starts each week.

We have an 8 hour cancellation policy, if you cancel your class inside of this time you will lose your class credit.

If you do not cancel out of your class in your app, even within the timeframe of the late cancellation period (8 Hrs), you will be marked as a No Show. This means you will forfeit your class credit as well as be charged a $10 fee. This is not to penalise our clients but to get our clients into the habit of cancelling every class they cannot make.

Every time you go into your app, pull down the screen of your iPhone to refresh your app. If again this is not working, log out and back into your app. If all else fails, contact your studio to reset your password.

You can call the studio on 0422 683 823 or email hello@feelspilates.com.au (please avoid messaging us on social media as these can be missed).

Bring your pilates grippy socks if you have some and  your water bottle. If you don't have either, they can both be purchased at the studio.

This can be done in your Feels Pilates app. Simply go into MY BOOKINGS, press on the class you do not want to attend, go to the bottom of the page and press cancel. Please refer to our cancellation policy question.

You can book this via our Feels Pilates app. You don't have to do pilates to enjoy our Sauna! Buy your sauna credits in the app in the More section, press the "Buy new packages" tab, then go to the Sauna Feels section to buy your sauna credits. The cancellation policy still stands for all sauna bookings, if you can no longer make a sauna session and its within the 8 hr booking time, please email your studio.

If the app is saying you need to buy a new package, this means you have exhausted all of your credits. Your package may have expired or you have used all of your membership/package credits on other bookings, waitlists or late cancellations.

Go to the Feels Pilates app. Go to the MORE section, then to Billing Information, then you can update your card or bank details from there. It is preferable to use your bank details as the fees are cheaper and there is less chance of the payment failing.

Like most small businesses, our clients pay for the credit/debit card fee onto of the price of our packages & membership transactions. You will notice on your first ever package bought it maybe a bit higher than expected...The reason for this is there is a Loading fee for the Feels Pilates app is $2.20, this is a once off charge and won't be charged again. For Direct Debit via Bank Transfer, there's a small fee of $0.97 per transaction, which we encourage you to use to avoid higher charges. If you pay by  debit/credit card, standard processing fees apply: 2.42% for Visa/Mastercard and 4.39% for Amex.

When loading your bank/card details onto the app for future purchases, please use the Bank Transfer option & upload your Bank details rather than your debit/credit card as we seem to have some issues with some banks, they refuse the payments of memberships & packages, in which you may incur Failed Payment fees equaling $3.85 every time the payment fails plus standard bank/card fees.