Our Instructors
Blackheath Pilates is comprised of Sue Baigent and Jennifer Ainger. Sue works mainly in and around Blackheath Village, while Jennifer started off working in Blackheath and now runs a dedicated Pilates studio in East Greenwich. Rather than competing with each other the pair decided to work together to develop a comprehensive schedule of classes and pool their knowledge. You can find out more about both instructors below:
Sue
Baigent
Health and fitness have always been personal goals in my life, even as a
busy mum bringing up two children. I tried everything from Jane Fonda to
Callanetics, moving on to competition level fitness with the British Keep
Fit Confederation - which was actually FUN! Moving to London and a stressful
job brought me to Yoga and a way of mindful exercise with relaxation. It
didn't take me too long to realise that to get the most out of my fitness
routine, I needed to enjoy it - which I believe is the key for most of us
if we are to stay motivated.
Pilates found me 7 years ago, following a couple of quite debilitating injuries to my groin and knee ligaments. Through Pilates training I discovered that if I had known more about my own body, I would not have asked the impossible of it. I was effectively trying to 'fire a cannon from a canoe' but to make dynamic movement happen safely, you have to work from a strong, stable base. I have now learned how to listen to my body and my mind is fully engaged in this intelligent form of movement and exercise.
Pilates combines all the elements of what I enjoyed about my fitness and yoga practice. The benefits of Pilates, when performed properly, are unsurpassed, and I get the same buzz from watching my students' progress as I do when I find something new in a familiar exercise.
I am Body Control Pilates qualified and a Level 3 REP's member, committed
to continuing personal and professional development. I am qualified to
teach matwork using small equipment and Swiss balls and I attend regular
courses and workshops with other Pilates professionals and Master Teachers.
I'm CPR trained and fully insured.
- Email: sue@blackheathpilates.co.uk
- Phone: 07932 325552
Jennifer Ainger
I
was born in New Brunswick, Canada, and studied ballet for 12 years before
moving to the UK in 1993. I discovered Pilates in 1999 after being forced
to give up my job as a website designer due to the development of Repetitive
Strain Injury. I was so impressed with the method that I enrolled on the
Body Control Pilates® teacher trainer course and, after qualifying,
have been teaching classes and one-to-one sessions in and around London.
After 2 years leasing space in Blackheath I opened up the Little Pilates
Studio in East Greenwich (a lovely walk away through the park) in January
2007. In May 2012 we expanded and now occupy 2 lovely studios, one for
matwork Pilates and dance classes and one dedicated to Pilates studio
equipment work. To book classes in my studio, please see the studio website
(www.littlepilatesstudio.co.uk).
You can book directly through the website.
Qualifications:
- Beginners matwork
- Intermediate matwork
- Pilates for Pregnancy 1 and 2
- Pilates on the Ball
- Pilates Overball
- Beginners/Intermediate Reformer
- Wunda Chair
- Cadillac
- Baby Arc
- REPs level 3
- CPR
I am fully insured and a member of the Body Control Pilates® Association.
- Website: www.littlepilatesstudio.co.uk
- Email: jen@littlepilatesstudio.co.uk
- Phone: 07968 025204
*Body Control Pilates is a registered Trade Mark used under licence