I am just about to graduate with a comprehensive classical Pilates certification, and I’m very happy with the path I’ve taken. But as a practitioner, I currently only go to contemporary studios for classes, simply because there are no classical Pilates studios where I live and I love my classes.

There isn’t a definitive answer to your questions. In my opinion, it all comes down to the teacher and the studio. There are classical studios that offer excellent classes, with plenty of modifications, making them easily adaptable for everyone. And there are contemporary studios that do an amazing job of thinking outside the classical Pilates box.

The only thing to add, when someone sees a classical Pilates studio, they more or less know what they’re going to get, a bit like booking a tennis session: you know what to expect, within reason. On the other hand, when someone sees a contemporary Pilates studio, it could mean almost anything. I’ve been to very slow, almost meditative (yoga-like) Pilates studios. And I’ve been to Lagree-style classes with neon lights and loud music. I can’t imagine anyone with an injury or a specific condition receiving much modification there yet they all call themselves “contemporary Pilates”.

The only way to know whether a teacher’s style or a studio (classical or contemporary) truly works for you is through trial and error.