People arriving with a bad back, a rebuilt knee or a shoulder that does not go overhead any more usually do one of two things. They avoid me entirely, or they turn up, say nothing, and then quietly do the thing that hurts. I would much rather have the third option, which is that you tell me.
The second is worse.
Tell the teacher before, not during
A teacher who knows will change what they ask of you, give you a prop, or suggest a different shape entirely. A teacher who finds out afterwards can only apologise.
This is a thirty second conversation before class and it is the single most useful thing you can do.
Two of the teachers here have been on your side of it
Pier found Pilates and barre in 2004 while recovering from spinal surgery. She has described discovering them as a safe way to rebuild strength, which is a particular thing to hear from the person teaching the class rather than from a brochure.
Andrea’s 300-hour training covered biomechanics, somatics and pain science alongside restorative work.
None of that makes either of them a clinician, and neither will tell you what your injury is. What it means is that the question is not unusual in this building.
Props exist for exactly this
Blocks, straps, blankets and the rope wall make a posture available to a body that cannot yet reach it unaided. That is not a lesser version of the class. It is the class, done in a way your body can currently do it.
If your doctor or physio has told you to avoid something specific, bring me that instruction. It is far more useful to me than a general warning to be careful.