Pilates Classes in Exeter for beginner and intermediate levels and personal training
Pilates in Exeter
with Fiona Swan
Feel great this Autumn with Pilates classes at beautiful Powderham Castle, Alphington Community Theatre, or livestreamed online.
Fiona offers both beginner and intermediate-level classes and is a qualified CIMSPA member.
Why practice Pilates with Fiona?
Pilates is a low-impact way to stretch and strengthen the whole body, and the controlled, focused movements help improve balance, posture, and range of movement around joints.
Fiona's classes, which follow the Pilates principles of precision and control, offer a safe, effective, and adaptable exercise option for individuals with a range of joint or other health conditions.
Fiona offers separate classes at Powderham Castle and Alphington Community Theatre Room for both beginner and intermediate levels. This enables individuals, whatever their goal or health condition, to practice Pilates effectively and get the best possible results.
In all classes, the exercises may also be layered from easy (Level 1) to more challenging (Level 3).
Livestreamed classes on Monday at 8.15 am and Wednesday at 8.45 am are also available for those who prefer to practice from home and make use of their at-home Pilates equipment. 1-3K hand weights are used to improve upper body strength.
As a general fitness instructor and outdoor enthusiast, Fiona is also keen to support individuals looking to enhance other activities such as hillwalking, golf, racket and paddle sports.
Whatever your motivation for exercise, I hope you will consider my classes, as they really are suitable for everyone. Exercising with others, with guided instruction, is a great motivator, and the varied exercises within the sessions may provide that extra bit of challenge you're looking for. Or indeed reach those parts of the body you never knew existed!
Let's keep moving together. Hope to meet you soon.
Fiona
Beginner & Intermediate Classes
Timetable
About Fiona
Fiona enjoys working with individuals to help improve health and fitness - both in class and the great outdoors.
Fiona is a Personal Trainer Practitioner registered with the Charted Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity (CIMSPA). She is also a Level 3 Mat-Based Pilates instructor, with a Level 4 specialist qualification in Exercise for Lower Back Pain.
With a particular interest in exercise for older people and functional strength training, Fiona is especially aware of the importance of maintaining the many components of fitness, particularly for those aged 40 and onwards. Where possible, strength, agility, and balance training are incorporated into all classes.
As an outdoor enthusiast, Fiona is also a Hill and Moorland Walk Leader, providing local interest walks across Devon & Dartmoor. She also teaches Nordic walking and 'forest fitness' at beautiful Haldon Forest Park. Fiona is also a Paddle Sport Leader with Teignbridge Canoe Club.
For more about Fiona's outdoor fitness classes and guided walks, please see www.nordicwalkingdevon.co.uk
Registered with CIMSPA, the Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity, enhanced DBS checked, and fully insured.
Personal Training
Alternatively, you may be interested in personal training. As a trainer, I specialise in exercise for older people, functional fitness, and some neurological conditions. I can develop an exercise programme to meet your specific requirements. If you would like to discuss, please do get in touch. Contact Fiona
Hope to meet you soon.
Fiona
What clients say
"I have found Fiona's Pilates classes very helpful and enjoyable. Diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, I've found the stretching from Pilates invaluable! Thank you, Fiona!" Louise Knapman – April 2026
“Fiona is an excellent teacher, I love my classes and my body really feels it if I miss a session. I have noticed a significant benefit to my strength and flexibility & I always feel better after a class. It's a very friendly environment with Fiona explaining everything really well and checking at intervals to make sure you’re doing it right. I’m really glad I found her classes.” Jacqui Dart – March 2026
“The class has been amazing for my back problem. Last year I was on a waiting list to see a spinal surgeon. I started doing Fiona’s beginner's Pilates class in September, and within a couple of months, the pain and numbness had gone, and I no longer needed to see the spinal surgeon! I love the class, Fiona is an excellent teacher and tailors the exercises to individual abilities. It has certainly helped me and I feel the benefits every day.” Catherine Lewis – March 2026
How to get started
Joseph Pilates
Born in Germany in 1880, Joseph Pilates devised a 'physical fitness system' including 34 mat-based exercises, which now feature in modern-day Pilates classes.
Pilates is suitable for all levels of fitness, from total beginners to top-level athletes, as it's widely recognised as an effective way to improve
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Strength
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Flexibility
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Mobility
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Balance and coordination
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Posture
Find out more