You've finished your class plan. You've written out the exercises, thought through the order, noted the spring settings. And then you're standing in front of your class — and at some point, you realise you have no idea whether it's all going to fit.
Did you plan too many exercises? Too few? Will you be rushing at the end, or will you finish early and find yourself awkwardly staring at five empty minutes?
This is one of the most common questions new pilates instructors have. And the honest answer probably isn't what you expect.
The short answer: A 60-minute reformer class has room for roughly 14–22 exercises — 4–6 in the warm-up, 8–12 in the main section, and 2–4 in the cool-down. The key isn't calculating minutes per exercise — it's thinking in sections. Once you make that shift, class plan length becomes much easier to judge.
the real reason timing feels impossible
When you first start teaching, you're managing a lot at once. You're watching bodies. Holding your sequence in your head. Managing springs and spring changes. Giving corrections. Reading the energy in the room.
And then there's the clock.
That's a lot of cognitive load. No wonder timing is usually the first thing to slip — or the first thing you fixate on because you're scared of getting it wrong. So you either rush through everything. Or you look at the clock, see five minutes left, and realise you still have half your plan to go.
Both of these happen to almost every new instructor. Neither means your plan is bad. It means you're learning — which is exactly where you're supposed to be right now.
what experienced instructors are actually doing
A lot of new teachers assume that experienced instructors have some kind of internal calculator — that they know exactly how many minutes each exercise takes and just add it up until they hit the right number.
That's not how it works.
Experienced instructors have simply taught enough classes to develop a feeling for the rhythm. They're not calculating — they're sensing when to move forward and when to stay. They know from repetition, not from mental arithmetic.
"The sense of timing doesn't come from calculating. It comes from teaching — class by class, week by week."
That's not a special talent. It's pattern recognition built over hundreds of classes. And you're building it right now — even when it doesn't feel like it.
the shift that changes everything: think in sections, not exercises
Early in teaching, most instructors think in individual exercises. Footwork — about 4 minutes. Hundred — 3 minutes. Elephant — 2 minutes. You try to add it all up and land on 60 minutes.
The problem: real classes don't run like that. A correction takes longer than you planned. An exercise doesn't work for the group today, so you adapt. You linger on a cue because you can see it's needed.
What actually helps is a different way of thinking: think in sections instead of individual exercises.
Every well-structured reformer class follows the same phases — whether it's 45, 60, or 75 minutes. When you know roughly how much time each phase should take, you have a framework that's flexible enough to bend without breaking.
a rough guide to pilates class plan length by section
- 45-minute class: Warm-up (8–10 min) / Main section (25–28 min) / Cool-down (7–10 min)
- 60-minute class: Warm-up (12–15 min) / Main section (30–35 min) / Cool-down (10–12 min)
- 75-minute class: Warm-up (15–18 min) / Main section (40–45 min) / Cool-down (12–15 min)
These aren't rigid rules — they're reference points. Some groups need more time to settle in. Some exercise flows move faster than expected. That's fine. The framework gives you safety without locking you in.
For a deeper look at how to build each phase: how to structure a pilates class.
how many exercises fit in a pilates class?
As a rough guide for a 60-minute reformer class:
- Warm-up: 4–6 exercises
- Main section: 8–12 exercises (depending on complexity and spring changes)
- Cool-down: 2–4 exercises
If your plan has significantly more than that — cut something. Not because you want to do less, but because you want to give the exercises you do teach actual space to land.
Too many exercises means: you rush. There's no time for corrections. The class feels hurried — and even if your clients can't put their finger on why, they feel it.
If you have significantly fewer: add a variation or progression as a buffer — but as an option, not a requirement. If you don't need the time, skip it. If you do, you have something ready.
how to actually test whether your class plan is the right length
Here's a simple method many experienced instructors use before teaching a new plan for the first time:
Walk through it mentally. Not a full rehearsal — just a quick run-through in your head. Check whether each section feels roughly proportionate. Is the warm-up unusually long? Is the main section overloaded?
And then: teach the same plan two or three times. You'll notice the timing feels noticeably calmer the second time — not because the plan got better, but because you know it. You're not spending as much mental energy on the sequence, which frees up attention for the clock, your clients, and the room.
"There's a big difference between a beautiful sequence on paper and a class that feels smooth, intentional, and well-paced in the room."
For the full class planning method for reformer groups: reformer pilates class planning.
why is your class plan a framework, not a script?
A good class plan gives you security — it doesn't tell you how every single minute has to look.
Sometimes you need more time on one exercise because you can see the group needs it. Sometimes a sequence moves faster than expected. Sometimes you need to adapt on the spot.
Those aren't failures. That's good teaching.
The internal sense of pacing — knowing when to move forward and when to stay — only develops through consistent teaching. There's no shortcut. But it comes. Sooner than you think.
what can you do right now?
If you're struggling with timing right now: don't overhaul everything at once. Don't randomly cut exercises before class. Don't change your whole approach every week.
Instead:
- Teach the same plan three or four times. Write a quick note after each class about what ran long and what ran short.
- Look at sections first — not individual exercises. Is your warm-up disproportionately long? Is the main section overloaded with back-to-back series?
- Build in a small buffer — one variation you only use if you have time to spare.
Timing isn't a talent you either have or don't. It's a skill that develops through teaching. And you're already building it — one class at a time.
Less time planning, more time for your clients?
Pilates Plans gives you a ready-to-use reformer class plan every week — with clear phase structure, timing guidance, and cueing prompts. So you can focus on what actually matters.
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