Pilates, like Yoga, has a spectrum, ranging from slow and quiet to fast and furious; Caron Bostier’s version, Bootcamp Pilates, is the latter. She’s been teaching this brand of pilates for the past 17 years, and brought it from California to the UK, where she now has trainers and studios in Notting Hill, The City, Fulham and Richmond.

Caron’s background in dancing means that Bootcamp Pilates often incorporates the use of dance moves. However, the major key to why it works so well is a machine called The Reformer.

One hundred years ago, Joseph Pilates original principles were born in a war camp during WWI, when he helped his fellow bedridden inmates use their beds and anything else at hand to create resistance exercise while they were lying down. He used everything from the bedsprings to cables, springs and pulleys attached to the hospital beds to get the patients to use their muscles, and stop them from atrophying.

The Reformer machine Bootcamp Pilates uses today is based on these principles and is a sophisticated version of what Joseph used back when. It’s a well-designed and safe system of springs, straps and pulleys which all work together to provide an effective, no-impact stretching and toning workout.

Bootcamp Pilates now counts legions of supermodels and film stars among their clientele, including Nicole Kidman, Jennifer Aniston and Elizabeth Hurley. The most notable recent UK visitors to Bootcamp Pilates were London Welsh Rugby. New to The Aviva Premiership, the team needed some Premier training and asked Bootcamp Pilates to get them up to scratch.

For more details please visit http://www.bootcamppilates.com/.