What are the opening hours?

Monday 6pm - 7pm 7:30pm - 8:30pm Tuesday 1pm - 2pm 6pm - 7pm Wednesday 6:45am - 7:15am 6:15pm - 7:15pm Thursday 6:45am - 7:15am 8pm - 9pm Friday 11:30am - 12:30pm 1:30pm - 3pm

VR Pilates

Pilates for real life. Teaching since 2009, my classes focus on building strength, stability, and calm without pressure or burnout. Move well. Feel strong.

Small, supportive Pilates groups online and face-to-face at Bassenthwaite Lake. Stay connected. Pilates is an excellent way to improve the way you train as well as helping with back pain and mis-alignments within the body. It is a fantastic complementary form of training to all other exercise

I hope to be able to share news / events and updates with all my class members as well as inspire, motivate and help with any exercise tips on a regular basis.

09/08/2026

This week in Pilates ✨

We’re going back to basics… before turning up the flow!

We’ll begin with The Basics; a feel-good Mat class designed to reconnect you with the foundations of Pilates. We’ll focus on control, alignment, core connection and moving with intention, building strength and confidence in your body as we go.

Then we’ll take those foundations into a flowing Classical Mat sequence, where the pace picks up and the movements begin to link together. Expect continuous movement, seamless transitions and a full-body challenge to build strength, control, precision and endurance.

Sometimes going back to basics is exactly what we need to move forwards. No props. No fuss. Just you and your mat.

Face-to-face – Bassenthwaite

Monday 6.00pm
Tuesday 6.00pm
Wednesday 6.15pm
Thursday 6pm

Online

Monday 7.30pm
Tuesday 1.00pm & 7.30pm
Wednesday 6.45am – 30 mins
Thursday 6.45am – 30 mins
Friday 11.30am

Come and join me! 💚

02/08/2026

✨ This Week in Pilates ✨

This week in both our online and face-to-face Pilates classes, we're bringing back one of the original Pilates props again, the Magic Circle , for a class that will ignite your core and challenge your body in all the right ways.

The Magic Circle is brilliant for creating deeper connection, greater control, and improved precision. It provides instant feedback, helping you engage the right muscles while adding just the right amount of resistance to familiar exercises.

This week's class will focus on:

💪 Strengthening the core and building deep abdominal control
✨ Sculpting and strengthening the inner thighs and glutes
🌿 Improving posture, alignment, and body awareness
🔥 Building full-body strength with precision and control
😊 Leaving you feeling strong, connected, and energised

If time allows, we'll also introduce the Yoga Block for an extra challenge. This simple prop is fantastic for encouraging better alignment, increasing muscle activation, and helping you connect even more deeply to your movement.

As always, options will be given throughout, making the class suitable for all levels and abilities.

📍 Face-to-Face Classes (Bassenthwaite Lake)
Monday – 6pm
Tuesday – 6pm
Wednesday – 6:15pm
Thursday – 6pm

🌐 Online Classes
Monday – 7:30pm
Tuesday – 1pm & 7:30pm
Wednesday – 6:45am (30 mins)
Thursday – 6:45am (30 mins)
Friday – 11:30am

Whether you're joining us in the studio or online, come and experience a class that will challenge your body, improve your movement, and leave you feeling stronger, taller, and more connected than when you arrived.

I'd love to see you there! 💚

26/07/2026

✨ This Week in Pilates ✨

This week in both our online and face-to-face Pilates classes, we'll be enjoying the best of both worlds with two complementary workouts designed to leave you feeling strong, mobile, and energised.

We'll begin by blending strength and stretch in a dynamic mat class using the Theraband to add gentle resistance and challenge. The Theraband is a fantastic Pilates prop, helping to improve muscle activation, increase mobility, and enhance body awareness while supporting good alignment. As we move with rhythm and flow, you'll build heat, improve flexibility, and develop strength with control.

In the second half of class, we'll put the Theraband aside and enjoy a full-body mat workout using nothing more than you and your mat. This empowering flow will build functional strength, challenge the core, and encourage fluid movement, leaving you feeling strong, confident, and fully alive in your body.

You can expect to:
💪 Build full-body strength and core stability
🌿 Improve mobility and flexibility
✨ Enhance posture, balance, and body awareness
🔥 Build heat through controlled, flowing movement
😊 Leave feeling open, energised, and ready for the week ahead

As always, options will be given throughout, making the class suitable for all levels and abilities.

📍 Face-to-Face Classes (Bassenthwaite Lake)
Monday – 6pm
Tuesday – 6pm
Wednesday – 6:15pm
Thursday - 6pm

🌐 Online Classes
Monday – 7:30pm
Tuesday – 1pm & 7:30pm
Wednesday – 6:45am (30 mins)
Thursday – 6:45am (30 mins)
Friday – 11:30am

I'd love to welcome you to class this week. Whether you're joining online or in person, come and enjoy an hour dedicated to moving well, building strength, and feeling your best.

19/07/2026

✨ This Week in Pilates ✨

This week in both our online and face-to-face Pilates classes, we'll be bringing back one of the original Pilates props, the Magic Circle.

Get ready for a class full of playful energy, deep core connection, and purposeful movement. The Magic Circle adds just the right amount of challenge while providing valuable feedback, helping you engage the right muscles and move with greater precision.

Throughout the class we'll strengthen and reconnect to our centre with a feel-good workout that proves challenge and joy really do belong together!

You can expect to:
💪 Build deep core strength and stability
✨ Improve posture, alignment, and body awareness
🌿 Strengthen the arms, legs, and glutes with controlled resistance
🔥 Develop greater balance, coordination, and control
😊 Leave feeling strong, energised, and uplifted

The Magic Circle is a wonderfully versatile Pilates prop. It adds gentle resistance to familiar exercises, helping you activate muscles more effectively while maintaining the length and precision that Pilates is renowned for. It's a fantastic way to deepen your practice while still keeping movement enjoyable and accessible.

As always, options will be given throughout, making the class suitable for a range of abilities.

📍 Face-to-Face Classes (Bassenthwaite Lake)
Monday – 6pm
Tuesday – 6pm
Wednesday – 6:15pm
Thursday – 6pm

🌐 Online Classes
Monday – 7:30pm
Tuesday – 1pm & 7:30pm
Wednesday – 6:45am (30 mins)
Thursday – 6:45am (30 mins)
Friday – 11:30am

Whether you're joining us online or in the studio, I'd love to help you build strength, improve mobility, and leave class feeling refreshed and connected. If you'd like to join in, just send me a message!

13/07/2026

✨ This Week in Pilates ✨

This week we're keeping it beautifully simple… just you and your mat.

Join me for a dynamic full-body Pilates class that flows with strength, control, and seamless transitions. Without any props to distract us, we'll focus on the foundations of Pilates, using breath, precision, and mindful movement to create a workout that is both challenging and incredibly rewarding.

Throughout the class we'll:
💪 Challenge the core with purposeful, controlled movement
✨ Explore new depth in familiar exercises
🌿 Improve strength, balance, and coordination
🔥 Build endurance while moving with fluidity and control
🧘 Leave feeling powerful, connected, and energised

Sometimes the most effective classes are the simplest. Working without equipment allows us to tune into our bodies, refine technique, and appreciate just how much can be achieved with nothing more than a mat and focused movement.

As always, options will be given throughout, making the class suitable for a range of abilities.

📍 Face-to-Face Classes (Bassenthwaite Lake)
Monday – 6pm
Tuesday – 6pm
Wednesday – 6:15pm
Thursday – 6pm

🌐 Online Classes
Monday – 7:30pm
Tuesday – 1pm & 7:30pm
Wednesday – 6:45am (30 mins)
Thursday – 6:45am (30 mins)
Friday – 11:30am

Whether you're joining online or in the studio, I'd love to help you move with more confidence, strength, and ease this week. Let me know if you're coming along.

05/07/2026

✨ **This Week in Pilates** ✨

It's been about 10 week so, this week we'll be bringing back one of my favourite Pilates props, the Foam Roller.

The foam roller is so much more than a tool for releasing tight muscles. In Pilates, it's a brilliant way to challenge your balance, improve body awareness, and encourage your core muscles to work more effectively. It gives instant feedback, helping you find better alignment and move with greater control.

Every now and then, it's important to include a foam roller class because it helps us:
🌿 Release tension through muscles and fascia
💪 Improve core strength and stability
✨ Increase balance, coordination, and body awareness
🧘 Create more mobility through the spine and shoulders
🔥 Leave feeling longer, lighter, and wonderfully refreshed

This week's class will combine strengthening work with moments of release, helping you build a body that is not only stronger but also moves more freely. It's the perfect reminder that Pilates isn't just about working hard, it's about helping your body move well for everyday life.

As always, options will be given throughout, making the class suitable for all levels and abilities.

Face-to-Face Classes (Bassenthwaite Lake)

* Monday – 6pm
* Tuesday – 6pm
* Wednesday – 6:15pm
* Thursday – 6pm

🌐 Online Classes

* Monday – 7:30pm
* Tuesday – 1pm & 7:30pm
* Wednesday – 6:45am (30 mins)
* Thursday – 6:45am (30 mins)
* Friday – 11:30am

I'd love to welcome you to class this week! If you'd like to join me or have any questions, just let me know.

02/07/2026

Pilates isn't a trend. It never has been.

I've been teaching Pilates for over 18 years, long before it became something you saw all over Instagram or associated with matching activewear and beautifully designed studios.

Of course, I'm delighted that more people are discovering Pilates today. If social media inspires someone to step onto a mat or a Reformer for the very first time, that's a wonderful thing.

But I hope we never lose sight of why Pilates was created.

Joseph Pilates didn't develop his method to create the "perfect body". He created it to help people move better, breathe better, stand taller, recover from injury, improve posture, build strength from the inside out, and support the body for life.

At its heart, Pilates is about creating a body that works well.

It's about being able to lift your shopping with confidence, play with your children or grandchildren, garden without your back aching, climb stairs with ease, get up from the floor comfortably, and continue doing the things you love as you get older.

It's about spinal health. Joint health. Core strength. Balance. Mobility. Breathing. Confidence.

And perhaps most importantly, it's about learning to trust your body.

One of the things I love most about Pilates is that it truly is for everybody.

You don't need to be young.
You don't need to be flexible.
You don't need to wear expensive gym clothes.
You don't need to look a certain way.

Whether you're 25 or 85, a complete beginner or someone who's practised for years, Pilates meets you where you are.

After nearly two decades of teaching, that's still the reason I love it.

Fashion changes. Fitness trends come and go.

But helping people feel stronger, move more freely and enjoy life with less pain will never go out of style. 💚

28/06/2026

✨ **This Week in Pilates** ✨

Get ready for a **sculpting mat workout** designed to build **heat, balance, and beautifully controlled strength**.

This week's class is all about slow, purposeful movement. Rather than rushing through exercises, we'll take our time to develop strength with precision, creating those long, lean lines that Pilates is so well known for. You'll feel your muscles working, your posture improving, and your confidence growing as you move through the class.

✨ Expect to:
💪 Build full-body strength with control
🌿 Improve balance, stability, and coordination
🔥 Challenge your core and posture through a satisfying slow burn
✨ Leave feeling taller, stronger, and accomplished

We'll be using **light hand weights** during part of the class. They are **optional**, but I do recommend using them, as they add an extra challenge for the upper body while encouraging greater core stability. If you don't have weights, or simply prefer not to use them, you'll still enjoy a fantastic workout.

As always, options will be given throughout, making the class suitable for a range of abilities.

Face-to-Face Classes (Bassenthwaite Lake)

* Monday – 6pm FULL
* Tuesday – 6pm FULL
* Wednesday – 6:15pm FULL
* Thursday – 6pm SPACES

🌐 Online Classes

* Monday – 7:30pm
* Tuesday – 1pm & 7:30pm
* Wednesday – 6:45am (30 mins)
* Thursday – 6:45am (30 mins)
* Friday – 11:30am

I'd love to see you in class this week! If you'd like to join us or have any questions, just let me know.

22/06/2026

✨ This Week in Pilates ✨

This week in both our online and face-to-face Pilates classes, we'll be enjoying a Theraband Mat class that brings a playful intensity to our practice while focusing on upper-body alignment and core strength.

The Theraband is a fantastic Pilates prop because it provides gentle resistance and instant feedback, helping us to connect more effectively with the muscles we're aiming to work. It can both support movement and add challenge, making familiar exercises feel completely different.

Throughout the class, we'll be moving with breath, precision, and control, using the band to improve posture, strengthen the upper body, and build a deeper connection to the core.

You can expect:
💪 Stronger shoulders, upper back, and core
✨ Improved posture and alignment
🌿 Greater mobility through the shoulders and spine
🔥 Increased control, stability, and body awareness
🧘 A feeling of strength, confidence, and ease throughout the body

This is a lovely class for anyone who spends time sitting at a desk, driving, or simply wants to improve posture and upper-body strength while maintaining the flowing principles of Pilates.

As always, options will be given throughout so you can work at a level that feels right for your body.

📍 Face-to-Face Classes (Bassenthwaite Lake)

Monday – 6pm
Tuesday – 6pm
Wednesday – 6:15pm
Thursday – 6pm

🌐 Online Classes

Monday – 7:30pm
Tuesday – 1pm & 7:30pm
Wednesday – 6:45am (30 mins)
Thursday – 6:45am (30 mins)
Friday – 11:30am

Let me know if you'd like to join or have any questions, I'd love to see you in class this week!

19/06/2026

For those that didn’t know…. This is my other passion 👇🏻

Address

Abingdon-on-Thames
CA139YD

Opening Hours

Monday	6pm - 7pm
	7:30pm - 8:30pm
Tuesday	1pm - 2pm
	6pm - 7pm
Wednesday	6:45am - 7:15am
	6:15pm - 7:15pm
Thursday	6:45am - 7:15am
	8pm - 9pm
Friday	11:30am - 12:30pm
	1:30pm - 3pm

Website

https://www.virginiarichardson.co.uk/pilates

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