Teachers

Elena Whitlock

Pilates: Matwork & Studio Equipment

Elena is an accredited Pilates Foundation UK Teacher. Having worked within the fitness industry since 1994, as group exercise instructor in Holland, London and Bristol, Elena began to focus on rehabilitation. In 2001 Elena began working in the Spinal Rehabilitation Gym at Clifton Chiropractic Clinic, Bristol, helping patients who suffered from all types of spine related problems. This work led to an interest in Pilates and in 2005 she completed a rigorous training course with the Pilates Foundation, qualifying as a Pilates Mat work Teacher, specialising in rehabilitation work.

In 2005 Elena established Vital Pilates within Clifton Chiropractic Clinic.

In 2009 Elena achieved a further qualification with the Pilates Foundation to teach equipment based Pilates.

In 2017 Elena opened her studio in Winford, Chew Valley.

In 2020 Elena opened her studio in Westbury Park

in 2020 Elena qualified to become a Reiki Practitioner

Anthony Briggs

Pilates: Matwork & Studio Equipment

Anthony is a qualified Polestar Mat work Instructor with a background in personal training. He has completed his Pilates comprehensive qualification and teaches equipment in both our Westbury Park and Chew Valley studios. Anthony will ensure you have a full body workout, leaving you feeling invigorated with new strategies for movement and better health.

Nickola Evans

Pilates : Matwork and Studio Equipment

Nickola is a comprehensively trained Polestar Pilates Teacher who has been teaching Pilates since 2004 and personally practicing since 1994.

Nickola taught Yoga for many years and was a massage therapist before training to be a Pilates teacher. She loves the creativity involved in teaching Pilates, how exercises can be adapted and combined to produce beautifully flowing, functional movement. She also enjoys the challenge involved in transforming someone with little body awareness into someone strong and graceful.

Nickola believes it is important as an instructor to keep up-to-date with new understanding and teaching in the fitness industry.

Nickola has experience working with all bodies, from injured gymnasts on team GB to an 80 yr old with Parkinsons.

Joanna Palmer

Pilates: Matwork

Joe is a fully qualified Pilates Matwork instructor and a professional aerial acrobat.  She has been teaching Pilates for over 8 years and performing circus arts for 17 years.

Joe was introduced to Pilates during her circus training at ‘Circomedia, School for Physical Theatre and Circus Arts’.  She has continued to practise Pilates alongside her circus work as an effective and necessary prevention against injury.

In 2014, she completed a rigorous Pilates Matwork training (500hrs) with Master practitioner Suzanne Scott at The Scott Studio in Somerset.

She continued her professional development qualifying as a STOTT Pilates Total Barre instructor in 2019.  She is fully qualified to teach both pregnancy and postnatal Pilates having completed her training with full marks with Rachel Rafiefar, director of ‘The Thoughtful Body’ and ‘Mama Pilates’ in 2015 and again as a refresher in 2020

Joanna has an extensive understanding of the human body. This allows her to teach an inclusive class where everyone’s individual needs are met, encouraging and challenging each to their own ability.

Lucy Balmer

Pilates: Matwork

Lucy is a Polestar trained Mat Instructor and has been practicing for over 4 years.  She is passionate about continued learning and development, focusing on anatomy and function to improve her knowledge of the interplay of muscles and facia and improving her practice & teaching of the advanced Pilates exercises.

Lucy’s passion for Pilates comes from suffering with a severe prolapsed disc. Her physio recommended she try Pilates to aid her recovery.  Pilates was the only thing that eased her pain & has made her stronger.  She fell in love with it so much that she left a successful 25-year career in the food industry to retrain as a qualified instructor.

“I have always loved health and fitness and found that with age comes wisdom.  Running and HIT led me to injuries – Pilates has literally changed my life.  It is a full body, workout for everyone, your posture improves, you become stronger & it aids all aspects of your daily movement. It will also help calm a busy mind!”

Lydia Cowcher

Pilates: Matwork & Studio Equipment

Lydia first discovered Pilates and Barre during her training as a contemporary dancer. Pilates classes were taught frequently and became an essential practice to enhance body awareness, improve alignment, strength and flexibility.

Lydia completed her training as a level 3 Pilates teacher and since then has completed her pre/post-natal Pilates, Pilates for orthopaedic conditions and her Reformer training with APPI. She is passionate about rehabilitation and improving her clients’ overall health and wellbeing. Postural improvement, core strength and mobility are focused heavily in her classes where she aims to create an inclusive and engaging space for all.

Annie Kelleher

Pilates: Matwork

Annie is a choreographer and dancer who trained at Northern School of Contemporary Dance and then went on to train with Jasmin Vardimon Company as part of JV2. She has been doing Pilates since she was a teen but it wasn’t until attending dance school that she fully understood and saw the benefits of Pilates to maintain a healthy body and reduce risk of injury.

She qualified as a mat work instructor in 2021 and has been working with Vital Pilates since October 2022.

Annie enjoys getting to know her clients, sharing her enthusiasm for Pilates and showing people how Pilates can benefit their everyday lives.

Carrie Fick

Pilates: Matwork & Studio Equipment

Carrie has been practicing Pilates since moving from London to Bristol. Having previously worked in Marketing she understands how Pilates can re-balance and align the body and mind after a busy day. During her training to become certified with Polestar in matwork and props Carrie has formed the belief that Pilates is a system that can create lasting change for freedom of movement. She loves bringing a holistic and varied approach to teaching so that everyone can experience the benefits of Pilates for themselves.

Paloma Hillman

Pilates: Matwork

Paloma is a qualified Polestar Mat Instructor and has a background in Reflexology and wellness.

Paloma discovered the benefits of Pilates during her first pregnancy 22 years ago. Returning to it again years later due to recurring neck and shoulder tension.
Gaining more body awareness felt so rewarding she decided to train in Mat Pilates. Having a keen interest in wellbeing she loves how Pilates facilitates a mind body connection, bringing about a sense of calm and balance as well as an improved movement experience which she strives to impart during her classes.