Hi. I’m Carla Hüsselmann.

When did you first hear about Pilates? I spied it on a gym schedule 20-odd years ago and mistakenly pronounced it “Pilots”. You’ll be relieved to hear I’ve since learnt a lot more about this gentle yet demanding whole-body exercise regime.

Arguably, I should have introduced myself with a photo of me entangled in an impressive Pilates pose, rather than grinning atop Pillar Fell in the glorious Lake District. But after a heady hike (my other obsession), Pilates is what puts me back together again so I can hike the next day without a cranky back, legs or shoulders. And it works its movement ‘magic’ after a tough run, cycle, swim, or too many hours glued to a screen.

Plus, that huge smile on my face is precisely how I feel when I do Pilates, even when I’m tackling ab-busting exercises like ‘The Hundreds’ (which arguably, should have been named ‘The Thousands’).

A mind-body challenge you won’t regret trying

Regular Pilates classes over the past decade or so have taught me about the absolute necessity of core strength and a flexible spine in our daily lives. But as importantly, Pilates has changed how I feel about my body and what it’s capable of. I don’t doubt its strength, flexibility or resilience anymore.

Its meditative mindfulness also grounds me after a stressful day, and ultimately, Pilates has taught me to trust my body.

My training with and teaching of Body Control Pilates

My background is in health journalism, but as my passion for Pilates deepened, I realised I didn’t want to only write about its myriad mind-body benefits but teach it and share the love.

The renowned Body Control Pilates© (BCP) Level 3 matwork teacher training course in London was the obvious choice for my first steps into teaching in 2019. It was the toughest challenge I’d ever undertaken, but the most rewarding thanks to the guidance of many of the UK’s most respected teachers. I worked on BCP’s teacher trainee support team for a year, too, helping run the thriving school in Bloomsbury.

I now run my own Pilates group classes in Raynes Park, Richmond, Southfields and Wimbledon Village, including private and duet classes within South West London. I have also taught for Pilates studios in London including Diane Aben Pilates, Welcome Pilates, Ankor Pilates, Suzanne Pilates and Asena Roberts Pilates.

I’ve continued with my professional development and have completed the following BCP courses: Intermediate Mat, Matwork Evolution, small equipment, and Pilates for the Older Person. I’m currently completing my certification for BCP’s Back4Good Low Back Pain Course.

I’m here to help you move more with Pilates

If you’re up for a Pilates challenge, I’d love to get your body moving more easily, efficiently and mindfully. I promise you won’t regret it, even when you’re hating me just a little bit for taking you out of your comfort zone.

And if we do have the pleasure of meeting each other, that’s a South African accent you’ll hear. I’m from beautiful Cape Town, but London is my home for the foreseeable future.

Let’s get moving more together!

Body Control Pilates: A brief history

The Body Control Pilates© Method was developed in the UK by Lynne Robinson and Gordon Thomson and launched in 1996.

Lynne and Gordon knew that Jo Pilates’s ‘Classical’ or ‘Full Mat’ exercises can take many years to perfect and are often beyond the capability of the average person. So they broke Jo’s exercises down into more attainable chunks, ensuring that their clients could enjoy the benefits of Pilates while working safely and effectively as they moved towards Jo’s more advanced exercises.

Thanks to their progressive approach, Pilates was now more accessible, and could also be taught in church halls and community centres rather than in the rarefied (and expensive) atmosphere of elite Pilates studios.

The Body Control Pilates Method soon spread to the US, Canada, Europe, Australia and my home country, South Africa.