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.

06/09/2026

✨ This Week in Pilates – It’s All About Balance! ✨

This week in both our face-to-face and online Pilates classes, we’re bringing out the Yoga Block and we’ll be on the block, under the block and using it in ways you might not expect!

Our main focus this week is balance. Balance isn’t just about standing on one leg, it relies on core strength, coordination, body awareness and all those smaller stabilising muscles working together to keep us steady and controlled.

The Yoga Block is such a simple prop, but it’s brilliant for changing the way familiar Pilates exercises feel. Depending on where we place it, it can provide support and feedback or introduce a little instability and an entirely new challenge.

This week we'll be working on:

⚖️ Balance and stability
💪 Deep core strength and control
✨ Coordination and body awareness
🌿 Posture and alignment
🔥 Strength through the legs, glutes and whole body
🧠 Proprioception – helping your body become better at knowing where it is in space

Expect plenty of familiar Pilates movements with a new twist and probably a few wobbles along the way! 😊 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

Small, friendly classes with a maximum of 8 people, allowing plenty of individual guidance.

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

Come and challenge your balance, strengthen your core and discover just how much you can do with one little Yoga Block! Move with purpose. Feel the difference. 💚

30/08/2026

✨ This Week in Pilates – Release, Restore & Strengthen ✨

This week in both our face-to-face and online Pilates classes, we'll be combining the Foam Roller with light hand weights for a soothing yet strengthening Mat class designed to help you move more freely and feel fantastic afterwards.

We'll use the foam roller to encourage mobility, release tension, and restore ease through the spine and shoulders, while the addition of light weights will bring an element of controlled strength work into the class.

This week's class will help you:

🌿 Release tension through the shoulders, upper back, and spine
💪 Build strength through the arms, shoulders, and upper body
✨ Improve spinal mobility and posture
🔥 Challenge the core as we work with the instability of the roller
🧘 Encourage deeper breathing and more fluid movement
💚 Leave feeling open, calm, strong, and free in your body

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

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

Come and enjoy some time dedicated to helping your body feel stronger, more mobile, and a little less tense. 🌿

23/08/2026

✨ This Week in Pilates – Strength, Flow & Feel-Good Movement ✨

This week in both our face-to-face and online Pilates classes, we'll be combining two different styles of movement for a class that leaves you feeling strong, energised, and wonderfully connected to your body.

We'll begin with a smart, efficient full-body Mat workout using light hand weights. Adding a little extra resistance is a brilliant way to challenge the muscles, particularly through the arms, shoulders, and upper body, while your core works even harder to maintain stability and control.

Expect a versatile sequence designed to make every movement count – building strength, balance, and endurance without sacrificing the precision and control that Pilates is all about.

Then we'll drop the weights and change the pace.

We'll connect breath, intention, and movement in a seamless Pilates flow, allowing the body to move more freely after our strength work. The aim is to release tension, restore mobility, and finish feeling fluid, open, and energised.

💪 Full-body strength
🔥 Core stability and muscular endurance
✨ Balance, posture, and control
🌿 Mobility and flowing movement
🧘 A chance to release tension and reconnect with your body

As always, there will be options throughout so you can choose the level of challenge that works for you.

Face-to-Face Classes – Bassenthwaite Lake

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

Small, friendly classes with a maximum of 8 people.

Online Classes

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

Come and build strength, move with freedom, and finish class feeling strong, capable, and fully alive in your body. 💚

16/08/2026

✨ This Week in Pilates – Overball Focus ✨

This week in both our face-to-face and online Pilates classes, we'll be working with the Overball for a focused Mat class designed to deepen core connection, control, and body awareness.

The Overball may be a small and simple prop, but it can completely change how an exercise feels. It provides feedback and gentle instability, encouraging the deeper abdominal and stabilising muscles to switch on while helping us become more aware of our alignment and movement.

Throughout the class we'll use the ball in different ways to:

💪 Strengthen the deep abdominals and core
🌿 Support spinal stability and healthy movement
✨ Improve alignment and body awareness
🔥 Challenge balance, control, and coordination
🧘 Build strength while maintaining length and ease of movement

Expect a purposeful, feel-good class that will leave you feeling centred, strong, supported, and beautifully aligned. As always, options will be given throughout, so you can choose the level that works best for your body.

📍 Face-to-Face Classes – Bassenthwaite Lake

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

Small classes with a maximum of 8 people, allowing plenty of individual guidance.

🌐 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're coming along to discover how much difference one little ball can make!

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.

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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