What Is Infrared Pilates? A Complete Guide
Infrared Pilates is one of the questions we are asked most often at Sojourn. It is one of the formats on our schedule, with a handful of infrared classes running each week alongside our different styles of reformer. Once you have moved through a class, the appeal tends to settle in quickly.
In simple terms, infrared Pilates pairs the precision of a traditional Pilates practice with the steady, considered warmth of infrared heat. Rather than warming the air around you, infrared technology gently warms the body itself, much like the way sunlight feels on the skin without any of the harm. The result is a softer entry into your practice. Muscles release sooner, joints move more freely, and the mind finds space to settle alongside the body.
How does it work?
At our Broughton Astley studio in Leicestershire, the infrared panels are positioned to create an even, enveloping warmth throughout the room. The temperature is set to support your practice rather than dominate it, so you are never working in extreme heat. The warmth simply holds you as you move.
Infrared light reaches beneath the surface of the skin, warming muscle and connective tissue at a depth that ambient heat cannot. A review published in the Journal of Clinical Medicine reported that far infrared therapy can improve peripheral circulation, ease muscle stiffness and support recovery after physical exertion. Further research, including work in Photonics & Lasers in Medicine, has explored its role in encouraging a shift towards parasympathetic activity, the calmer side of the nervous system responsible for helping the body move out of stress and into rest.
For Pilates, this combination is meaningful. You arrive in a body that is already a little more open, a little more willing, and your practice can meet you there.
What does an infrared Pilates class feel like?
The first thing most clients notice is the warmth itself. It greets you as you step into the studio and continues steadily throughout the class, which makes it easier to slow the breath and stay present in each movement. Many of our clients across Leicestershire tell us that an infrared class feels like a reset, a quiet hour where the outside world recedes and the body has somewhere soft to land.
You will still work. Pilates remains Pilates, and our classes are designed to challenge strength, stability and control. The infrared environment does not soften the work, it changes how the work feels. The body warms sooner, transitions feel smoother, and the recovery in the days afterwards tends to be kinder.
Who is infrared Pilates suitable for?
Accessibility is one of our quiet priorities at Sojourn. Infrared Pilates is suitable for most people, from complete beginners through to experienced practitioners. The warmth can be especially welcome for those managing joint stiffness, persistent tension, fluctuating energy, or a body that simply takes a little time to feel ready in the morning. It is also a beautiful option if you are drawn to the sensory experience of warmth, light and movement together.
Infrared is not suitable during any stage of pregnancy. There are also a handful of other circumstances where we would ask you to check with your GP or physiotherapist before booking, such as disc injuries, severe osteoporosis, acute inflammation or unresolved back pain. If you are unsure whether infrared is right for you, our team is happy to talk you through what to expect, or to arrange a Movement Analysis 1:1 if a longer conversation would help.
Why we chose infrared at Sojourn
When we built our class schedule, we wanted to offer a few different ways into a Pilates practice, each with its own quality. Our reformer classes, in their different styles, remain the heart of what we do, and infrared earned its place on the timetable because of how clients respond to it. There is something about practising in a warmer, gently lit room that suits certain bodies and certain days, and we like being able to offer that choice.
The research continues to support what our clients describe each week. Studies on infrared and warmth have linked it to improved circulation, faster muscle recovery, lower perceived stress, and better quality sleep. We see those benefits reflected in the way our community moves, in the calm they leave with, and in how the practice begins to settle into the rhythm of their wider lives.
If you are based in Leicestershire, near Lutterworth or Broughton Astley, and you have been considering infrared Pilates, our schedule has a handful of classes each week. You can book through our website or get in touch with any questions. We will be here when you are ready.
