Student Interview: Nakamura-san (49 years old, female)

MARY
Nov 10, 2025
3 min read

Hello everyone. I'm Mary, your trainer.

I started giving private lessons in 2020, and some of my students have been teaching for five years now. ✨So, I wanted to share the benefits that my students have experienced from Pilates, and I asked for their cooperation in this interview.

I would be happy if this could be an encouragement to everyone ✨ Please be sure to watch until the end.

This time, Nakamura-san cooperated with us!

Nakamura has been receiving my Pilates instruction for about eight years, and this is her fifth year of private lessons.

Did you have any exercise habits before starting Pilates?

I take group yoga classes once or twice a week! I also go mountain climbing about once a month. I also run occasionally, and once a year I participate in a marathon (10km) with friends. I also swim and snowboard occasionally.

Please tell us when and what inspired you to start Pilates!

My first experience with Pilates was a group lesson. It was deep and difficult, but also a lot of fun. I wanted to learn more! This was what I was looking for! I also wanted to see the effect of toning my body line. So I decided to take private lessons.

What changes have you noticed since starting Pilates?

After about six months, I noticed a change in my appearance. My ribs tightened and I got a slimmer waist.

When I had my waist circumference measured during my health checkup, it was 10cm smaller, so I showed a photo of the results along with the one from the previous year to Dr. Mary (lol). My bow legs have straightened out and I've received compliments from my colleagues, and I can really feel my hips lifting. Also, my shoulders were quite different in height, but that's gradually become more even. I also feel like my performance in other exercises has improved. And most importantly, my daily happiness has increased. After the lesson, I feel a sense of accomplishment and euphoria, and I just feel so happy.

---MARY: Do I not need to tell you about the person who asked for my contact information?

Huh!! (lol)

I was suddenly approached by a stranger and asked for my contact information. I was so happy that I told my teacher about it (lol).

What are your goals in Pilates lessons now? Is there anything you pay attention to in your daily life?

Right now, I'm mainly working on intermediate exercises. I'm also practicing some advanced exercises, which are my goal for this year. In terms of muscles, I'm conscious of using my iliopsoas muscles so that I can always keep my pelvis neutral. There are a lot of muscles that I'm not good at using, so I want to overcome that. In my daily life, I try to be as conscious as possible of good posture, and I've also started to pay attention to how I walk. And breathing! I'm doing radio calisthenics using Pilates breathing techniques (lol).

Please tell us about any stories that made you feel glad that you were doing Pilates.

People often tell me that I have beautiful legs and that I look younger than my actual age. (Sorry if I say that too often lol) They also ask me if I'm stressed. I think it's all thanks to Pilates.

Also, I had been using Pilates to improve my lower back and ankle injuries, so that was also helpful. Before the marathon, I focused on lower body strengthening exercises, and it made running easier.

What advice would you give to someone wanting to start Pilates?

The best thing about it is that it improves your happiness. It regulates your autonomic nervous system and puts you in a good mood. It tightens your body, reduces swelling, and reduces physical discomfort. I feel like I can stay younger if I keep doing it.

---MARY: Nakamura-san, while you've felt a variety of benefits, happiness seems to be the most important thing!

It's always very impressive how, after each lesson, she cheerfully says things like, "It's over already?! It went by so quickly!", "Today was fun!", and "I'm so happy!"

Thank you for participating in the interview!