How A Physical Therapist Made Pilates More Accessible

Pilates looks trendy on social media, but its roots are rehab, pain relief, and learning how to control your body again. We sit down with Dr. Emilie Robinson, a Doctor of Physical Therapy and certified Pilates instructor, to talk about why she built Rise Pilates and Physical Therapy and how she’s making movement feel more approachable in the Tampa Bay area.

We get into the real reasons people avoid Pilates studios: intimidation, pricing, and the sense that you have to be “good at it” before you start. Emily shares how community wellness events change that dynamic, from winery classes to the surprisingly effective joy of Puppies And Pilates. If you’ve ever struggled to stay consistent, we also talk about accountability, support systems, and setting SMART goals that fit real schedules instead of fantasy routines.

Then we go practical. Emilie breaks down Pilates fundamentals that make everything else work better: breathing mechanics, diaphragm control, deep core stability, pelvic floor function, and finding neutral alignment before chasing harder exercises. We also discuss how Pilates can support chronic low back pain management, how it complements strength training and walking, and why it’s not “Pilates vs yoga” but a smarter, more flexible fitness regimen built around you.

If you enjoyed this conversation, subscribe for more evidence-informed health without the hype, share it with a friend who’s been stuck, and leave a quick review to help more people find the show. What would make Pilates feel accessible for you right now?

Transcript

Welcome And Guest Introduction

SPEAKER_02 0:18

Hello, everyone. It's Yvette Kuzman here with the Health Without Hype podcast, and we have a special guest today, Miss Emily with Rise Pilates. And before we jump into our conversation, I'll have her introduce herself and tell us a little bit about Rise Pilates and how she got it started.

SPEAKER_01 0:38

Thank you, Yvette. It's great to be here. Thank you for having me. I am Emily Robinson, and I'm a doctor of physical therapy and a certified Pilates instructor as well as a certified lymphatic specialist. So we did just have a DBA name change to Rise Pilates and Physical Therapy so that I could better highlight a more encompassing of the brand of Rise Pilates.

Building Rise Pilates And PT

SPEAKER_01 1:05

But I started RISE two years ago, and January 11th is it's RISE's birthday. But I've been a therapist now for 10 years and felt that it was time for me to go out and really open my own practice, but have an additional part of that practice be a little bit more all-encompassing rather than just just niching myself in for a physical therapy clinic. So that's kind of the origin story of RISE.

SPEAKER_02 1:39

That's awesome. Thank you so much for sharing that. And I feel like you have a very unique take on physical therapy and Pilates. You do some events and you also do some one-on-one uh coaching or classes or treatments or whatever depends on what service you're providing. Um, can you tell us a little bit about why you started doing events and how you kind of got into that?

SPEAKER_01 2:03

Yeah. So when I was looking to start the business, I was coming out of working. I had worked for hospitals, I had worked in outpatient settings, and I'd worked in higher education. And leaving those positions, I was kind of at an impasse of, okay, I wanted to still do physical therapy, but when I was going through a lot of mental and physical difficulties, uh, something that I really relied on was my Pilates practice. And I had used Pilates in my practice with clients and patients in the hospital and outpatient. And I just let myself get away from it and practicing it for me. And I was doing a lot for a lot of other people. So when I decided to make the transition out, it started as just rice Pilates because I think I was so burned out from the physical therapy aspect that I needed a break. And I had seen, right, Pilates was really having its heyday. You know, everybody was having a total moment. Everybody was, that was the focus. And so everybody was like, well, Emily, you can't leave out that skill set of being a physical therapist because it's really at the core, like a healer in terms of how you're doing things. And so,

Community Events And Puppies Pilates

SPEAKER_01 3:25

and I was still doing that, but I hadn't yet blended the two. And so doing the events when I decided I was going to start my own business, space in the real estate market was really hard to obtain. And I thought to myself, I'll just start to reach out to local community partners and see who's willing to let me come into their space and provide Pilates. And how puppies and Pilates really came to be started when I was, it was a really tough time in my life. And I was doing Pilates, but I was like, wouldn't it be cool if we could have like animals? And automatically thinking puppies and Pilates, I was like, this is we've got to do this. So a friend of mine who has done activations had a contact with the Mercyful project, and she brought us together and we started doing events. And two years later, we're we're still going.

SPEAKER_02 4:24

That's awesome. And I've actually been to one of your events. It wasn't one of the puppy events, it was actually at a winery, which I love wine. And so I was like, what a great combo because it doesn't feel as intimidating. Like I haven't done Pilates that much. And so I feel like going to like a Pilates studio might feel like I'm just gonna feel uncomfortable just because I'm not comfortable with my skill set. And so I love that your classes that are out in the community they do feel a little bit less intimidating. But what do you say to people who maybe even don't feel comfortable coming to an event? Or um, what do you have, like what do you say about like Pilates studios and things like that? Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 5:04

And

Making Pilates Affordable And Easy

SPEAKER_01 5:05

I think what we've classically seen is unfortunately, we know Pilates is for everybody, right? Joseph Pilates started as a rehab aide and he formulated all of the movements to help rehab soldiers from war injuries. And so when it's kind of morphed, right? And it seems like some of the studios that you see with the pricing or just the very exclusive feel tends to leave out a lot of people. And yes, you can go on YouTube and you can, you know, find videos and piecemeal some things, but I would tell people I offer programs online. So I've done Zoom sessions and I'm offering in the new year a 21-day, 20 minutes a day type of intro in. So you can do it from the comfort, yeah, of your own home, or you can go to a park and you can set me up on your phone. And it doesn't have to be that group feel if it's intimidating for you. But that's also nice too, because you're not trying to um, you're not trying to bring a bunch of videos together from a YouTube, right? You know it's there. You can go onto our podia platform and you can click each day, and it's just 20 minutes. So it's not trying to, you know, I didn't want it to be this super salesy pitch, right? I wanted to make it affordable and accessible for people as well. And I think that, you know, there are people who might decide they're gonna get the course, and then they also have their friends come over and do it. And that is of no issue. The more people doing Pilates to me is really the better. So there are options and then even reaching out and doing a one-on-one session. If you're needing a little bit more one-on-one care, we can also do that.

SPEAKER_02 6:57

That's awesome. Yeah. And so you mentioned that Pilates really is for everybody. And I do feel like it's kind of like um certain things like spin and yoga. It feels like very much like it's been tailored to women and the marketing aspect. And then sometimes you go to a class and you see a guy and you're like, oh, what are you doing here? Yeah. Um, but it really is. I mean, fitness and all the options

Pilates Origins And Real Rehab Roots

SPEAKER_02 7:20

should be for everybody. Um, can you tell us a little bit more about like the background on Pilates and who it can help and things like that?

SPEAKER_01 7:27

So I think like you just mentioned, marketing, right, is so powerful. Like, how insane is marketing too? We see a lot on our social media sites of Pilates being a lot of younger women in matching sets on reformers, or you know, doing very high-level skilled exercises. And that's just simply not how it started. Um, so taking it back to very rehab fundamentals, anybody who's suffering from, let's say, chronic back pain, which Pilates, there's a lot of research, science-backed evidence that Pilates, the Pilates methods help with chronic low back pain and management of those um other chronic things that come with that, right? So when I think about recommending exercises to people that I learned back in PT school, a lot of them are rooted in the Pilates method. We can reinvent the wheel as many times as we really want, right? But riding a bicycle and taking a spin class, right? You're doing spins is really like hard cardio driven, right? But you could also just get out and ride your bike in your community and you don't necessarily have to be part of a boutique fitness um level. But that's the great thing about Pilates, too, is it can be you have the mat form of Pilates, which is what Joseph originally came up with, and then reformer and apparatus Pilates. So if you if you take a look at a standard reformer, it similarly looks like a hospital bed, which is what Joseph Jerry rigged, really, to help with rehab for soldiers. So he has a Pilates chair, which has kind of morphed, but that was originally born from a lazy boy for people who couldn't get up from a chair. Wow. And then some of his other equipment was really gymnastics-rooted because that was part of his background, um, doing gymnastics, boxing type of things. So you can see that he's created some things to help multiple, like varying levels of people. So at the most rudimentary level, somebody I could see being in a hospital bed, and we can do different exercises with bands and things like that. And then all the way to getting out and using a reformer, maybe you're doing higher level planking or something like that. So I think bringing more awareness to that, that no matter really what your condition, you could be bedbound and still doing something if you want to, yes, right. And just grade it to what works best for your body.

SPEAKER_02 10:14

That's awesome. So you mentioned it's really great for lower back pain, which I think a lot of people have lower back pain because we're just sitting way more than we have, you know, we're really made to. So what are some things like I know I've done Pilates before, I've been to one of your classes, and I did find that there was like a lot of core engagement and um things that normally I actually, when I work out, like if I'm lifting weights, I don't really do. So can you talk a little bit more about those benefits and kind of like um

Breath, Core Control, Pelvic Floor

SPEAKER_02 10:45

why that's so important?

SPEAKER_01 10:46

Yeah. So I think when we talk about how, like you said, we're sitting a lot more than we're intended to do, that our bodies, we need movement. And a lot of times when I start Pilates or just the fundamentals with anyone, it really starts off with breath. So breath is the key to life, right? We without that, we can't even, we can't even move. So I think getting people, because you know, you and I have seen it, people they they hold their breath or they don't know necessarily how to breathe when they're moving. And so starting to tailor that first, and really when we think about it, you hear a lot of people say, Oh, your core, your core, your core. Well, where does your breath come from? Your chest and your core, right? So I spend a lot of time getting people to understand where their diaphragm is and how their ribs function like a bucket handle as you inhale going up, exhale going down to try and visualize so that people, you know, I'm sure you have seen it too, obviously laboring through having a child, 10 kids. If you're focused on your breathing, you can endure a lot of, you know, endurance holds, core control, things like that. So getting your breath and then imagining a lot of, you know, pretty popular now that we've heard the key buzz term is pelvic floor, right? You hear pelvic floor for everything. Your pelvic floor, your pelvic floor. And it's not so much just about your six-pack abs anymore, but what structures lie deeper than that and the importance of keeping those muscles intact and well functioning. So starting really central and working out towards the rest of the limbs. If you can really get your breath connected with that movement of a lot of times, you'll hear me say, one of my cues is imagine that your belly button is being kind of pulled down through your mat. And I like to um tell people, we don't want ducky butt where your butt's out and we don't want tucky butt. We want somewhere in between, right? You're neutral, what your neutral is. So helping people find that too, because there are many people who lay down on their back and they don't realize that they're, you know, in ducky butt or tucky butt. And so going through and helping people really understand their bodies before they even add a movement on top of it, right? Um, and understanding your body starts with also understanding that breath and how many times, again, we see people just in class, and I'm like, you've gotta bring.

SPEAKER_02 13:25

You gotta bring so you um, that's so interesting. And I think it is super important. I think I see people go like, and we see this in in you know, a lot of fitness things, like they start and they want to go and they want to like be on a reformer, like at the first time. And it's like, without that foundation, are you really getting the benefit? And also, are you gonna have the longevity in it? Because are you gonna get the true benefits if you're skipping what's really needed to feel the benefit? So I think you touched on some really, really great nuggets there. What have you seen like training people that tends to like hold them back or things that have worked for people that maybe

Consistency, SMART Goals, Accountability

SPEAKER_02 14:00

have had trouble like staying consistent with the regimen?

SPEAKER_01 14:03

So I think what really holds people back, especially in our Western society that we live in, is that we do want instant gratification, right? We want it to happen relatively quickly, maybe not overnight, right? That seems to be like a little too extreme, but we want to see, you know, even the fitness things will be like, oh, you know, give us give us a month, give us this, and we'll change how you look and how you feel. And sometimes it takes even longer than that, right? We know that it takes a long time, longer time necessarily to get some of those changes, but you you will start to feel them, right? We know that you know in healthcare there's certain things you can do that relatively in a week or so you'll feel the difference, right?

SPEAKER_02 14:46

You may not see the difference, which sometimes is a barrier for people.

SPEAKER_01 14:51

And staying consistent with that, I think goes into uh, I talk a lot of with my clients about making smart goals. So goals that are specific, measurable, achievable, you know, um reachable, and then time, right? So relevant, reachable, and then something that is really time controlled and focused. So making one or two goals for yourself based off of that framework. So when you think about New Year's resolutions that are coming around and new year, new me, new year, one or two new things about me almost giving it that and giving ourselves a little bit more grace and keeping those goals really at your forefront, and then having somebody also be able to help you with accountability, right? We we understand that people come to us in healthcare for many things to keep them accountable, but also improve their health, right? But maybe it's not a healthcare provider, it's your friend or your family or a support group like a puppies and Pilates or something that can help you stay, stay the course and be consistent, right? But there are many things we know that throw our consistency off. Uh, and also I think giving your space, your time, yourself time and space to understand that if you're not consistent, it's not the end of the world, right?

SPEAKER_02 16:13

You can just be in like all or nothing kind of mentality.

SPEAKER_01 16:16

You can you can drop everything and then pick it back up, right? And who's there alongside you to pick it back up, I think is really key too.

SPEAKER_02 16:25

That's awesome. Yeah, I think those are some huge things I've talked about before, is like I think people skip those steps, and that's why you don't get the good foundation, is like you're just expecting results really fast, or you're just trying to do it all by yourself because you don't want to tell people about it. And I think to an extent, there's there if you add those layers in, having somebody that you're sharing it with, and if you feel uncomfortable, like maybe you feel like your friends are family, you can't go to them right now. Then trusting somebody that's a professional just to be that accountability, I think it does add that layer of like I have to talk to somebody about it. Yeah, and like it doesn't have to be a friend or family member if you don't feel comfortable, but if you do, then that's also great because a lot of times it also helps them get motivated, yeah. And like taking them to an event, or like you mentioned, the 20-day or 21-day 20 minutes. I think that's a great place for people to start because, like, who doesn't have 20 minutes? You can literally probably do the videos while you're in your living room, yes, and while you're watching TV. Yeah. And even if you don't do it perfectly, and maybe you do the first video a few times, like you're gonna get somewhere instead of feeling like, oh, I didn't go to this 60-minute class. Yeah. And so now I'm just gonna start over next week. And it's like, well, I mean, I'm home, I can I can start here and just do something like you know, right here, right now. And I I've tried to do that even like when I feel like I'm really busy, because like usually even going for like a 10-minute walk or yeah, you know, doing some deep breathing exercises, it can change your whole mood, and then you have more energy to maybe do some more stuff later.

SPEAKER_01 17:59

Yeah. Oh, for sure. I mean, there's those things like you said, just a 10-minute walk, like how often we think we don't have the time. If you can make the time and you can say, like to yourself, just 10 minutes, 10 minutes. I could go to the bathroom and it could take me that long, right? So another little bathroom break of walking and and the deep breathing. I mean, you understand again, breath is life. You take a little bit of moment to rethink that importance, and it can really it can have you go from maybe a bad, stressful day to a little bit better, right?

Emily’s Balanced Training Routine

SPEAKER_02 18:35

Yeah, absolutely. So, what does your famous regimen look like these days? Tell us a little bit about what the Pilates and PT are doing for yes.

SPEAKER_01 18:45

So when I being a PT working crazy hours, I a lot of people are we like, what do you do you practice what you preach? And I really wasn't back about you know five plus years ago. And I found myself in this very almost, you know, with the pandemic and everything like that, caring for others and some family members that I was caring for and being a new mom. I wasn't really taking care of myself and putting myself first. So when I started to do that with my Pilates practice, it was really important for me, knowing my PT background, that I didn't just do Pilates only and that I varied things that I did. Because I will have clients and I'll work with people who are like, I want to do Pilates seven days a week. And I'm like, okay. So let's just caution, right? We know that we need some multi-factorial training things to go in. So while I'm teaching, I very much show the exercises, and so I'm getting a little bit of those exercises in myself. And I do carve out at least 20 minutes. That's why the 20 minutes was really my focus. 20 minutes for me, I can do 30 minutes sometimes. 30 minutes can be a push, right? So I at least take 20 minutes to give to dedicated Pilates movements. And 20 minutes a day is not the same as attending a high-level Pilates structured fitness class, right? Seven days a week. So, yes, while I'm doing Pilates, I'm also doing things like walking and strength training. So I do believe that the amount of strength training that we are prescribing, and you and I both understand that from meeting, really, in strength training, that we need to be doing more of that than we're originally doing anyway. So my schedule looks like strength training anywhere from three to five days a week, a little bit of Pilates, potentially maybe longer sessions on certain days. Uh, but it really also being a woman changes cycle based and things like that too. So there are some weeks I was like, it's not gonna happen. So I've got to vary it up. Uh, but I really tried to get some activity, and I'm doing that every day. So I am incredibly fortunate I realized to be able to do that.

SPEAKER_02 21:16

But yeah, and I think it's easy to get into either a habit of not doing things because I've totally been in that. I mean, we were both working in the hospital during COVID. So I remember being like, so just one lane, work, sleep, eat, and like you know, we were really interacting. Do it again the next day. Yes. And then it's also it was like you can also just make the choice that you're gonna start moving a little bit more, and it doesn't have to be like, oh, it's gonna be perfect, but like I'm gonna start moving a little bit more every day or something like that. And I remember I used to go outside of the hospital because it was like I was going into the you know how it is when you're in the house when you go in and it's dark and you leave and it's dark. Yeah. So I was started because I was literally feeling like I Just not moving and I'm always in here, and I could feel my own like physical health going down. And I was like, I'm just gonna on my lunch break, I'm gonna just go outside. You there you could walk outside and just walk around in the parking lot, wherever. And I ended up finding areas around the hospital I didn't know existed that I could walk to, but I think it just makes it's that simple choice, and like some days I was like, I don't really want to go for a walk, or I don't I can't leave my office, I'm too busy. And I would still just go, and it always made such a big impact on my day, like having that little break and like having some sunlight. Yeah, and I think that it became like a habit, but because I just kept making the choice even when I didn't want to, yeah. And I love that you said like you're not just doing Pilates. I feel like people see, you know, Pilates instructor, or like they see people, like you said, on social media, and it's like, oh, this is the only thing. And it's like, in reality, no, it's you know, they're doing a lot of different things because real health is, you know, you need different types of activities.

SPEAKER_01 22:56

So and I don't know where along the lines the two came up to compete with one another, but I have a lot of people come to me and they're like, Why is yoga better than Pilates? And I'm like, it is not an either or. That's a serious. I'm always like, let's sit and talk about the real differences behind the two, and that they both have their place in your fitness regimen. Absolutely.

SPEAKER_02 23:21

So it's you know, it is funny though, because I do feel like they they do fall into like a similar bucket in people's minds, and people are like, oh, I'm either team yoga or team Pilates, when in reality it's they are very different. And yeah, but both great.

SPEAKER_01 23:34

Yeah, I advise my clients, you know, and there is no, I I've had clients say, Well, aren't you worried if you get them to a yoga program or in a yoga class that they're they're gonna leave you? And I don't run on a trance of scarcity. There's always abundance, there's always enough to go around. And I think we definitely saw that. We see it in healthcare, we see it as what we're doing. And so I always I am just a very big options person for all people that I meet and having it meet them where they are, if that works for them. Some people are really like, I had a bad experience at yoga, I don't want to do it. And I'm like, well, give yourself some time, maybe, you know, same thing with Pilates. If you didn't have a great experience, perhaps look at the factors that maybe played into that.

SPEAKER_02 24:23

Yeah, absolutely.

2026 Goals And Community Health

SPEAKER_02 24:25

Um, so looking at um, you know, making goals and things like that, what are what are you um your goals for you know the next year?

SPEAKER_01 24:34

Yeah, so in 2026, sitting and thinking, uh I know we had talked about before, and I'd even mentioned when when I first even sought you out for mentorship with my business, you're like, Emily, once you that foot is on the gas, it's just it's gonna go. And sitting and and making those smart goals for myself and the business has been really integral, and goals in in my life that don't necessarily pertain to the business. So one of my goals is really, you know, working a little bit different in my work-life balance, taking some things off of my plate. And it's a running joke within the business that my seven-year-old daughter is the boss of Rise Pilates uh and PT because she really is. She dictates a lot of my schedule. And, you know, being a mom is my most best top job that I will ever have. And being, you know, with her is really important. So writing out goals that include her as well into my business structure. And my husband, who is a principal in Hillsborough County, and doing wonderful things for our community and the children and teachers of our community, and expanding and helping in that area as well, because community education and health are so near and dear to our hearts. So making some goals that really reflect on how I can best help public health in Hillsborough and surrounding counties of the Tampa Bay area and education as well. So I have yet to kind of pinpoint those, but I think staying and expanding on events and with practice and getting a little bit broader of a reach in the community is a center of my focus.

SPEAKER_02 26:26

That's awesome. So, where can people find you if they

Where To Find Rise Pilates

SPEAKER_02 26:30

want to find out more about your services and your upcoming events?

SPEAKER_01 26:33

Yes. So I am in two most places people typically find me. One is my Instagram, which is at rise Pilates period P-T, all lowercase letters. And my website is www.risepilates studios.com. So most people are finding me through my website and through my Instagram. People will LinkedIn look for my name as well because I spell Emily E-M-I-L-I-E Robinson. And so people can find me there as well. And I get uh some good reach outs from both of those, and I post about the events all over social media and on my website too. And there's a very transparent pricing scheduling that I also believe in having for clients.

SPEAKER_02 27:27

Awesome. Thank you so much for sharing and for being here today. It was really amazing to hear more about everything you're up to.

SPEAKER_01 27:35

Thank you. Good. What do we think, Erin Gray?