Lori Thompson on What Pilates Really Is, And Why Most People Get It Wrong

I’ll be honest. Before sitting down with Lori Thompson from Mindful Movement, I realized something.

A lot of people, myself included at one point, don’t actually understand what Pilates is.

We’ve heard the word. We’ve seen the reformer machines. Maybe we’ve lumped it into the same mental category as stretching or yoga.

After this conversation, that assumption is completely gone.

Lori has been teaching Pilates for nearly 20 years in our community, but her story starts much further away. At 19, she left Canada for what was supposed to be a one-year adventure in Australia. She stayed for ten.

She was teaching high-impact aerobics classes in the early 90s, five or six a day. Lots of pounding. Lots of wear and tear. Even in her early 20s, her body was already feeling it.

Then she tried one Pilates class.

“I stood taller. I was breathing better. My back felt amazing.”

That was it. She was in.

Back then, Pilates wasn’t everywhere. One studio in all of Sydney. No big chains. No social media workouts. Just a method created by Joseph Pilates in the early 1900s, originally designed for men and even used to rehabilitate injured soldiers using modified hospital beds and springs.

That part alone surprised me.

When Lori moved back to Canada in 2001, she didn’t sign a big lease or build a massive studio overnight. She started in her condo. Two pieces of equipment. Semi-private sessions in a tiny sunroom.

She laughed about it. Neighbours probably knew something was going on. It was one of those “ask for forgiveness, not permission” seasons.

But here’s what stood out.

She scaled slowly.

Two pieces of equipment became three. A shared loft space. Then Ocean Park. Then staff. Then 2,000 square feet. Fourteen teachers. A teacher training program. An admin manager so she can focus on teaching, which is what she truly loves.

She never went into debt to grow. She saved. She expanded intentionally. She made mistakes. She adjusted.

That kind of patience is rare in business.

But what really stuck with me were the stories.

She shared about a local pediatrician who was told surgery was his only option for debilitating back pain. He was essentially bedridden. After multiple recommendations, he tried private Pilates sessions twice a week.

Within four months, he was pain-free.

Back to work. Back to life.

And she said those stories aren’t uncommon.

In fact, she said something that really landed.

“We’re often their last resort. I wish we were their first.”

We’re quick to assume the solution has to be invasive. Surgery. Medication. Something external. Meanwhile, there’s this entire system built around spinal mobility, breath, precision, and strengthening the deep stabilizing muscles most of us ignore.

And then there’s the athletic side.

We live in a competitive community. Hockey. Soccer. Baseball. High-performance kids and adults who train hard and lift heavy.

When athletes come into Lori’s studio, they’re often shocked.

Pilates doesn’t chase heavier weight. It chases precision. Can you stabilize without momentum? Can you control your body without relying on big global muscles? Can you slow down enough to truly feel what’s happening?

She told me she’ll put strong athletes on the lightest spring setting, and they shake. Not because they’re weak. Because they haven’t trained those deep stabilizing muscles in that way.

It’s humbling.

And it’s powerful.

What surprised me most was the immediate feedback people give after just one session. According to Lori, about 80 percent of people get up and say one of three things:

“I feel taller.”
“I can breathe better.”
“My back already feels different.”

After one hour.

That’s not hype. That’s alignment.

Today, Mindful Movement is a boutique studio in South Surrey with a team of 14 incredible women. Many have been with Lori since the early days. More than half of her clients have been with her for close to 20 years.

That doesn’t happen by accident.

It happens when you build community, not just a business.

If you’re curious about what Pilates actually is, dealing with pain, or simply want to move better and feel stronger, I’d encourage you to check out Lori and her team at Mindful Movement.

You can learn more about the studio here:
https://www.mindfulmovement.ca

You can also call them at ☎️ (604) 209 1042.

Mindful Movement Pilates
📍 #24 3033 King George Blvd
Surrey, BC, V4P 1B8
Canada

And if you enjoy discovering the real stories behind the business owners shaping White Rock and South Surrey, that’s exactly why we created Best of White Rock.

🚀 If you’re a local professional, entrepreneur, or community leader and you’d like to share your story, we’d love to hear from you.

Apply to be featured here:
https://www.bestofwhiterock.ca/get-featured

There are so many people quietly doing meaningful work in this community.

Lori is one of them.

And there are many more stories worth telling.