Fluidform Pilates Transcends the Studio – And It’s Coming to New Zealand for a One-Off Masterclass

Fluidform founder Kirsten King has been at the forefront of Australia’s Pilates scene since opening her first studio in Waterloo, Sydney, in 2012. When it launched online classes pre-Covid in 2019, Fluidform was similarly ahead of the curve – and the company has continued to expand to what is now a bona fide lifestyle brand.

A Pilates instructor with more than two decades of experience, King has now trained several high profile clients including British singer Rita Ora and PE Nation designer Pip Edwards, with hundreds more testimonials from everyday people praising Fluidform’s programs.

There are now six bricks-and-mortar Fluidform studios across New South Wales and one in Victoria, with plans to open in London and LA. The pandemic saw users of Fluidform At Home surging – and now more than 65,000 people from 90 countries have used the app and online platform, which hosts over 300 workouts, more than 120 exclusive challenges, plus recipes, seasonal meal plans and more.

Now, King is coming to New Zealand on November 8 to hold her first-ever Aotearoa consumer event at The Hotel Britomart in Auckland: a 45-minute class followed by a Q&A and meal. The initial evening session sold out so quickly that a second event has been added for the morning.

Ahead of the event, Broadsheet spoke to King about her journey with Fluidform and how she’s shaped the brand that shapes so many people’s fitness routines.

What do you think have been the main factors in Fluidform's success?
Since the beginning, myself and my team of people have always stayed true to our vision for the brand: to help improve the lives of others through movement. Everything we do at Fluidform anchors back to this vision, which is vital to the success of the business. Pilates is rapidly taking over the world in a highly saturated wellness industry and, while I truly believe there is space for everyone, the ones who succeed remain true to their brand identity and values. It is my duty to exceed the expectations of everyone who experiences Fluidform, from the clients in the studio to our online community. Everything – down to our teaching, communications, holistic offerings and accessibility – should leave you feeling stronger, more confident and empowered.

Aside from the obvious technological advances, what would you say have been the main evolutions in the health and fitness industry – and the attitude towards Pilates in particular – since you began?
The digital space has opened up a world of opportunities but, most importantly, accessibility. You don’t need to live in a city or be wealthy to access effective exercise. And a silver lining from the pandemic was bringing this into the light. We don’t actually need to have a personal trainer or attend a studio or be limited by geographical, economic restraints. You can access effective, high quality workouts from the comfort of your own home.

Over the past decade, we have seen the leading force of why we exercise shift from the aesthetic benefits to embracing the emotional results. Post-pandemic, the world wants to feel better, rather than just look a certain way. Standing taller, looking strong, toned and even younger are just a by-product of moving with purpose and control, in a more prescriptive way. Pilates has the ability to rebalance not just the body but our minds. Functional movement works to release our feel-good hormones, developing an overall sense of motivation, confidence and empowerment. Movement has gone beyond the prism of exercise – it’s a form of medicine.

Fluidform at Home is known for its challenges and hundreds of workouts. What's the approach to create additional challenges or workouts?
Online workouts have made exercise accessible to everyone. But it goes beyond just moving on the mat. Fluidform at Home strives to provide members with a lifestyle – keeping them motivated to move, finding support through a global community and embracing all aspects of our health and wellness. For members who don’t have the time, money or access to a studio or gym, I want Fluidform at Home to provide the ultimate in-studio experience. And the quality and frequency of providing new workouts and challenges is essential to delivering this. Not only do we provide new monthly workouts and challenges, we film across various locations in order to transport our members from their homes to someplace beautiful and unexpected. Our exclusive Fluidform challenges are made up of specific workouts designed to transform your body and achieve real results. It is important that we deliver on this and continue to exceed the expectations of our members.

What does a typical day look like for you?
My days start early. I always start with some form of movement before getting the girls ready for swimming or tennis before school. I prioritise drinking a litre of water and fuelling my body with a protein-rich breakfast between various school drop-offs.

I start teaching in the studio around 8am before starting my “workday” in the office around 10am. We are an open-plan office and work collaboratively across all areas of Fluidform, so each day brings a whole new set of challenges, conversations and strategising that shapes our business trajectory. We usually do salads or sandwiches for lunch – we have a few local places in Surry Hills on rotation. My afternoons consist of meetings with brand partners, suppliers and franchises, before after-school sports with the girls. My husband [former rugby league player Matt King] and I prioritise family time in the evening. It’s always such a special and refreshing time of the day – each of our girls has their own unique personality traits; I learn something new from them every day!

What's coming up for Fluidform?
As we enter our second decade, I remain inspired to support the individual goals and health journey of our clients, staying true to our core values of trust, care and authenticity. App developments will continue to evolve the user experience as well as host a series of upcoming challenges, including an eight-week wedding workout plan and a specialised perimenopause and menopause awareness program.

We have partnered with an international wellness haven to curate a holistic five-day retreat in May 2024, which integrates Pilates with all pillars of health and wellbeing. And we are projecting two new studio locations before the end of the year.

But first, we are heading to Auckland next month for a very special event at Hotel Britomart. This is an opportunity for me to connect with our New Zealand community for a morning of movement, nutrition and conversations aimed to challenge, inspire and nurture. It’s a privilege to be able to travel and connect face-to-face with clients on the Fluidform at Home journey. This is my way of saying “thank you” to those who have trusted me and the Fluidform method from home.

Event details: A morning of movement with Kirsten King of Fluidform; 10.30am, November 8, The Hotel Britomart. More details and tickets here.

fluidformpilates.com