Back Care Specialist · Neuro-Informed Movement Educator

Alex

Reformer Pilates · Back Care · Neuroscience of Movement

Here's an honest truth most people are never told: in around 9 out of 10 cases of back pain, nobody can point to one single cause. Not the scans, not the specialists. So I don't chase diagnoses - I work on how you move.

Together we look at your function, your form and your movement patterns, so you can understand, tweak and enhance the way you move through your day. We lighten the load on your back, strengthen the parts that need to help out more, and take the stress off the parts that have been quietly carrying everything for years.

Not another generic programme. Not stretch and hope. Movement that makes sense for your body - and lasts.

Read my story
Alex
SE London · Crystal Palace + Mayfair

My story

I came to this work the hard way - and stayed because of what I found.

A slipped disc. Spine surgery. And appointment after appointment of conflicting information, where movement professionals didn't know how to help me move better - and it felt like no one really knew what was going on, or how to help me. I know what it's like to be handed exercises, told to strengthen my core, and quietly wonder why nothing was changing.

Pilates changed how I moved, healed and lived - so I went all in. But the more I worked with people in chronic pain, the ones who'd tried everything, done the physio, attended the classes and were still stuck, the more I realised something was missing.

The missing piece was the nervous system. Back pain isn't just a structural problem - it's your body's response to signals. And if you want to change it, you need to work with the brain as much as the body. That realisation sent me deep into neuroscience and neuro-informed movement. It changed how I teach, how I programme, and how I talk about pain. And it's what makes my studio, Flex & Reset Pilates, and my movement practice so different.

I'm based in Crystal Palace, SE London. I run my own studio - Flex & Reset Pilates - and offer 1:1 sessions in London. I care deeply about helping you feel more connected, stronger and more confident in your body - fewer what ifs, less wondering what might set it off, and a way to move better and more confidently.

"Your back isn't randomly breaking down. It's responding to signals. Once you start working with those signals instead of against them, things change."

Training & learning

Trained, studied - and never stopped learning.

The formal training, the alternative approaches, the science-first neuro work. I keep studying because bodies keep teaching me things. This is the best of what I know, gathered so it can help you - and here's the formal list, for those who like the detail.

STOTT Pilates

Mat & Reformer Certification

Full mat and reformer instructor certification. 91% overall. Ongoing specialist populations training.

STOTT Pilates

Intensive Mat Plus Course

Advanced mat-based programming. 91% overall.

STOTT Pilates

Optimization of the Shoulder Complex

Specialist training in shoulder biomechanics and programming for shoulder rehabilitation.

STOTT Pilates

Athletic Conditioning: Performance Enhancing

High-performance conditioning principles applied to Pilates programming.

STOTT Pilates

Reformer for Older Adults

Specialist reformer programming for older adult populations.

Alison Salmond

Tower with Alison Salmond

Specialist tower apparatus training.

STOTT Pilates

Matwork for Breast Cancer

Specialist programming for people during and after breast cancer treatment.

STOTT Pilates

Pre & Postnatal Pilates on the Mat

Specialist pre and postnatal mat programming for pregnancy, postpartum recovery and rehabilitation.

Back Care

Ultimate Back Care Workshop

Specialist back care training covering assessment, pain science, and evidence-based programming.

Assessment

Postural Analysis Review Workshop

In-depth postural assessment and analysis for informed movement programming.

Neuroscience

Pilates for Neurological Conditions - The Neuro Studio

Neuro-informed movement for neurological conditions. Covering gait, CPGs, pelvic floor, and fascial connections.

Neuroscience - Level 3

Advanced Neuro Techniques - Level 3

Advanced neuro techniques training at Level 3. The Neuro Studio.

Where I teach

Studio and 1:1s in Crystal Palace. 1:1s in Mayfair. Online worldwide.

Wherever you work with me, you get the same thing: movement based in results, with a good laugh along the way. Expect to work properly, learn something about your body, and leave lighter than you arrived - in every sense.

Flex & Reset Pilates

2 St Katherines, 4 Anerley Hill, Crystal Palace, SE19 2AA

My own boutique reformer studio in Crystal Palace. Small group classes and private 1:1 sessions - individual attention, Merrithew reformers.

1:1 Sessions - Mayfair

Mayfair, London

Private 1:1 reformer and back care sessions in Mayfair for clients who want individual attention and a personalised programme. Teaching reformer Pilates at one of London's leading premium health clubs.

Flex & Reset Live

Online · Zoom · Worldwide

A small number of live reformer classes each week on Zoom, with recordings available for 7 days. Join in if the times fit your life.

My philosophy

"Move better, not less."
Founding places · Waitlist open

Back Care Course

Short, honest video packages for backs that have quietly become a thing - sitting, lifting, parenting, sport, sleep. Waitlist members get first access and founding member pricing.

Join the waitlist →
Online · Limited availability

Flex & Reset Live

A small number of live reformer classes each week on Zoom - neuro-informed movement on your own machine, from home. Join in if the times fit your life.

See class times →
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@alexcjmovement

Back care education, movement neuroscience, and the honest reality of running a small studio.

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