Women Worth Knowing: In Conversation with Pilates Specialist, Jo Tuffrey

What does empowerment mean to you? Do you think the wellness industry gets it right, or is there still work to be done in how we talk about women's health and strength?

Empowerment, to me, isn’t about being loud or perfect or performing strength for the outside world. It’s about knowing your body. Trusting your body. Working with it instead of fighting it. After 35 years in the fitness and wellness space and navigating my own early menopause and spinal condition,I know empowerment isn’t about six-packs or shrinking yourself. It’s about feeling capable. It’s about walking into a room and feeling confident in the skin you are in!

It’s the quiet confidence that comes from understanding how your body works and what it needs. For me, empowerment is strength, yes, both in mind and body but it’s also mobility, resilience, energy, rest, boundaries, nourishment. It’s about long term thinking: “I want to feel good in my mind and body for decades.”

You've built a career helping people move better and feel stronger in their bodies. What first drew you to Pilates and mobility work, and was there a pivotal moment that made you realise this was your calling?

I didn’t build a career helping people move better because it looked good on paper. I built it because I’ve lived it and genuinely want to help everyone. I grew up with a spinal condition and spent part of my childhood going in and out of Great Ormond Street Hospital. Movement was never straightforward for me and I was even told at one point that I wouldn’t become a PE teacher (which I politely ignored). I did become a PE teacher. But my back problems didn’t disappear. They were still there.

I had to find a discipline to help my body, so about 25 years ago, I was introduced to Pilates long before it was fashionable. Pilates was crucial to me as It was about alignment, control, strength and mobility that actually support you in real life.

And because of my background, I understand when people can’t do something, and because of being a secondary school PE teacher, I know how to teach and to convey a message to everyone. We are all individuals and learn in different ways – and no two bodies are the same.

I get the frustration. I get how quickly it can knock your confidence. I grew up with very little self belief physically. I know what it feels like to feel behind, to feel different, to feel like your body isn’t cooperating. So when someone says, “I can’t,” I don’t judge that. I listen.

Life isn’t perfect. Bodies aren’t perfect. Mine certainly isn’t. I’m what I call functionally dysfunctional and I’m completely fine with that.

Was there a pivotal moment? Yes.

From an early age I have always wanted to help people. I still do, that’s why I went into teaching. Educating, teaching and helping others is in the bare bones of me. I absolutely love what I do so many years later. And if I can do it with my knocks in life, anyone can!

The wellness space can feel quite exclusive or intimidating – how have you worked to make Pilates and movement more accessible and welcoming?

I genuinely think the wellness world can take itself a bit too seriously sometimes. Perfect bodies, perfect lives, green juices at dawn… and for a lot of people that just feels intimidating. That’s never been me.

I’m real. My online workout family and my in-person clients will absolutely vouch for that. I eat, I drink, I chat through classes about life, we laugh a lot. Because if movement feels like a chore, or like you’re being judged, you simply won’t stick with it. And life is hard enough without exercise becoming another pressure.

I’ve worked really consciously to make Pilates accessible by stripping away the perfectionism. There’s always an option. Always a modification. Always a way in. Whether you’re a complete beginner, coming back after injury, navigating menopause (which I’ve done myself), or you’re super fit but want to move better.

In my club and classes, there’s a beginner track, short 10-minute sessions for busy days, educational classes so people understand their bodies and stronger flows for when you want to be challenged. It’s not about keeping up. It’s finding what works for you so you can enjoy it and be consistent.

I also think humour and warmth matter. I don’t stand at the front pretending I’ve got everything nailed. I share the wobbles, the off days, the realities. I’ve never believed in the perfect image of wellness. I’m not interested in polished, untouchable fitness. No one is perfect and pretending otherwise just makes people feel worse.

I understand frustration. I understand low confidence. I grew up with it. So my classes, whether online or in real life, are built on honesty, humour and realism. Yes, we work hard. Yes, we build strength and mobility. But we also talk. We connect. We laugh at ourselves.

I absolutely love what I do. And I think people feel that. Because consistency comes from enjoyment. And enjoyment comes from feeling accepted as you are.

Women's relationships with their bodies are so often shaped by societal pressures. How does your work help women shift from a place of self-criticism to one of strength and empowerment?

I think so many women have been taught to look at their bodies as problems to fix. Too soft. Too big. Too old. Too different. And that narrative gets loud. I don’t fuel that.

My work is about shifting the focus from how your body looks to how it feels and what it can do. When a woman realises, she feels taller, stronger, more mobile, more in control of her posture, her breath, her core, something changes. It’s subtle at first, but it’s powerful.

I talk a lot in class about strength, mobility, capability and longevity. Not shrinking. Not punishing. Not “earning” food. Movement isn’t a punishment in my world, it’s a privilege. Movement is medicine for the body and the mind.

I’m also very open about my own journey, early menopause, the shifts in my body, not having children because of it. I know what it feels like when your body doesn’t follow the script you thought it would. So my approach is never about fighting your body. It’s about working with it.

We celebrate the small wins. Standing taller. Lifting heavier. Getting up off the floor more easily. Feeling confident walking into a room. That’s empowerment. And when women start to feel strong physically, the mindset follows. I always say the goal isn’t perfection. It’s purpose. When you move with purpose, you stop criticising and you start respecting your body for carrying you through life.

And that’s where the real shift happens.

Community seems central to what you do. What does the community you've built around your practice look like, and what do you think keeps women coming back – beyond the physical results?

Community is everything to me. Truly. Yes, I teach Pilates. Yes, I care deeply about posture and strength and mobility. But what I think I have created is a community or what I call “My Workout Family,” a place where people can really be themselves, and let themselves be honest and open up to me whether that be about exercise or life!

My community is made up of the most incredible mix of women of different ages, (my eldest turning 90 this year who I have been teaching 25 years) different shapes, different life stages. Some are navigating menopause, some are rebuilding after injury, some are juggling businesses and children and ageing parents, some are figuring out who they are in a completely new chapter. And when they come into class online or in person they can just be. They can spend that time with me for however long I have them and just forget or offload so that they ALWAYS will feel better afterwards.

We chat. We laugh. Sometimes we wobble. Sometimes we’re tired. Sometimes we’re flying. There’s no hierarchy. No “perfect” bodies too. Just real women showing up for themselves. I think what keeps them coming back isn’t just the stronger core or the lifted posture although they absolutely get that. It’s the feeling. It’s knowing they’ll be welcomed exactly as they are that day. It’s consistency without pressure. It’s accountability wrapped in warmth.

I’ve always said exercise has to feel achievable to be sustainable. And community makes it achievable. You’re not alone. You’re part of something. I’m always there for my clients being that online or in person. I try to respond to everyone as everyone matters to me and everyone is going through something and so we all need to be heard! That’s what keeps people coming back.

Who are the women – whether in your personal life or throughout history – who have shaped how you show up in your work and your sense of purpose?

I think first and foremost, the women in my own life have shaped everything. The quiet strength of the women I grew up around getting on with it, my mum, nan and sister all holding their families together, not always shouting about their resilience but living it every single day. That steadiness has absolutely influenced how I show up. Consistent. Grounded. Not flashy just there.

My friends too. Strong, funny, honest women who have navigated divorce, illness, career changes, menopause, loss and still show up with humour. We’ve had the deep chats, the tears, the belly laughs. That realness is what I bring into my work. No façade. No pretending life is perfect. And my clients, two of whom are near 90 and who I have seen since qualifying in 2000! I have learnt so much from them from our chats over time, and importantly that exercise is the key to staying mobile into our older age.

My sense of purpose is about helping women feel capable in their own skin. The women who’ve shaped me personally and historically all share that thread of quiet resilience. That’s what I try to embody.

As a change-maker in your field, what's the biggest shift you'd love to see in how society approaches women's mobility and physical wellbeing, especially as women age?

The biggest shift I’d love to see? That we stop talking about women’s bodies in midlife as if they’re declining… and start recognising them as evolving.

There’s this narrative that once you hit your forties and fifties it’s all about managing damage limitation: slower metabolism, weaker bones, creaky joints. And yes, physiology changes. But ageing isn’t a breakdown. It’s a metamorphosis. That’s exactly why I created my Menopause Metamorphosis programme.

I want society to stop encouraging women to shrink in size, in visibility, and instead support them to build strength. Real, functional strength. Muscle. Bone density. Mobility. Confidence in their bodies. We should be teaching girls and women that strength training, Pilates, mobility work and balance aren’t optional extras, they’re foundations for independence. The goal isn’t to be smaller. It’s to be capable. To get up off the floor with ease. To travel. To lift your suitcase. To play with grandchildren. To walk into a room and take up space. As I taught PE at a secondary school for years, I know this all too well with the teenage girls I taught.

I’d also love to see movement framed less around aesthetics and more around longevity. Less “summer body” and more “strong at 70, 80, 90.” Because I see that with my own eyes how important that is. And emotionally? I want women to feel proud of their bodies as they age. Not apologetic. Not constantly trying to rewind the clock. Proud of the miles they’ve walked, the storms they’ve weathered. The wrinkles and scars that they have earned.

Midlife isn’t the beginning of the end. For so many of us, it’s the beginning of stepping fully into who we are. Our movement practices should reflect that.

What advice would you give to a woman who feels like she doesn't have the time, energy, or ‘body’ for movement?

I would say this, very gently… You don’t need more time. You don’t need more energy. And you absolutely do not need a different body. You need a different starting point.

So many women think movement has to be an hour-long class, a sweaty gym session, the “right” outfit, the “right” weight, the “right” mindset. And if they don’t have all of that, they tell themselves they can’t begin. But that’s just not true.

If you have two minutes, you have enough time to roll your shoulders, take five deep breaths, stretch your spine. If you’re exhausted, that’s even more reason to move gently not to punish yourself.

Just start. You will always feel better. Start small. Five minutes. Ten minutes. A short mobility flow before bed. A beginner session where no one’s judging you. Consistency over intensity. Kindness over criticism.

You don’t have to overhaul your life. You just have to start where you are.

And I promise you the woman who thinks she has no time, no energy, no body for movement? She’s exactly the woman who will feel the biggest shift when she gives herself permission to begin. I always say to my online workout family: its always on the days you don’t want to do it but you have pressed play – these are the days that you are going to feel your best both physically and mentally.

Wellness looks very different across generations. How has your understanding of what it means to truly care for yourself evolved – and who, across different stages of your life, has shaped that?

Wellness has looked completely different at every stage of my life. When I was younger, if I’m honest, it was far more about appearance. I was bigger at university, very aware of my body, very aware of how I compared. PE teachers, comments, the general tone around women’s bodies back then shaped that slightly critical inner voice. And then of course, the men in my life at different stages were sometimes supportive, sometimes unintentionally reinforcing those old narratives about how women “should” look.

Now? It means acceptance and enjoying the body I am in right now.

University was a huge chapter for me because I remember feeling uncomfortable in my body but also beginning to realise that I was more than it. That shift didn’t happen overnight. It came with life experience, heartbreak, growth, early menopause, career building, all of it. And as we age, we gain wisdom!

From observing much heartache and illness, I know that growing older is a privilege denied to many, so that’s why I enjoy my life and don’t strive for perfection. Who said, “I wish I had more green juice?!” Balance is the key. As is laughter and love and I have that in spades.

What's next for you? Is there a community, project or vision you're working toward that you're excited to share?

Honestly… more of this. I just want to keep filming for my workout family (my online club), my clients, the women who press play in their living rooms, in their kitchens, in between work and life. That community means everything to me. It’s not numbers on a screen. It’s real women trusting me with their bodies and their time.

I want to keep spreading the word that fitness isn’t about aesthetics, it’s about feeling good in the body you have. Mobility is medicine. Strength is insurance for your future. Balance is confidence. And none of that has an age limit.

If there’s a “vision”, it’s simply this: that more women understand how powerful they are when they move consistently. That they stop waiting. That they realise they don’t have to overhaul their lives; they just have to begin. It’s truly always been about the person on the other side of the mat. I respond to the emails. I read the messages. I care about the injuries, the wins, the wobbles. I want every single woman to feel seen.

I feel incredibly fortunate that 35 years on, I still love what I do. That’s not something I take lightly. The enthusiasm is real. The care is real.

So what’s next? Just continuing. Showing up. Filming. Teaching. Encouraging. Reminding women that their bodies are worth investing in. And doing it with the same heart I started with.

Jo x