Episode 23 - Kirsti Vitala - KPTY, Melbourne

Episode 23: From Mobile Pilates to DNS – Kirsti Vitala on Building a Flexible, Evolving Career

Welcome to Episode 23 of Raising the Bar on the Future of Pilates. Today, I’m speaking with Kirsti Vitala of KPTY – Kirsti Pilates To You. Kirsti discovered Pilates while working in the corporate world, initially as a way to stay active. It was her own teacher who first suggested she consider becoming an instructor. But it wasn’t until a corporate reshuffle that she decided to take the leap, certifying as a Pilates teacher in 2013.

She went on to build a thriving mobile Pilates business, bringing Pilates directly to her clients rather than working from a fixed studio. If you’ve ever thought about running a mobile business—or are curious about how it works—this episode is full of insights on making it a sustainable and rewarding model. More recently, she has transitioned to a home base at ME Pilates in Bentleigh, founded by Eve Fairbairn, who was one of my very first guests on this podcast.

Kirsti’s approach to teaching has also evolved over the years. While her foundation is in Classical Pilates, she now integrates Dynamic Neuromuscular Stabilization (DNS), a method based on developmental kinesiology and infant movement patterns. We’ll explore how she blends these two approaches and how DNS has helped both her clients and her own body.

Beyond the studio, Kirsti has a real talent for connecting with clients through marketing. She communicates Pilates in a way that feels engaging and accessible—something many instructors find challenging.

Let’s dive in. Welcome to the podcast, Kirsti.

What We Cover in This Episode:

• Kirsti’s journey from corporate life to Pilates teacher

• The early years of her teaching career

• How she built and ran a mobile Pilates business

• Balancing business and family life

• What Dynamic Neuromuscular Stabilization (DNS) is and how it benefits clients

• How she integrates DNS with Classical Pilates

• Transitioning from a mobile business to a studio-based model

• Her approach to social media and marketing in the Pilates industry

• Overcoming burnout, isolation, and self-doubt

• Thoughts on the current state of the Pilates industry

Kirsti and Kim Mention:

Brooke Siler - Big Book of Women’s Health

Brooke Siler - The Pilates Body

Flow - The Psychology of Optimal Experience

The Prague School of Rehabilitation

Reclaim Your body through Pilates and DNS - Podcast with Chris Lavelle

How to get a hold of Kirsti:

To learn more about Kirsti and her work, you can find her here:
📍 Website: https://www.kirstipilatestoyou.com.au/
📍 Instagram: @kirsti_pilates_plus

More about Kirsti:

In my old life, I worked nearly ten years in an awesome Government role where I was sure I would make my way up the corporate ladder, collecting sick leave and long service leave, have some holidays and do the standard work/life thing.

I was a longtime client at a Pilates studio at the time (as a lover of dance and movement my whole life, I was hooked after my very first Pilates session!) and my teacher would often say that I’d make a great teacher. I would laugh and scoff to myself at the idea of this. I’d worked my butt off to get this corporate job and I wasn’t going to “throw it all away” to wear leggings all day.

It was after an organisation-wide restructure that I started to (seriously) evaluate what I wanted from my professional working career. I always knew that I wanted to have kids and do more Pilates, and the teacher’s schedule suddenly looked more appealing to me family-wise. I took the leap. Fast forward several years and I quit my corporate job, completed my 600-hour classical Pilates teaching certification, had two sons (Maddox and Levy), and started KPTY. I built my then, mobile Pilates business, out of my own experiences of finding it hard to get out of the house and do exercise once I had kids.

I strongly believe that Pilates is for everybody, and I wanted to do whatever I could to take the guesswork and hassle out of it for my clients, whether they be stay at home Mums and Dads, corporate employees working long hours, or retired grandparents. Fast forward to 2020 and COVID. Like the rest of the world, I had to stop my Pilates classes with my teacher at her studio.

I wasn’t too sad though, I mean, I teach Pilates, I know Pilates, I know my body, I’ll just continue doing all my Pilates at home. But something wasn’t right, I was in pain, a lot. My shoulder and neck hurt, my back hurt. I thought I needed to do more Pilates, but more Pilates was making it worse. Something was missing, what wasn’t I getting from this exercise anymore? Enter DNS (Dynamic Neuromuscular Stabilisation), the missing link, the functional puzzle piece that my body needed to get out of pain. I’ve now been teaching Pilates for over 12 years, and have 5 years of experience with the DNS method. While there are good and bad days (as all small business owners and mothers know!), I wouldn’t trade what I’m doing for anything.

A big thank you to Kirsti for sharing her journey and insights. If you enjoyed this episode, consider subscribing, leaving a review, or sharing it with someone who might find it helpful.