Meet Our Instructor: Suji Kim

Hi Suji, welcome to the team! Please tell us a little bit about yourself, where are you from and how long have you lived in Singapore?

My name is Suji, I’m from Korea and I have been living in Singapore for four years.

We know, you’re pretty busy most days helping others lead healthier lives, how do you keep yourself fit?

I am usually busy with my clients during peak hours, which is lunch time and in the evening. So I always try to squeeze in my own workout time in
the afternoon or after I finish my classes.  Of course, I have more free time during the weekends so I love to go to the  gym, lift weights, and swim if the weather is nice. I also always stretch at home before sleep.

I don’t follow a specific diet routine although I have tried different diets, like vegan, keto etc for short periods in the past. Currently I just eat everything in moderation.

What encouraged you to become a Pilates Instructor? What keeps you inspired?

Pilates is what I love so I wanted to make it my career. I also wanted to have a flexible working schedule and teaching pilates gives me that. My clients keep me inspired. When I see them happy and satisfied with the class, it gives me a lot of encouragement.

What’s your favorite Pilates exercise?

I love the Side Bend on the mat, because I love the expansive feeling of it. Also it’s a challenge for my balance because I’m on my side. It’s an amazing exercise to shape the waistline and engage the shoulder, core and inner thighs.

What’s your least favorite Pilates exercise?

The Roll Up. I struggled a lot to do the roll up in its entirety without being aided by a foot strap, pulling with the arms, or some other modification. It requires a fair amount of ab strength and hip flexor action. Even if you have super strong abs and hip flexors but don’t have enough
strength in your hamstrings, you can’t ground your heels into the mat when you roll up.

Can you share your most meaningful milestone in your Pilates career so far? 

My career in Pilates is not so long, so my biggest milestone so far is my stepping up to become a Full Time Instructor. It was when I decided to seriously focus on teaching Pilates and I have never looked back!

Do you have a life motto?

“The only person you should try to be better than is the person you were yesterday.”

What do you do in your spare time?
I love baking and cooking. I actually go to baking classes and I love to experiment with different dishes! I also enjoy watching movies although I’m kind of hooked on Netflix shows recently.

Your skin is flawless! What skincare products do you use?

I only use Korean products, especially the brand called “Sidmool”. More important than the brand though, I care about the ingredients in the products that I use. I usually check these on an app called “HwaHae” to ensure the products that I use contain no harmful chemicals and ingredients.

What’s your favorite Korean restaurant in Singapore?

GoK BBQ in Amoy Street. They have delicious aged pork belly. Super yummy but fatty!

We see you like to travel, what’s your favorite holiday destination and why?

I try not to go to the same place twice but my most favorite holiday trip so far has been southern France. Great beaches, beautiful landscape and towns and of course fantastic food and wine.

If you had one piece of advice to give to anyone wanting to become an Instructor, what would it be?

Of course being passionate about Pilates and wanting to communicate this passion by teaching others is a must, but I’m going to say something that maybe useful for those who have already started their journey of becoming an Instructor: there is a lot more to Pilates than choreography. Simply knowing the exercises is not enough to be able to teach other people. You should passionately learn about the underlying principles of every move and the effects on different muscles and anatomy. This will help you plan specific sessions that best helps clients.

감사합니다 ! Suji

For group classes with Suji, please visit our Classes page or for all private sessions, please reach out to us via our Contact Us page