Pilates coach champions inclusive wellbeing

A North East wellness coach is turning her own family’s experiences into a mission to improve the physical and mental wellbeing of people with additional needs.

Emma Amos, from Gosforth, has built Wellness by Emma to provide inclusive Pilates and wellbeing sessions for children and adults who are often underserved by traditional fitness programmes.

Her business was inspired by personal experience after navigating a series of challenges, including the loss of her mother, PTSD, a diagnosis of premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) and perimenopause.

She was also balancing life with three young children, including her son Mason, who has autism, anxiety, dyspraxia, sensory processing difficulties and the rare genetic condition 1p36 Deletion Syndrome.

Emma said: “Reformer Pilates became the one place where my mind could switch off. 

“It helped me physically, but more importantly it helped me mentally.”

Having previously worked for Audi before moving into specialist education, Emma retrained as a Pilates instructor, qualifying in mat, reformer and chair Pilates, as well as pre and post-natal and children’s Pilates.

She later combined her teaching background with her passion for movement to create sessions tailored to people with a wide range of disabilities and additional needs.

Emma added: “I believe everyone deserves to feel good about themselves.

“Exercise shouldn’t be intimidating. 

“Whether someone has autism, dementia, a disability or simply wants somewhere they feel accepted, everyone deserves that opportunity to move without judgement.”

Today, Wellness by Emma works with individuals, schools, carers and community organisations across the North East, adapting each session to meet participants’ individual abilities.

Emma also serves as a governor at two Newcastle special schools and delivers regular Pilates sessions for Newcastle Carers, supporting people whose own wellbeing is often overlooked while caring for others.

Alongside her coaching business, Emma has co-founded The SEND Club with Leah Evans-Dodsworth, creating a growing support network for children, adults and families living with additional needs.

The organisation delivers inclusive events, parent support sessions and community activities aimed at reducing isolation and improving wellbeing.

Its programme includes sensory-friendly soft play sessions, Costa Coffee meet-ups across the North East, parent and carer evenings, online support through Zoom and a major wellbeing and networking event at Newcastle United Foundation later this year.

Emma continues to teach reformer Pilates from studios in Forest Hall, Blakelaw and Hexham, alongside one-to-one sessions, home visits and classes in schools and community settings, with the aim of making wellbeing support accessible to as many people as possible.

She added: “If I can help someone leave a class feeling calmer, happier or more confident than when they arrived, then that's success. 

“Movement has changed my life, and I want everyone to know they deserve to experience those benefits too regardless of their physical or mental ability.”

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