Meet Nina:
your expert
Pilates
instructor
I’m Nina Haldemann, founder of ND Pilates. I have been teaching Pilates for over 25 years, and I’ve worked with bodies of every age, ability, and level of fitness - from athletes to new mums and people rebuilding strength after surgery.
From dance studio to the heart of Zurich
I first encountered Pilates as a teenager while training as a contemporary dancer in Britain, and turning to it as the serious movement practice it was always intended to be. That grounding in classical technique has shaped my teaching and training ever since.
After years of dancing and coaching around the world, I settled in Zurich in 2007, initially teaching at Holmes Place and Silhouette Fitness Clubs before establishing my own private studio in central Zurich in 2009. Many of my clients have been with me for years: a testament to the results they experience and the trust they place in me.
Precise. Personal.
Focused on how bodies work
My approach is grounded in the original values of Joseph Pilates and the accumulated knowledge of the teachers who built on his work. This is a precise, clinical, results-driven movement practice focused on functional improvements that you feel every day.
Breathing is the foundation of everything. From there, I focus on pain-free mobility, strength, and stability, helping you to understand what your body is doing and why.
The goal is for you to leave each session with a sense of mind-body connection — and a body that moves a little better than it did before.
“Doing Pilates with Nina completely transformed how I feel in my body. Nina has an incredible eye for the body: she immediately notices imbalances and always knows exactly which exercises your body needs. Nothing ever feels random or generic.
She’s also incredibly motivating and makes every session something I genuinely look forward to. Best thing I’ve done for my body.”
Sandra D
Trained by the best.
Grounded in the Pilates method
I have studied with some of the most respected names in the Pilates world, including Rael Isacowitz (founder and director of BASI™ Pilates); Susan Pepper Arena of the Swissbody™ Pilates Centre in Geneva; and Lolita San Miguel, one of only two Pilates teachers to receive a teaching certificate directly from Joseph Pilates, the founder of the Pilates method.
I am the only Swissbody-accredited Pilates teacher in Zurich and a certified Third-Generation Instructor, meaning I have a direct and unbroken lineage to Joseph Pilates himself.
I continue my professional development through advanced Pilates training and complementary disciplines, including Reiki and the EMMETT Technique, and I work in close collaboration with osteopaths and chiropractors. I have recently completed the BASI™ Mentor course, part of the BASI legacy programme.
My specialist areas include injury and post-operative rehabilitation, pre- and postnatal Pilates, injury prevention, and help you to enhance your sports performance.
EXPERIENCE
25+ years
teaching Pilates
ACCREDITATION
Only Swissbody-certified instructor in Zurich
BASI™ Mentor
LINEAGE
3rd Generation Instructor.
Unbroken line from Joseph Pilates
TEACHERS
Lolita San Miguel
Rael Isacowitz (BASI™)
Susan Arena (Swissbody™)
SPECIALIST AREAS
Rehabilitation
Pre & postnatal
Sports performance
Injury prevention
The method behind the practice
“A few well-designed movements, properly performed in a balanced sequence, are worth hours of sloppy callisthenics or forced contortion.”
Joseph Pilates developed his method in the early twentieth century, originally calling it Contrology, the study of conscious control of the body. He trained dancers, athletes, and rehabilitation patients, believing that strength, flexibility and mental focus were inseparable. His approach was precise, occasionally demanding and deeply intelligent.
I take this inheritance seriously. Having studied with Lolita San Miguel, one of the very few instructors trained personally by Joseph Pilates, I bring an unbroken connection to the original method to every session at ND Pilates.
Teaching in English and Swiss
All lessons are available in English or Swiss German, whichever feels most natural to you. For international clients and expats in Zurich, ND Pilates is one of the few studios where you can work in your own language with a deeply experienced, classically trained instructor.
Pilates partners
ND Pilates partners with other professionals to offer a complete, holistic service that will help you achieve the results you want.
Osteobalance
Swissbody Pilates
Damian Fischer
The ND Pilates
studio assistant
I am sometimes joined in the studio by Phoebe, the Pilates Dachshund. Phoebe sleeps quietly in the corner and ignores everyone who doesn’t give her enough attention.
You can see Phoebe in action on my Instagram. Use the hashtag #PilateswithPhoebe.
Your questions, answered
What qualifications do you have?
1
I am a certified Third-Generation Pilates Instructor, meaning I have a direct and unbroken lineage to Joseph Pilates. I am also the only Swissbody-accredited Pilates teacher in Zurich. I trained with Rael Isacowitz, founder of BASI™ Pilates; Susan Arena of the Swissbody™ Pilates Centre in Geneva; and Lolita San Miguel, one of Joseph Pilates’ own students. I have also completed the BASI™ Mentor course, part of the BASI legacy programme.
I am also a qualified practitioner of the EMMETT Technique and a certified practitioner of traditional Jikiden Reiki.
How long have you been teaching Pilates in Zurich?
2
I have been teaching Pilates for more than 25 years. I have been based in Zurich since 2007, and opened my own studio in 2009.
My approach is therapeutic AND fitness-based. I work with clients who need specific functional support, as well as those who simply want to feel more fit, capable and comfortable in their bodies.
What is your approach to Pilates? Is it fitness-based or therapeutic?
3
Do you work with clients recovering from injuries or surgery?
4
Yes. Helping clients with their rehabilitation is a core pillar of my Pilates practice. A number of my clients practice Pilates on the recommendation of their doctors, chiropractors, osteopaths or orthopaedic specialists.