I want to tell you about something that has been a long time coming.
Alex and I met in Sydney. I was teaching Pilates. He was working in sports therapy. We were in the same world — the world of bodies, movement, and recovery — but approaching it from different directions. We fell in love, as you do, and eventually we moved to Portugal.
2017. Alex is Portuguese. This is his home. The Algarve is where he grew up, where his family is, where the light is different and the pace of life is something you have to experience to understand. We came here with a plan, and a baby, and a lot of optimism.
What We Built Separately
I opened the studio. I set up the first group Reformer Pilates classes in Portugal, right here in Almancil, and I have been building it ever since. Classes, private sessions, retreats. A community of clients who come back week after week because they feel genuinely different after an hour on the Reformer.
Alex built Muscle Therapy Algarve. Remedial sports massage, deep tissue work, the kind of hands-on therapy that addresses what is actually going on in the soft tissue. He works with athletes, with people in pain, with bodies that have been pushed hard and need proper recovery. He is very good at what he does.
For years, we worked in parallel. I would send clients to him when they needed soft tissue work. He would send clients to me when they needed to build strength and movement quality. We talked about what we were seeing in the bodies we worked with. We shared knowledge. But we were in different spaces, doing different things.
What Happens on a Retreat
The thing that always made my retreats special — the thing clients mention most in the messages they send me afterwards — is that everything is in one place. The Reformer sessions in the morning. The massage in the afternoon. The wellness circuit. The food. The stillness. All of it designed to work together.
When you combine Pilates and massage in the same day, something happens that neither can achieve alone. The Pilates opens the body, builds awareness, challenges the deep muscles. The massage releases what the Pilates found. The next morning, the Pilates session is completely different because the body has been reset overnight. Clients feel this. They always notice it.
For years, that combination only existed during a retreat week. You had to come away with me to experience it. And not everyone can do that.
Now It Exists Here
This year, Alex joined me at the studio. Muscle Therapy Algarve is now here, in Almancil, alongside the Reformer, the Tower, and the wellness circuit. Reformer Pilates and remedial sports massage under one roof.
I cannot tell you how good this feels. It is something I have wanted for a long time. Not just because it makes practical sense — though it does — but because it means the combination that I know works, the combination I have been delivering on retreats for years, is now available to everyone. You do not have to go away for a week to feel it. You can come to Almancil on a Tuesday afternoon.
Book a Reformer class in the morning. Book a massage with Alex in the afternoon. Add the wellness circuit in between. That is a day that will change how your body feels for the rest of the week.
Why This Pairing Works
Pilates and remedial massage are not just complementary. They are genuinely synergistic.
Reformer Pilates builds strength, stability, and movement quality. It teaches the body to move with control and precision. But it also reveals things — tightness, imbalances, areas of restriction that have been quietly compensating for years. Sometimes the Reformer finds something that needs more than movement to release it.
That is where remedial massage comes in. Alex works on the soft tissue directly. He addresses the tension that Pilates has identified. He releases the restrictions that are limiting movement. And then, when you come back to the Reformer, you can access ranges of motion and depths of work that were not available before.
I have seen this cycle work in clients over and over again on retreats. Now it is available here, every week, in the studio.
The Wellness Circuit
We also now have the wellness circuit at the studio — infrared sauna, red light therapy blanket, and compression leg sleeves. One hour. Three modalities. Complete recovery.
Again, this is something I have offered on retreats for years. The combination of movement, hands-on therapy, and recovery technology is what makes a retreat week feel so transformative. The body is being worked from every angle. It has no choice but to respond.
Having all three things in one place, in Almancil, available any day of the week, is something I am genuinely proud of. It took time to get here. It took Alex and I working in our separate lanes for long enough to know exactly what we each bring, and how much better it is when we bring it together.
Come and Experience It
If you have been coming to the studio for classes, come and try a massage with Alex. If you have been seeing Alex for massage, come and try the Reformer. If you have never done either, start with a class and see how you feel.
And if you want the full experience — Pilates, massage, wellness circuit, all in one day — get in touch and we will put something together for you.
This is what we do. This is what we have always done, on retreats and in the studio. Now it is all in one place.
Victoria x
FAQ
Where can I get remedial sports massage in Almancil?
Muscle Therapy Algarve is now based at Reformer Pilates Algarve in Almancil. Alex specialises in remedial sports massage and deep tissue work. You can find out more and book at muscletherapyalgarve.com.
Can I combine Pilates and massage in the same visit?
Yes. We actively encourage it. Book a Reformer class and a massage with Alex on the same day. The combination is genuinely more effective than either alone. Get in touch and we can help you plan the session.
What is the wellness circuit?
The wellness circuit is one hour of recovery technology: infrared sauna (15 minutes), red light therapy blanket (15 minutes), and compression leg sleeves (15 minutes), followed by time to relax, make tea, and shower. It is available at the studio in Almancil and can be combined with Pilates or massage.
Is Muscle Therapy Algarve part of Reformer Pilates Algarve?
They are separate businesses, but they share a space and a philosophy. Alex runs Muscle Therapy Algarve. Victoria runs Reformer Pilates Algarve. They work together closely and refer clients to each other regularly. Having both in the same studio is intentional — the combination of Pilates and remedial massage is something Victoria has been delivering on retreats for years, and now it is available in Almancil every week.
Ready to Try It?
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