I had an epiphany this weekend as I was teaching a group of Pilates Teachers about client assessment, and how to teach the body in front of them. Inevitably as we were talking about protocols for assessing, comparisons between our approach as Movement Educators and that of the medical community inevitably arose. What came out …
Where Knowledge meets Confidence
Pilates teachers take on a myriad of roles, and styles too. That’s what makes us a diverse group of amazing and talented individuals! Along with that versatility comes varying degrees of experience and education related to movement and the body. All sorts of terms have been used to describe the study or science of movement, …
An Ode to my Favorite Muscle
So, I have a favorite muscle. Is that weird? Do other people have one favorite muscle or is it just me? I guess if you can be especially fond of a physical feature like your eyes, your legs, or whatever else, why not give special honor to a part that no one sees? Well, the …
The experience of experiential learning
In our society of infinite conveniences, one-on-one connections are increasingly lost as we become more reliant on technology. Of course, it is easier to jump in front of a computer and quickly look for the information we seek, all without leaving the comfort of our home, or our pajamas. Over the years a vast amount …
Do you mean what you say?
“Be mindful when it comes to your words. A string of some that don’t mean much to you may stick with someone for a lifetime.” Rachael Wolchin As teachers of movement, in whatever capacity, we use our words in the form of “cues” to help our clients find a movement, a position, a shape, stability, …
How do we get them to stay? Exercise adherence and client retention
We have all had those clients that come to us in agony with the goals of getting moving and staying moving. In their first session, they say that they realize that the reason for their pain is because they haven’t been moving enough or not in the right way. If they could just get back …
How do we get them to stay? Exercise adherence and client retentionRead More
The New Age of Pilates: What is the disconnect?
In my 15+ years of teaching and owning a studio, I have been advised over and over that if I want to be successful in this industry, I should avoid using the word Pilates in describing or promoting my business. This advice, of course, comes from those who do not understand Pilates or the philosophy …
Mind-Body or Mind(minus)Body
As a child, I learned that one must not speak of politics and religion in polite company. The weather was always a safe choice. The past year has been a challenging time both in the US and around the World, and I am finding myself in unfamiliar territory. I realized early on in my career …
Is there still room for biomechanics in Pilates?
We have been hearing about Biomechanics everywhere these days, it seems like it’s the latest buzzword. In the fitness and health industry, we tend to latch onto one word, muscle or concept then use it, correctly or incorrectly, in every single situation, relevant or not. Let’s step back in time even before Pilates was known …
I have the best job in the World
I LOVE MY JOB! I am that person on Monday morning that jumps out of bed, dances while getting ready, and sings all the way to work. Why? Because I get to make a difference in at least one person’s life every day. No, I am not a doctor, and I am not a scientist …
Stack your Boxes: Strategies for Standing and Walking
One of the most common physical complaints clients bring to us is pain in their back and knees when they are standing and walking. I personally live in a very hilly area so add to that the extra exertion and the challenge on my clients’ joints when walking up and downhill. This is one of …
Stack your Boxes: Strategies for Standing and WalkingRead More
Between the Cues: The Magical Sound of Silence
Whether you are teaching a private session or group class, there are so many moving parts to observe, assess, and instruct. As teachers, we all have different strategies to manage this, whether through the use of cueing, hands-on adjustments, or breaking down movements into incremental parts. It is easy to get caught up in the …
Do you see what I feel?
Have you ever wondered why a client says that they feel straight when they look completely out of alignment? It can be frustrating for a Movement Practitioner to be looking at a client that is clearly twisted and contorted on the table, and they claim to feel evenly weighted and in a straight line. How …
Cueing the Breath: A Blessing and a Curse
One of the quintessential Pilates Principles is Breathing. Seems like an obvious task, but amazingly a significant challenge for many, especially with the amount of focus asked of them in a typical Pilates session. Joseph Pilates himself explains in his manifesto, Return to Life Through Contrology that to breathe properly we should “SQUEEZE EVERY ATOM …
Finding your Teaching Voice
Making your way through your Pilates Teacher Training program is an exciting and overwhelming time to say the least. There is an incredible amount of information thrown at you all at once, and you are expected to retain it all in a very short period of time. At a minimum, the initial certification part of …
The Core: Function over Fashion
Core Stability continues to be all the rage in the fitness and medical field. As Pilates Professionals, all of us have had new clients mention that Pilates was suggested to them by their Physician to improve core stability. Have you ever asked these clients what that means to them? The answers are often the same. …
You know how to move bodies, but do you know HOW the body moves?
The human body is an exquisitely complicated piece of machinery made up of a complex web of muscles and tissue that support and move its bony structure. Every single day, you work with bodies of all shapes, sizes, and abilities, but how well do you know the intricacies of how the body functions to produce …
You know how to move bodies, but do you know HOW the body moves?Read More
What would Joseph do? Navigating the Competitive Arena of Pilates
In recent years, Pilates has become as prominent in some cities as Starbucks. In smaller communities even, you can find a Pilates studio almost on every corner, in a number of iterations. In one neighborhood in my town, there are 7 studios in a two-block stretch, with 3 more rumored to be opening soon. We …
What would Joseph do? Navigating the Competitive Arena of PilatesRead More
Mobility vs Stability: The Building Blocks of Biomechanics
I think it’s pretty fair to say that we go through life with little awareness of whether parts of our body are mobile or stable, and thank goodness for that, how boring! (well, not for movements nerds) It’s not until we experience a moment of instability that results in a stumble or a fall, or …
Mobility vs Stability: The Building Blocks of BiomechanicsRead More
Stop Chasing the Symptoms: Getting to the root of the matter
In our role as Movement Professionals, we all have the privilege of working with people that have some sort of pain, some much worse than others. They may come to us with a list of symptoms, and over time they may have developed preconceived ideas of what is “wrong” with them–many even refer to themselves …
Stop Chasing the Symptoms: Getting to the root of the matterRead More
The Fear Factor: The Anticipation of Pain in Movement
As we all move through life, we don’t really think of the hundreds of coordinated movements that our body makes each day, let alone how they feel. When a person is in pain though, every single movement can bring on a landslide of feelings, both emotional and physical. When pain persists over a long period, …
The Fear Factor: The Anticipation of Pain in MovementRead More
Clench it or Move it? That is still the question.
Since the exercise craze of the ’80s, we have seen many variations of the “Butt Crunch”, “Ab Crunch”, anything you can crunch–and the more the better, right? The action of a Butt Crunch is a repeated squeeze of the buttocks while sitting or standing–and squeeze and squeeze and squeeze. With the promise of a more …