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 the movements that you are teaching your clients?
Anatomy is complicated and confusing, and many of us just got a glimmer of its enormity in our teacher training programs.
Honestly, no one can learn everything about anatomy and biomechanics in one course, or even a bunch of courses. I tell my students that it’s a constant practice that we need to revisit daily. The more we explore movement in ourselves and with our clients, the more the pieces come together but it really takes years…and years…and years to truly make sense of it and to see the patterns emerge.
When you have a clear understanding of functional anatomy and biomechanics, working with bodies becomes like solving a riddle. This can be an overwhelming task, especially for a new Teacher, but when your knowledge and critical thinking are spot on, it is the most fun and rewarding way to transform lives.
Release your inner-Movement Nerd!
It is surprising that many Teacher Training programs for popular practices including Pilates and Yoga do not require a thorough Anatomy course as a prerequisite. Few even mention its importance and necessity for becoming a skilled and responsible mover of bodies.
As Movement practices, especially Pilates, are quickly moving back into the realm of therapeutic exercise and post-rehabilitation, a thorough comprehension of how the body supports itself and produces movement is imperative. Most importantly, we are expected to know what is happening in the body when the structures are not performing properly to produce balanced movement and support.
The truth is, treating all bodies the same can alienate a significant part of the population and limit the client base that you could work with. After all, how often is your class full of perfectly healthy bodies free of all pain and dysfunction? Our lifestyle today is not conducive to the historical definition of ideal posture and in reality, is not achievable for most. Every body is different in function, structure, experience and life lived so one size just can’t fit all.
The more you know, the better equipped you are to help every person that walks through your door. People will seek you out for your expertise and will send others. Master your craft, and they will come.
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Build your confidence in observing your clients’ movement and truly understanding what you see with a Body Harmonics Primary Specialist Certificate. Click HERE to learn more. All Movement Professionals are welcome.
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