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Equipment - Group Fitness

Sample Pilates Exercise: Single Leg Stretch

The following exercise is taken from the STOTT PILATES® Comprehensive Matwork Manual.

Target Muscles: transversus abdominis to compress abdomen and stabilize lumbo-pelvic region; deep pelvic floor to aid in firing transversus; rectus abdominis and obliques to sustain thoracic flexion and pelvic stability; obliques and multifidus specifically to prevent rocking of pelvis against reciprocal leg movement; hip flexors eccentrically as leg reaches away and concentrically as leg returns; scapular stabilizers.

Creating a Safe Space for Obese Pilates Clients

The work of Joseph Pilates was developed more than 80 years ago during a time when the population was made up of far fewer obese individuals. Today we have a chance to reach out to this population and apply Pilates techniques and principles to a demographic that desperately needs to be introduced to the powerhouse.

Feedback From the Field: Proper Pilates Regression

In a previous issue of Inner IDEA Body-Mind-Spirit Review, we asked: How do you suggest a regression to a Pilates student who is performing beyond her ability? “When I see that my classes and/or clients are working too hard and losing the proper form then I know it is time for a change.

Pilates Workout: The Magic Circle

First created and named by Joseph Pilates himself, the “magic circle” remains a versatile and highly effective tool for today’s Pilates practitioners. Space-efficient and transportable, it is an ideal small-equipment…

Sample Class: Pilates 50/50

Pilates 50/50 is a combination class that fuses lower-body standing moves with mat exercises for a balanced mind-body experience that emphasizes Pilates principles. By moving Pilates into a vertical position, you bring a more functional experience to participants while continuing to offer the key elements of core control and optimal spinal alignment. The standing work is also a great way to warm the entire body for more effective spinal movement during the mat exercises.

Pilates and Golf

Tight chest muscles. Reduced flexibility in the torso. Strained shoulders and a sore back. Unfortunately, that’s the description of many amateur and weekend golfers. Golfers habitually bend and twist, bend and twist—all the while straining their backs and shoulders, forming muscle imbalances and inviting injury.

Pilates-Based Moves for Low-Back Pain

Do your clients describe themselves as having a “bad back?” If so, their complaints are not uncommon. The American Association of Neurological Surgeons reports that more than 65 million Americans suffer from low-back pain every year.

Pilates Cuing Is an Art

Proper cuing is the essence of teaching Pilates. The learned skill of communicating effectively to a client on all levels is a critical ingredient of top-notch cuing. Moira Merrithew, co-founder of STOTT PILATES® and its executive director of education, says that successful cuing has the effect of “getting [clients] to move efficiently through an exercise, so they get the most out of it. That could mean performing a movement with a specific intention quality or with the correct muscular engagement and muscle-firing patterns.

Practical Programming for Pilates

Considering adding a full-on Pilates program or some new Pilates offerings to your studio’s programming? Are you eyeing mat, apparatus, group sessions, private sessions, specialty classes or all of the above? Many factors must be weighed in your selection of class type, equipment and the minimum instructor skills you’ll accept.

Feedback From the Field: My Pilates Reformer

In a previous issue of Inner IDEA Body-Mind-Spirit Review,we asked: "What is your favorite and least favorite thing about working with the Pilates reformer? How would you describe your relationship with this piece of equipment?"

Conscious Fusion Fitness

The popularity of yoga and Pilates has spawned several fun and effective fusion offerings. This particular class uses “traditional” fitness-based exercises as the foundation and then layers on Pilates moves and yoga postures. The design trains strength, balance and flexibility in a conscious manner.

Pilates Exercises for Breast Cancer: Rebuilding the Foundation, Part One

According to the National Cancer Institute, approximately 2.4 million women living in the United States in 2004 had been treated for breast cancer (American Cancer Society 2007). Fortunately, thanks to early detection and advancements in treatment, many more women will survive breast cancer

Feedback From the Field: Pilates Practice Challenges

In a previous issue of Inner IDEA Body-Mind-Spirit Review, we asked: Is there a particular exercise in the Pilates repertoire that you tend to struggle with in your personal practice? How do you approach this challenge?

Pilates and Breast Cancer: Rebuilding the Foundation

Fashion designer and breast cancer
survivor Sigrid Olsen began a Pilates program with me just months after her
surgery. “I had no physical strength in my upper body,” she says. “I had lost
the endurance to hold myself up straight. The Pilates program got me feeling my
body again and gave me the strength to keep my shoulders back and down. I had a
sense of self again…

A High School Pilates Program: Mat Pilates

This program is intended to be taught by certified Pilates instructors only! 
STOTT PILATES preferred, but could easily be modified for other methods.
COURSE OBJECTIVES
1.Participate in a strengthening, toning and increased flexibility exercise program.
2.Become familiar with Pilates,…

Pilates for Hip and Knee Patients

A Pilates program specifically designed for patients undergoing knee and hip replacements during the pre- and post-operative phases may speed recovery

Pilates Equipment Liability and Safety, Part 1

Pilates continues to be among the fastest-growing exercise trends in the United States. All signs indicate that the Pilates fire will continue to spread. Typically, Pilates is practiced under a qualified instructor’s close supervision, and this has helped limit the number of Pilates-related accidents.