Pilates
Proven Benefits of Pilates
Did you know that Pilates continues to grow in popularity, and its practice is now familiar to people around the world? Maybe you’ve already experienced the effectiveness of Pilates or are thinking about taking lessons.
Good news! Researchers have proven certain benefits of this form of exercise. Shirley Archer, JD, MA, 2008 IDEA Fitness Instructor of the Year and IDEA’s mind-body-spirit spokesperson, discusses the benefits below.
Benefits Backed by Strong Evidence
A Growing Pilates Practice in Istanbul, Turkey
Based in the heart of one of Istanbul’s most affluent neighborhoods, Burcu Ozturk Salargil, head instructor and owner of Hero House Pilates, is at the forefront of Pilates growth in Turkey. Salargil, a STOTT PILATES®-certified instructor trainer, founded the studio in her native city in October 2009, after returning from a 10-year stint in the United States.
Pilates for Larger Bodies
Pilates is a great tool for every body and provides many benefits for the over- weight. Ten years ago, my naturopath, Carol (who was obese), asked if I would teach her Pilates. I told her I had never worked with anyone so large, and that I would no doubt make many mistakes, but if she would go on the journey with me, I would be honored to teach her.
Props for a Great Pilates Workout
Pilates instructors know that the key to a stimulating workout is to challenge students by mixing things up, and small props are effective tools for injecting variety.
Pilates: Effective for Better Balance
If you want to add a valuable benefit for your middle- to older-aged clients, emphasize Pilates elements that enhance balance. You may very well save a life.
Case Study: Pilates for Chronic Pain and Osteoarthritis
Like most Pilates instructors, I’ve worked with many clients who deal with chronic pain. One of the most challenging and common conditions I see is arthritis.
What’s Your Pilates Brand?
Brands are very powerful. Pilates, like Starbucks, is a strong brand that can bring certain thoughts and images to mind in your potential customers. They may think of core strength, strong posture or the reformer; they might even think Pilates is too hard.
Practice Techniques For Pilates Instructors To Emphasize
Michele Olson, PhD, FACSM, professor of exercise science at Auburn University in Montgomery, Alabama, and Cherie Wells, lecturer in physiotherapy and clinical education coordinator at the University of Western Sydney in Penrith, Australia, both lead investigators of multiple Pilates studies, offer the following research-based practical tips on what mind-body fitness professionals should emphasize to maximize Pilates benefits for clients:
Science and the Pilates Method
Pilates continues to grow in popularity, and its practice is now familiar to people around the world, with studios throughout North America, South America, Europe, Asia and the Middle East. Enthusiastic marketers may claim that Pilates can solve everything from weight issues to problems in the bed- room, but we serve our clients well when we educate them about benefits of Pilates training that are validated by scientific consensus.
Promoting Pilates for Youth and Adults
Mandy Tik has been a registered physiotherapist in Hong Kong since 2001 and a Pilates instructor since 2002. Tik combines her passions for dance and sports performance to serve a clientele that is approximately 60% adult and 40% youth. In 2002, she established the first fully equipped Pilates facility for Singapore’s national athletes, with support from the Singapore Sports Council.
5 Tips for Teaching Multilevel Classes
Learning to teach multilevel Pilates mat classes can challenge even the most seasoned pros because we have to master so many specific movements and breathing patterns.
To simplify things, I devised the PESTT protocol—five tips for developing a plan that uses specific cuing and demonstrating techniques to keep classes challenging, engaging and safe at every level.
Working With Overweight Clients
How can the Pilates industry be more welcoming to clients who are overweight? We asked instructors how they create a comfortable and beneficial experience that keeps clients of all sizes coming back for more.
Miniball on the Mat: Core Stability Creates Flexibility?
Pilates is touted as one of the most successful methods for increasing core stability and flexibility.
Growing the Pilates Market
Ken Endelman has not taught a single class in his 37-year Pilates career, but the Pilates world would not be the same without his leadership and contributions. In 1976, when Endelman was working as a furniture designer and craftsman in Los Angeles, a prospective client asked him to build a reformer—something with which he was completely unfamiliar.
Keeping Aerialists Flying Safely
Aerial, circus and acrobatic arts have recently seen an explosion of interest, thanks in part to the popularity of performance companies like Cirque du Soleil®. Combine this curiosity with the fun and variety that an aerial-based workout provides, and it’s easy to see what makes this an exciting fitness genre.
Pilates Blending
“Pilates has changed,” says Nora St. John, MS, education program director for Balanced Body®.
Today, she explains, many Pilates teachers are well educated in biomechanics. “An understanding of both anatomy and the mind-body connection makes you a better teacher and certainly a better problem solver.
“In the best situation, Pilates is taught with the idea of, ‘Who is the client in front of me? What are his or her goals? How can I use this environment to help the client achieve those goals?’ I think this is a good contemporary view of Pilates.”
All in the Family
Linda Pimentel, owner of Origins of Inner Strength Inc., in Mesquite, Texas, has made Pilates transformations a family affair. She frequently works with families, couples and mother-daughter teams. “I usually work individually at first, to establish boundaries,” she says. “For example, the mother needs to know that during our sessions she isn’t in charge, and the daughter doesn’t get to show off in front of mom.”
Pilates and Ankle Sprains
Pilates is a wonderful tool for helping a client who is recovering from an ankle injury, as weight and impact on the ankle joint can be less during Pilates than during many other forms of exercise.
Most of us have rolled an ankle. We trip while walking, running, dancing or playing sports—and often we try to self-diagnose with rest, ice, compression and elevation. While this approach may suffice with a very minor injury, a true ankle sprain requires more attention.
From Music Educator to Boutique Studio Owner
Steven Burnes, Australian-born founder and owner of Aussie Fitness Pilates and Spinning Studio in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, reinvented his career in October 2008, after 22 years as a professional musician and high-school and college music teacher. The Peak Pilates® master instructor supplements his studio practice with teacher training and indoor cycling classes.
Core Progressions on the Reformer
The core plays an essential role in everyday activities. It facilitates movement and assists with posture, stabilization and support. Learning to use the core as a dynamic center is the key to efficient, safe and balanced movement.