Do I need to be at my ideal weight and fitness level to become a Pilates instructor?

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Do you ever wonder what the requirements are to become a Pilates instructor?   I get lots of questions and concerns about what it takes to be an instructor.  Here are two of the most common ones:

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What if I can’t do every exercise?

 Do I need to be at my ideal weight?

 

I challenge you to think about your favorite teacher throughout your life in any subject.  This could an English teacher, a coach, a Pilates or Yoga instructor, or just a parent, grandparent, or friend teaching you about life.

Did they do everything perfect?  Did they know absolutely everything there was to know about the subject they were teaching?  Of course not! 

But they did have more knowledge than you in a particular subject and they probably had more experience.  They probably had a love or passion for the subject they were teaching that was almost contagious!  I’m guessing they made you feel excited, successful and eager to continue learning!  I’m also guessing that they were just as much a student of the work they were teaching, as they were a teacher.

Pilates is a method of exercise that includes hundreds of exercises and variations of exercises.  The process of learning the method in your own body, just like the process of learning to teach the method to others,  is a continual, never ending process.   It is important for you to have a consistent Pilates practice before you start the program but it’s ok if you have not perfected every exercise.  As an instructor you will always be practicing and fine tuning the work in your own body and those experiences will continue to make you a great teacher!!

We all come in different shapes and sizes and there are no weight or size requirements to becoming a Pilates instructor!  Your weight and size definitely impact how you move your body but I consider this a gift.    By learning how to practice Pilates in your unique body you will get the skills to help others of varying shapes and sizes do the same!!

 

If you are contemplating a Pilates teacher training program, some more appropriate questions to ask yourself might be:

  • Does Pilates inspire me?
  • Do I enjoy helping others empower their bodies, just like my instructors have empowered me?
  • How could deepening my own Pilates practice inspire my life?

Click here to learn about the Body Precision Pilates Teacher training programs at Rivercity Pilates.  Module 1 of our Comprehensive program starts in this fall!!

“We teach best what we most need to learn.”        ~ Richard Bach

How do I know if I’m doing my Pilates exercises correctly?

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If you’ve ever taken a Pilates class you know there is a lot of attention to detail when it comes to the Pilates exercises.   Pull your belly in, keep your shoulders down, engage your inner thighs,….breathe!  Pilates instructors are notorious for giving lots of corrections and sometimes it can be confusing as a client.  You want to be doing it correctly right?

Your instructor’s corrections and cues are really meant to help you fine tune your own practice, stay safe and get the most out of each exercise.  Sometimes, especially if you are just starting off,  all of the helpful advice can be a little overwhelming.

A very common question I hear is:    Am I doing it right?   
Unless you are doing a movement that is causing your body pain or is unsafe- the answer is almost always: Yes, you are doing it correctly! 

I think the real question people want to ask is: am I doing it like you do it or is this what it looks like when Madonna does it?
That answer would be no and should be no! You see, as long as you are paying attention to your body and doing your best to follow the instructions your instructor is giving you- you are doing it perfectly in your body(no matter what the exercise “looks like” in your body).

It is more important how the movement feels in your body rather than how it looks.RCP-37
The next time you do the same exercise, it may feel totally different.  You may feel something you’ve never felt before, move differently than last week, or have a different range of motion.  That’s OK and to be expected.  As you start to fine tune your paying attention to your body skills, you will find yourself self-correcting to create more balance in your body and fine tuning to maximize that benefits of each exercise in your body.

In fact, the real “magic” of Pilates starts to happen when you start increasing your own body awareness and ability to just be present in your body and notice what is going on.  You start to be your own teacher in many ways.
The doing part of the exercise, the paying attention to your body and noticing how it feels part is sooo much more important than what it looks like on the outside.

The next time you find yourself wondering if you are doing it correctly-just focus on what’s going on in your body and trust that your efforts at that moment in that exercise are perfect!    Of course if you have questions on the exercise technique itself be sure to ask your instructor and they can give you a more detailed explanation that can aid in your understanding!  

Inspiration of the Month Audrey O’Hara

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When did you start Pilates and what inspired you to start?
 
Heather (Thorpe) was talking to me about the Pilates studio and said she needed a person to come in for her training and then my hair designer, Ari Bult, was talking about it a day later and so I decided to try it out and started working out with Heather. I was very very sore after my sessions with Heather in the first weeks and realized that I needed help to get my health back in order. The more I went, the better I felt, and the more I craved it. People noticed a change in me in regards to my posture, strength, and my new found love for Pilates movements in general. I have not stopped recommending it to everyone since! I believe Pilates will be a way of life for me now. LOVE IT!!!
 
What benefits have you seen by committing to a regular Pilates practice? 
 
I have a lot more stamina and flexibility and love seeing my progress. I do not want to grow older without making some kind of effort to take care of myself and my own well being.
Do you have a favorite exercise or piece of equipment (or both)?
 
Jackknife has become one of my favorites because I can feel myself getting my spine in realignment without the help of anyone else. My balance has also improved tremendously. It is now a lifestyle change for me that I plan on doing for a lifetime. It has really enhanced the quality of my life and now I cannot live without Pilates!
(Audrey’s demonstrating jackknife in the photo above.)
What would you say to someone thinking about starting Pilates?
 
I would recommend to anyone who is interested in Pilates to try private sessions first to get the movements down before trying classes. I think the one-on-one is very beneficial before trying classes. You won’t regret it!
 

The Pilates Push up

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The Pilates Push up is a great all over body exercise that ties together all of the Pilates Principles.  The push up itself is a great exercise, but this Pilates version will teach you how to work on your balance and control and make an exercise out of the act of getting into the push up position as well as getting out of it.

Be sure to watch the video, try your own variation of the Pilates push-up and let us know how it goes!  If you liked this video be sure to share it with your friends!

How can I keep improving my Pilates practice so I continue to see results?

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Most classes at Rivercity Pilates are designed to be all level classes.  Since we do not have really big class sizes, our instructors are able to teach classes that are a great workout for everyone while keeping everyone safe and not injuring themselves.  If classes are all levels you may wonder how do I keep progressing, making progress toward my goals of increasing strength, balance, and flexibility.IMG_2873

There are lots of little ways to increase the difficulty of any given exercise and challenge different bodies at the same time.

 

Here’s a few concepts we use as teachers( and you can focus on individually) to keep you progressing in your Pilates practice, even in a class or group setting:

1. Combining  strength,balance, and flexibility into every exercise and focusing on the components you need to create balance in your body and in each exercise.  Ever body is different and creating a balance of flexibility and strength in your body will be very unique to you in each exercise.  If you are extremely tight, flexibility may be your individual focus on a particular exercise.  If flexibility is not an issue for you, you may be working on how to maintain stability or increasing overall strength.  Pinpointing particular areas you need to work on can help you fine tune each exercise and get the most out of every movement.  If you are unsure, ask your instructor to give you some feedback on areas that would be good for you to focus on.

2. Working level can be described as how big of a range of motion you can do on each exercise and still execute the exercise as perfectly as possible using the appropriate muscle groups.  Working level is your challenge point of an exercise.  As you get stronger and create more balance in your body this working level will increase and you will be able to do larger movements that continue to challenge your body.

3. Flow– By flowing one exercise into the next one we can increase the difficulty of individual exercises.  Flow also requires the coordination of your breath into these movements.  As your strength,flexibility and balance increase, you will find it easier to transition from one exercise to the next.  By taking less “breaks” in between exercises you will continue to progress in your improving your strength, flexibility and balance.

4. Coordinating Breath with each movement.  The thought process of coordinating the choreography of the exercise with a specific breath pattern can really take the exercise to the next level.  The mere act of concentrating completely on what you are trying to move, how your body is aligned and how you are breathing can increase the “work” of the exercise tenfold!

The wonderful thing about these four tips, is that they work for any type of movement or exercise- not just Pilates!  So try them out in your next workout and let us know if they helped you challenge yourself safely and effectively!