Tag Archive for: Rivercity Pilates North Liberty Iowa

#PracticeWhatYouTeach: Meet me at the Bar, I mean Barre!

,

img_6583This week I got a call from one of my instructors that something came up and she needed someone to sub her Barre & Pilates class in the evening and couldn’t find anyone else to do it. I said I could cover it for her.  Normally subbing a Pilates class is no big deal and I’m pretty comfortable just jumping in and teaching whatever class it is. I have to tell you barre work is a little different though.  If you know me at all you know that I am not a dancer, my hips are tight,my turnout is horrible and coordinating movement to music takes me hours of practice!  I like the barre work as it’s really good for me but it’s not necessarily my thing when it comes to teaching.

It turn out one of my favorite workouts this week ended up being prepping for Barre & Mat class.  I threw some music on and played, and once I got over my “I’m not good at teaching barre attitude” it was pretty fun. I practiced some barre work so I would be familiar enough to teach it and got a great workout in along the way.

My students in class that night were wonderful (they were great sports about trying my barre variations!) and we had fun playing with the barre work and of course doing some of our Pilates Mat work.  It was a great reminder to me of how good it can be to get outside of your comfort zone and do something you don’t normally do.  I may have to Meet You at the Barre more often!

 

 

Add an occasional private session to spice up your Pilates practice….

I love small group classes.  I love teaching them and I love taking them! I am a firm believer that every movement experience you have is a chance to work on your own movement practice, learn new things about your body, and just plain keep your body healthy.

What you’ll find in a small group class setting is that instructors will be guiding the whole class through a movement, watching bodies and giving cues that everyone can benefit from, and making sure that no one is doing anything that might be unsafe in their body.  From a learning atmosphere there is so much benefit to this type of atmosphere where students are empowered to explore their body’s movements, listen to cues, and adjust to find what works in their body.

IMG_7087

If you are someone who normally takes group classes I want to suggest that every once in awhile you take a private lesson.  I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised and excited by the things you can learn!

By taking a private session every 3 or 4 months you’ll find your instructor can help you find some things in your movement practice that you can focus on and practice in your small group classes.  This fine tuning session can really help you to keep progressing and working your way toward any movement goals you may have.  It’s a great chance to ask questions about exercises that challenge you or maybe you don’t feel like you are doing quite right.  And if you are feeling  a little “blah” about your Pilates practice, some individualized tips can really add new life to your practice and leave you inspired to keep working on things!

Share and Win!

Book-15As an instructor, I am inspired by my clients every day.   Every day I work with amazing clients who have used Pilates to keep their bodies and souls strong so that they can live their lives to the fullest.  There is nothing I love more than when a client comes in and tells me little things about how their Pilates practice has infiltrated into their life.

Things like:

  • I walked around the zoo with my grandkids without pain!
  • I can bend over and touch the floor!
  • I just realized I haven’t had back pain in months!
  • I found myself thinking about my posture in the car!

I could go on and on, but what I want to do today is to ask you about you Pilates story!  We want to know what Pilates has done in your life so we can celebrate and share your story with others.  We’re pretty passionate about sharing Pilates with the world and we know there is nothing more inspiring than hearing from people just like you who have used Pilates to make changes in their life.

Have you told your Pilates story-Do you have a Pilates story?    Will you share it?   You can send via email or just bring it in on a piece of paper and we’ll type it in!  It can be as short as a few sentences or as long as 3-4 paragraphs.      We’d love to hear from you!     Share your story and be entered to in a free private Pilates session!  Entries must be received by September 5 to be eligible for the drawing!

Nine things to look for when researching Pilates Teacher Training Programs

,

pilates ttIf you want to become a Pilates instructor, you know how overwhelming it can be when you start looking at all of the different instructor training programs out there. Learning to instruct the Pilates method is a journey and it is important to find a training program that will best fit your needs and life. We encourage you to do your research and look at three or four different programs to find the best fit for you! Here are some tips to think about:

1. Get to know the instructors who will be teaching the training program and the instructors at the studio where you will be training. You are going to spend a lot of your time at workshops, taking lessons, and observing. Make sure that you enjoy the instructors’ teaching and are comfortable in the studio where you will be doing your training.

2. Many programs have a mentoring portion of their program. This simply means a particular person will guide you throughout the process. Your mentor will be there to answer questions and check in periodically on your progress. Ask who your mentor will be, how you can contact this person, and what the mentoring portion of the program entails.

3. Talk to other instructors who have completed the program. Firsthand experience is priceless and talking to instructors who have gone through the program will give you a good feel for what to expect.

4. Know what the program prerequisites are. Some programs require that you be at a certain level in your own Pilates practice before starting the program, while others may require previous movement or teaching experience.

5. Learn how many hours are required to complete the program. Depending on the type of program you are doing, you will be required to log in your hours and complete them in a timely fashion. Figure out how many hours you will need to dedicate to your training weekly and make sure this is reasonable and that you are able to schedule these hours. Many programs have a time limit. Ask how long you have to complete the program and what happens if you do not complete it in that time frame. If not completed within a certain time frame you may need to retake workshops or pay an extra fee to extend your time to finish the program.

6. Ask about the program costs. Be very specific and make sure you know what is included in the program price and what is not included. Sometimes training manuals and books are included in the pricing, but often times they are not. Ask if any of the required lessons are included in the price and if not, whether there are discounts on sessions while in the program. Some programs will include the use of the studio for your practice teaching in the program price, while others may charge you to use their space and equipment. Are tests included in the program price or will you have to pay extra?

7. If you are interested in teaching at the studio you will train at, be sure to ask about apprentice teaching opportunities as well as future employment opportunities after you finish your training. Many studios offer apprentice teaching positions. This is a great way to gain experience, get your required hours in, and make a little money to offset your costs.

8. Many Pilates programs offer a Certificate of Completion instead of a Certificate of Certification. The Pilates Method Alliance (PMA) has encouraged training programs to do this in order to encourage instructors to take the Pilates Method Alliance international professional exam, and as a way to create an international standard of Pilates instruction. Different studios, gyms, and fitness centers have different requirements for their Pilates instructors. If you are planning on teaching in a particular setting it, make sure you know which education requirements are necessary.

9. Most Pilates programs require some sort of continuing education to keep their certificate of completion current, and PMA certified instructors must complete sixteen hours every two years. Ask about continuing education requirements and inquire about continuing education opportunities offered at the training studio.

Butt-watching at Pilates?

IMG_6675Today’s blog starts with a client story…. A client was doing her her long stretch on the reformer and I cued her to reach through her left heel more and engage her left butt. She adjusted and then when she transitioned to the next exercise (Down Stretch) and was getting set up I said the cue again as I could see that she wasn’t engaging her left gluteus muscles and I wanted her to find the balanced work in this exercise. She laughs and says,”Really? How can you tell that? Are you looking at my butt?” My answer was,”Yes, of course I am. I’m looking at muscle engagement in your whole body as you are are moving which includes your butt!”

After teaching movement for 16 years sometimes I forget that not everybody looks at bodies like I do. Part of teaching the Pilates method of exercise is helping clients figure out what it means to create balance in their body and do balanced movements. By giving cues and instruction to clients on how to work more efficiently and more balanced you help them figure out how to notice and adjust in their own body without you always having to tell them.

If you are contemplating wanting to teach Pilates and this concept seems foreign or maybe complicated…..don’t worry you’ll learn how to do it!  When you go through workshops we’ll look at different bodies doing different exercises and talk about what we see and how we could help that person do the exercise better in their body. You’ll learn about what to look for and really how to become an observer of movement and muscle engagement. As you integrate your own personal practice time, with observation hours and practice teaching hours you’ll have plenty of chances to look at bodies and figure out how to hone this skill of observing and then cueing to create balance! I promise by the end of the program you won’t think twice about looking at someone’s butt while they are moving!!

My Introduction to Pilates

IMG_3509Hi!  My name is Max.   One week ago, my new Mom and Dad picked me up and drove a long ways in the car to North Liberty.   I wasn’t sure about these people, but after hours and hours in the car, we got to North Liberty and I met my new brothers and my sister.  They only have 2 legs, but they seemed to like me a lot.   I think I have a pretty cool family.  My human Mom is a certified Pilates Instructor.   I’m not sure what that is but it must be a big deal because she goes to work every day and stays a long time.   My human brothers and sister go to school every day, but my Dad has been home with me most every day since I got here.

On Friday, my Mom told me that she would teach me what she does, and that I could be a Pilates Puppy.  I’m not sure I want to be a Pilates Puppy but I love my Mom and she gives good snuggles so I decided to go.  When I found out what time we had to leave to go to Mom’s studio (Rivercity Pilates) I wasn’t sure I wanted to go anymore.    Mom goes to work just after light comes thru the windows.   Usually she throws me back in bed with someone in my family when she goes to work, but today, I got in the car with her.    I’m not sure if I like the car either.   It makes my stomach do flip flops.

max3We didn’t have to go very far, and then we got to the studio.   What a place!!  First I saw the retail space.    There was a couch and a beanbag chair, I could learn to like them.

Mom had to turn on all the lights so we went in another room.  My feet slid all over the place in that room.   Mom told me to be careful, but my feet kept sliding out from under me.    I’m not sure I like wood floors.   Mom put my bed in that room.   There were a bunch of black things on the floor — Mom called them mats.   I jumped on one to see what would happen.   It was really soft.   I liked it.   I posed really pretty and Mom took my picture.    Maybe this won’t be so bad.

 

MaxThen the door started opening and people started coming in.    They stared at me, and some of them petted me a little.    When they got on the things my Mom called reformers, I decided to take a little nap.  What they were doing didn’t look that fun to me.  On and on my day went.   It seemed like I would just get into a good sleep, and then people were moving around the studio and some would leave, and more would come in.  People who do Pilates seem to come in all shapes and sizes.  Some of them scared me when they wanted to hold me. Don’t they understand that I’m like 9 inches tall and they are like giants?   Sometimes I’m scared.    No two sessions were the same though, so I really haven’t figured out any of the Pilates exercises yet.   There were never more than 4-5 people there at a time, but they were doing some things that I have never seen humans do!  Mom had a few minutes of breaks to snuggle and take me outside, but since she was busy, I tried to catch up on sleep so I could go out in the back yard when we went home.

IMG_3516I try to have my naps taken by the time my human brothers and sister get home from school.   I started waking up, but Mom said we had one more student.  Really Mom???  I’ve been good all day! Pretty soon the person came.   She talked with me before she got on the Pilates machine, and I thought she seemed ok.    I had to stretch my legs, so I ran around the studio a bit.   I fell down a few times, and those black mats tripped me a couple of times too.   Mom put me on the mat with her student.    Wow, this lady lets me try to chew her hair!    She was laying on the mat, so I had to get a better look.   I walked around her, and on top of her and she sneaked some petting in.     I might learn to like Pilates.

I walked back to the end of the mat, and when I did I saw another dog in the mirror.   I have to find out about this dog.   I jumped down — and when I did, the dog went away! I stood on the black mat, and if I jumped a little I could see the dog.   I woofed and woofed, but it looked right back at me. I grrrrrrrd.  The dog wasn’t scared.  Mom came and got me and put me in my bed.   Doesn’t she know I slept all day?   I jumped around some more, and the lady on that mat figured out I wanted to go home! She told my Mom that she’d have to leave so Mom could take me home.   In my next blog, I’ll show you my favorite Pilates exercises!