Wonderful questions I received this week about Joseph Pilates book Return to Life, and other Pilates Matwork book & DVD resources for Pilates teachers and students

THE QUESTIONS:

Dear Aliesa,

On your website you have a copy of RETURN TO LIFE and a product with a man who demonstrates all the MAT EXERCISES. I have two questions for you:

1. I have a copy of the MILLENNIUM Edition of the book and I am disappointed with quality and limited number of photo-images, plus, the description of how to perform the exercises is not good really. Is the book you sell any better please? Would be nice to have one of the originals that Sean Gallagher owns, but, the cost is far beyond my means!
2. May I ask you what is difference between the Mat DVD demonstrated by Peter Fiasca’s  www.classicalpilates.com, Your DVD demonstration of Pilates Matwork,  and old archival footage as seen on the internet?

I look forward to your reply with much anticipation.

MY COMMENTS & REPLY:

Hi, Thanks for your questions about Return to Life & Pilates Matwork DVD’s.  Seems like I have multiple copies of Return to Life and Joe’s other book, Your Health somewhere in my library.  At the moment, they’ve acquired legs – so I’m writing this from my experience, not having my books sitting in front of me to compare.

Return to Life by Joseph H. Pilates

I do agree that the quality of the photos is poor in my Joseph Pilates books published by Presentation Dynamics. The photos could have been lightened a bit, but when you’re working with historical footage it’s never going to be as clear and crisp as the HD photos we’re taking today.

The version of Return to Life that is for sale on my website was published by the Pilates Method Alliance (PMA).  I don’t think the text is any different between the different republished versions of this book.  I’ve never actually sat down with my two different copies of Return to Life and compared the text.  Because this is the actual book that Joseph Pilates wrote, the descriptions for the exercises in this book were written by Joe!  If you’re disappointed with the amount of detail in these descriptions, it’s not the publishers fault…this is what Joe felt was important for you to know to execute the Matwork exercises.

It seems to me that the photos in the PMA’s republished version of Return to Life are of a better quality.  But they are still historical photos of Joe executing the exercises – so don’t expect a HD photo!

I agree, it would be wonderful to own an original copy of Return to Life!  But the information contained in the original, the Millennium edition you own, and the PMA’s edition is the exactly the same.  So from a content standpoint, you’ve got the information that Joseph Pilates intended you to have to be able to read, understand, and execute the exercises.

Centerworks Pilates Matwork Resources:

You also mentioned a man who’s demonstrating  the Mat exercises in products on my site.  I believe the products you’re referencing are two of my Pilates Matwork Audio CD/MP3 workouts.  Beginer-intermediate Pilates Matwork with Flow – 23 exercises, and Intermediate Pilates Matwork -35 exercises.  These are actual Mat workouts, but are AUDIO recordings I have created for people who are familiar with the exercises to use and listen to for their at-home Pilates workouts.  Because these are audio products, there are no pictures or descriptions of the exercises (as in books or videos).  The man on the cover of these CD’s  was a client in my studio – and I wanted  men and women to know they can participate in Pilates!  Thought a male cover model might help encourage men to purchase this workout!  Real Men Do Pilates too!

I believe that every vendor for Pilates Teacher-Training Programs has some sort of reference materials for the repertoire of Pilates exercises in their program.  For the Centerworks program, my reference materials are in book form.  For Pilates Matwork, Centerworks has 3 separate training manuals basic, intermediate, and advanced.  Again – these were created before the slick HD cameras were available, so picture quality is OK, but not HD!

• The Centerworks Basic Mat manual includes the beginner Pilates Mat exercises and a 4 week outline with guidelines for teaching/progressing  through the exercises.
• The Centerworks Intermediate Mat manual has photos & descriptions for all the basic and intermediate Pilates Mat exercises.
• The Centerworks Advanced manual only contains photos & descriptions for the advanced exercises – you need to be familiar with the intermediate Matwork, so you can follow the outline for layering  and progressing to the Advanced level.

 On a side note:  People who participate in my workshops, Pilates Teacher-Training Program, workshops, classes, and private training learn much more info, details, variations, and valuable insights for every exercise.  I believe this should be true for any and every Pilates teacher you work with.  Since I am learning new things daily – I feel obliged to pass it on!

Pilates  DVD’s , Videos, and App’s

• The Peter Fiasca Classical Pilates DVD’s are excellent videos of the full New York, Romana lineage, classical Pilates repertoire.  These DVD’s follow a basic, intermediate, and advanced format so you can see the exercises that are designed to be executed at each level.  Repetitions, and tips for execution are included for each exercise.   I believe these are valuable resources if you already know the exercises and have been working with a classically trained instructor.  But there may be numerous exercises (especially when you get to equipment exercises in this DVD series) that are either historical, or advanced beyond what is reasonably safe and beneficial for an average client.  The DVD’s do a pretty good job of pointing some of these exercises out.  I would not encourage someone to purchase these DVD’s  and just begin to follow along for a workout, as there may be some exercises that are unsafe or inappropriate based on personal health history.  The opportunity to modify, break things down to work at an appropriate level, and possibly progress into some of the more intermediate and advanced exercises over time is a part of the benefit of working with a well-qualified Pilates teacher to help you along.
• One of my favorite archival Pilates videos is available from Pilates Elder – Mary Bowen, she usually has copies with her if you’re lucky enough to see her at the PMA conference or other workshop or event.  Otherwise – I recommend contacting Mary directly to order.  Everyone should see this it’s wonderful footage of Joe!
• Michele Larsson has several wonderful videos of Eve Gentry.  One is a workshop with Eve, the other is a documentary, “Eve Gentry and the Power of Pilates” that contains historical footage of Joseph Pilates working with her.  –You’ll find both of these videos on the Core Dynamics Pilates website. 
• Michael Miller is another very good Pilates teacher with resources available on his website. He has also recently created an app for Pilates – “the Michael Miller Pilates Library” available in the iTunes store.
• And I recently saw ads for Pilates Interactive, which for a monthly fee, you can subscribe to resources from the BASI Pilates and Polestar Pilates programs.  I have not become a subscriber for this so cannot give you an opinion on content, but it’s one more in the growing list of available options for Pilates resources.

 Please keep in mind… 

You will never get ALL the information and details you need to learn Pilates from a book or video! 

Books and videos are great reference materials to help remember the exercises, but nothing compares to having an actual teacher looking at your body to give you personal cues for body awareness and improvement.  And keep in mind that different teachers, with different backgrounds, and different levels of experience & expertise can help you see and feel different things to improve your health, fitness, and execution of your Pilates exercises.

I am almost eighteen years into my Pilates teaching career and personal Pilates practice, and I am amazed that I continue to learn new things about each exercise and how the body works DAILY!!!  It’s possible to spend a lifetime continuing to dig into the details of each exercise, and we still probably won’t know all there is to know.  I don’t think there will ever be a single resource on the planet that can comprehensively tell you everything you need to know about Pilates!  It’s a nice thought…but I believe, quite an impossible task.

I feel blessed to be a “Classically” trained Pilates teacher.  AND, I am also conscious of the fact that I have learned tons of non-classical information that has added wonderful layers and depth to my experience & expertise.  At this point in my career – I probably know at least 3-5 different versions of each exercise, plus versions with props, multiple versions to modify each exercise, multiple versions to make exercises more challenging, multiple transitions, many different breath patterns, and lots of options to change the rhythm and dynamics of each exercise.  And this knowledge base continues to grow….  All choices, based on the needs and goals of my clients.

There aren’t “right” and “wrong” versions of the Pilates exercises

– Just “Different” versions. 

Different versions for each Pilates exercise may be
better/worse, safer/more dangerous, help you improve more quickly/ slower.
All of this depends on who you are, your level of fitness, and health history.

You can’t put ALL of this in one book or video – it would only confuse people.  It’s best to have a BASE version that is your primary way to execute each exercise.  Then be aware that there are lots of ways to tweak things to help deepen your body awareness, and body mechanics for better execution, strength, flexibility, and flow.  Different books, and videos from different teachers with different backgrounds, from different lines of Pilates lineages can help layer in some of this information to your knowledge base and expertise.

Hope I’ve provided you with a few new resources, and perhaps some food for thought when analyzing the different choices available to continue growing your Pilates knowledge.

May we all continue to evolve and grow in our depth of understanding for whole-body health, wellness, and personal development – Mind, Body, and Spirit,  for our own bodies and to share with EVERY Body else!  If you have additional resources you feel have been of great benefit to you, don’t keep it a secret – please share!

Have a Fit & Fabulous Day.

Traditionally, this exercise is done with the arms in an overhead position.  But today, I’m going to share a version with you that keeps the arms low.  This will help keep some of the tension out of the upper neck and shoulders, and assist in training your muscles to fire more correctly to improve gait when you walk and run.  The action of the leg and arm lifting to the back is exactly what happens when you’re walking or running and swinging your arms!  Since most of what we do in life is in front of us, we sometimes lose sight of what’s going on behind us.   Hip extension strength, and the whole-back-of-the-body-strength and awareness are a part of what keeps our body in-balance and injury free.

Even though this is an “easier” version of swimming, I normally don’t teach this to right off the bat (even though it’s a really important part of good walking technique) because if you don’t have enough core strength in the front of the body to support the back, the back may feel worse, instead of better when you start doing extension exercises.   So be careful as you’re getting started with this, and be sure you’ve been regularly doing your basic Pilates Mat exercises before adding this Swimming exercise to your workout routine.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Pilates Matwork – Slow Swimming Exercise (arms low)

• Lay on your stomach with your legs together in parallel, arms by your sides, and tip of the nose to the mat.
• Reach the tailbone towards the heels to lengthen the lower back, maintain some low ab support (but not so much that your belly won’t allow your back to arch.  It just needs to be a supported arch!)
• Inhale and reach the right leg and left arm up off the mat.  Exhale and lower them back to the floor.
• Inhale and reach the left leg and right arm up off the mat.  Exhale and lower the arm & leg back to the floor.
• Continue alternating for 5-10 repetitions on each side.

What To Watch For On This Pilates Swimming Exercise

1. Strive to lift the arm & leg an equal distance up off the mat.
2. Keep the pelvis and shoulders level and square to the floor.
3. Spine can be in extension, just be sure it’s the entire back, don’t overdo it with the neck or low back.
4. Use your proper muscle firing pattern to lift the arm & leg. It’s a diagonal line of support from the heel to the opposite shoulder.  (Hamstrings, Glutes, Opposite Side of the Low Back, Same Side as Low Back Lats, & Back of the Upper Arm.
5. Be sure the leg is initiating the lift from the hip joint (thigh bone moving to get to the heel), and the arm is lifting from the shoulder (upper arm bone moving to get to the hand).
6. The leg teeter-totters with the front of the hip bone (ASIS) going down towards the mat, while the whole leg lifts and heel goes up.
7. As the arm lifts to the back, keep it reaching for the heel.  The back of the arm should be working, front of the chest opening and stretching.
8. Feel your Abdominals “catch” the arm and leg as they lower back to the mat with a smooth, controlled motion.

When you practice the Pilates Matwork Slow Swimming Exercise (with the arms low) it’s the same feeling of muscle work you should notice on every step when you take a stride to walk or run.  Can you feel the Giant X of muscle support through the back of the body that alternates sides as you switch from lifting the right leg & left arm, to the left leg & right arm?  Though the front of the body you also have an X of support.  The Oblique Abdominals are working in opposition to your back X to help support the body as the opposite leg and arm is swinging forward.

This happens fast when you’re walking and running, so it’s good to slow things down a bit and focus on finding and feeling the right muscles work to support moving the arm and leg to the back.  Done well, you’re helping to release tight hip flexors and chest muscles by strengthening hip extensors, the upper back, and the back of the arm.

This much needed back-of-the-body strength that you’re developing with the Slow Swimming exercise helps keep your body in balance, for better whole-body health and reduced risk of back pain or injury.

Once you can feel everything working well when you’re practicing your Pilates Matwork, take what you’re feeling back up to a standing position, and incorporate the same muscle firing patterns into your walking and running to reinforce this great new habit of improved X-Support for whole-body health.  Before long, you won’t even have to think about it…everything will just work better, it will be easier to move, and you’ll be getting maximum benefits for better strength and flexibility with every exercise you do!

Check out the Centerworks Awesome Workshops

Check out this AWESOME WORKSHOP!

Fantastic Feet!  Exercises to Strengthen the Ankles, Arches, and Toes

with Aliesa George and Centerworks®

Discover:

• Why it’s important to focus on foot fitness!
• Lots of easy exercises to help you improve strength, and flexibility!
• How this simple foot-care system can help reduce foot pain!
• Enjoy healthy and happy feet! And the rest of your body will feel better too!

Don’t miss this FUN, exercise-packed Fantastic Feet Workshop!

Thursday, February 26th from 5:30 – 8:30pm!

Location:  The Pilates Studio of Little Rock, 5515 Kavanaugh Blvd., Little Rock, AR

To register contact www.PilatesLittleRock.com

P.S.

If you can’t make it to this workshop…

Check out all the great foot-fitness products available at www.foot-care-help.com

Studio Owners – If you’d like to host a workshop at your facility, contact Aliesa George now!

I was eating lunch today and talking shop with one of my Centerworks-trained, PMA Certified Pilates teachers,  and we ended up on the topic of:   How to effectively get clients enthusiastic about Pilates, AND keep them signing up for lessons so we can really help them see the benefits Pilates has to offer.

So I had to put on my thinking cap and work through what I’ve done in the past 25 years as a health professional, and particularly in the last 15 years as a Pilates teacher to motivate my clients to stay committed to their exercise program.  I feel very fortunate that I’ve always had a very busy training schedule and most of my clients have been with me forever.  Well maybe not forever, but some clients have been consistent for well over 10 years, and my most recent clients have been enrolled for at least 3-5 years!

Everyone that has stuck with it has been with me since they started.  Now I realize that the last sentence seems kind of funny….but that IS the real question!

WHY have they stuck with it???

And how do we get more people to experience, enjoy, and continue with a long-term wellness program?

If you’re a Pilates teacher, personal trainer, or parent these principles will apply!  If you’re a client – struggling to stay on the exercise bandwagon, you can easily apply this information to your workout program too.

Here are Six Ways To Help Your Clients

Stick with Their Pilates Workout Program.

Dig a deep well of never-ending motivation and spark creativity for designing effective Pilates or general fitness programs with these helpful tips:

1. What are your Health, Fitness, and Exercise Goals?
2. Why did you start Pilates? (or other program)
3. What benefits/results do you expect from your Pilates Training Program?
4. What is the most challenging exercise you struggle with?
5. What would you like to see improve the most in your other sport/athletic activities?
6. What do you wish was easier in your daily life activities?

These six questions contain critical information that you really need to know to:

• Find the motivating HOT Buttons that will keep people bouncing through the door for their next scheduled workout… forever!
• Be sure that all goals and expectations are matched with the right exercises.
• Make every movement and exercise relevant, meaningful, and goal-oriented.
• Demonstrate that every exercise has a purpose and you are following a plan.
• Ensure that they know the WHY, can tell you the purpose, and understand the importance of the exercises in their workout program. (There should be a reason for both exercise selection AND the order of exercises in a program.)
• Both you the trainer and the client should be able to associate the exercises and developing movement habits to the benefit of reaching goals, improving sport or athletic performance, and enhancing the quality of daily life activities.

Personally, I drive this information home every time I see a client for a session.  Goals might change, we may get off on a tangent sometimes, but I am constantly reminding them of WHY it’s so very important that they do the exercises we’re working on and what in the rest of their life this will benefit!

I also try to relate the movements executed on the Pilates equipment to other daily life or fitness activities, so clients can see how many other opportunities they have to practice the things we’re working on outside of their training session.

If I’m lucky enough to be working with a client who’s got the time and energy to do more on their own…they will make huge strides forward much faster.

If I’m the motivating factor for their exercise program (and they know it…)  Then if I’m really good at my job, they love how they feel after a workout, and can see the value in what we’re doing – I can be confident that they’ll stick with me, because they won’t exercise on their own!  And progress will happen at whatever pace I can encourage them at, which might also be dependent on how frequently they are working with me.

I’m not looking to create a bunch of co-dependent Pilates groupies…but it’s a fact that most people like personal attention, and will push themselves a bit harder with some friendly encouragement.  Plus it’s always nice to have a cheerleader to help celebrate Champagne moments when you do something right, have a breakthrough, and achieve a goal!

Two more things to always ask at the beginning of every workout, training session, and class:

1. How is your body feeling today?
2. Is there anything specific you’d like to focus on with today’s session?

It’s always appropriate to tweak things to accommodate a high or low energy day, or perhaps something has changed with their health status that is relevant their safety and the exercises you choose to do.

For example:

Many years ago I had a brand new client show up for a Beginner Mat Class.  She had just had back surgery!  AND her doctor had released her for exercise.  She was told her she didn’t need physical therapy and to do what she wanted to get healthy.  Here’s the problem…she still had stitches!!!

While Pilates is great for helping achieve a healthy back…starting a mat class and actively bending the spine, or heaven forbid…doing Rolling Like a Ball at this point in her recovery – would have sent this poor girl back to her surgeon!  Plus, for me to help her safely get back into exercise, private training on the equipment would be the very best place to start.  I had to help match her goals up with the best exercises…and at the moment, Matwork was definitely NOT the place to start.

Clients rely on the expertise of their teacher to craft a program.

But this is a TEAM effort that involves a lot of good communication.  Without input from our customers, it’s impossible for us to do a great job, so they’ll stick with it!

Ask the questions above to your students on a regular basis…they’ll see how much you care about their health and fitness, and you can do an excellent job of increasing motivation and designing safe, effective, and appropriate exercise programs.

The result…

You’ll help clients stick with their program and create a WIN-WIN, long-term partnership for better health.

What success strategies can you share that have helped YOU or your clients stick with their fitness program?

 Think I may turn this into a regular section and update & add posts with questions as they come in.

It’s so important that students interested in making the transition from client to Pilates teacher ask good questions and gather lots of information before making the decision about who to enroll with for their Pilates Teacher Training Workshops and apprenticeship. 

With the commitment of time, energy, and finances it takes to invest in your Pilates education – you want to be sure you’ve found the best program for you!

There are lots of great teachers and programs to compare.  Each has a different format for teaching the information, varying philosophies about the Pilates Method, slight or huge differences in how the exercises are executed and/or body placement (example being the controversy over the classical Pilates scoop vs. neutral spine,) and may provide varying degrees of support and assistance while you’re developing your teaching skills – learning how to cue, spot, and design safe and effective Pilates workout programs.

There are differences between programs in how many of the exercises are taught, and which pieces of the Pilates equipment – Reformer, Trapeze Table, Ladder Barrel, Spine Corrector, High/Electric Chair, Low/Wunda chair, small barrels, pedi pole, foot corrector, tensometers… are actually covered in the Teacher-Ed program.

Q: Is it important to get certified in both mat and machines pilates?

A: For your first question – YES, in the long run to be a Pilates teacher you should be trained in both Matwork & equipment.   The Pilates Method is a system 1/2 is Mat, the other 1/2 is the work on the equipment.  There are a lot of people who are just teaching Matwork – that can be an ok place to begin, but there’s a lot more to Pilates than this – and for many people the mat exercises may not be safe or appropriate, where there’s tons of things they could be doing with the equipment to improve their health. 

A well-qualified Pilates teacher that knows the whole Pilates system will be able to direct clients into the safest and best Pilates program and choose the right exercises to help them get avoid injury and get results.

Q: How much money is it to become certified?  

Answer:Fees for teacher training programs vary as each provider has their format broken down differently.  You need to budget not only for your workshops – but for lessons, classes and an apprenticeship for hands-on training to gain the experience you need under the guideance of a senior teacher.  It’s best to look at the whole picture when comparing programs.  I generally tell people that completing Pilates Teacher-Training is like getting a 4-year college degree in a year.  There’s that much to learn, and you’ll have expenses.

Q: Is it better to start teaching these classes at a young age if possible?

Answer:It’s not important that you begin teaching at a young age.  There are some teachers that start at 18, and others who begin training in their 50′s and older.  What’s more important is that you are an experienced Pilates student (preferably at at least a high intermediate level on both Matwork & equipment) before you enroll in a Teacher-Training program.  The more personal experience you have before you begin the process of learning how to be a teacher – the better!

Q: What types of certifications are available and how does your certification compare to the others out there?

Answer:You’ve got lots to choose from when selecting a training program.  On the market you’ll find everything from a $39.95 online Pilates “certificate,” a 1-weekend only Pilates workshop, to comprehensive Pilates Teacher Training programs requiring one, two, or more years of study.  (Please don’t opt for either of the first two on this list!) 

The cost of my program is comparable to other comprehensive programs available on the market. Follow this link to find more information about the Centerworks Pilates Teacher-Education Program.  

You might also check out information from the Pilates Method Alliance (PMA)to search for other programs.  You get what you pay for – cheaper & faster may not be the best route for a great education. 

It’s important to compare not only the price of a Pilates workshop, but location & travel expense, # of students in workshops, apprenticeship requirements, is the work taught on all the equipment, do you like the presenter, agree with how they teach, and feel like it’s someone you want to learn from, ect… 

I am in the midst of revising & updating my website – and will have additional info up to help people learn more things to ask so you can effectively compare programs.  Please check back soon & you should find more up on my site.

I hope you find this information helpful!  If you’re reading this blog and have other questions on the topic of Pilates Teacher Training, or other Pilates-related topics… Please drop me a comment – I’d love to reply.

I’m thrilled to see foot-care and foot exercise making national headlines! 

 Did you happen to see or hear the news?  I’m not a regular National Public Radio listener, but fate stepped in and brought it to my attention. So how did I find out?   It was a double whammy….which to me was a sign that I had to check it out. 

First, someone that heard the story on NPR and Googled Pilates & Foot Exercise which led them to my site to order Fantastic Feet and a Centerworks Pilates Foot Fitness Kit.  Bless them for commenting on their order form as to how the found me and my foot fitness products. 

My second wake up and take notice…was from a client at the health club I’m teaching at – who came in for a lesson and said – NPR had a story about the same problem I have with my feet (plantar fasciitis) and Pilates!  She was so excited and encouraged that Pilates was a great thing for her to be doing to improve not only her overall fitness level, but to really help reduce the pain in her feet and get her back to a normal lifestyle.

The information she heard in this story helped lend credibility to her Pilates teacher, that they’re on the right track with her Pilates exercise program and addressing her foot issues.

I think it’s great to have articles like this in the news that help reinforce the variety of benefits that clients can receive and achieve with a Pilates workout program.  I haven’t seen a lot written for the general public about the benefits of good shoes and exercising the feet.  Our feet desperately need more attention and usually don’t get addressed until a problem arises. (Unless someone is regularly participating in barefoot activities like Pilates, Yoga, or dance.) 

People actually think that it’s ok for their feet to hurt, and don’t think too much about the shoes their wearing and how they might be causing foot problems.  So I think it’s great that the NPR story addressed the problems with wearing Flip-flops, and open backed shoes.  There’s also a nice video from Podiatrist-turned-Pilates instructor Colleen Schwartz that demonstrates a few helpful exercises to get you going for foot care that can help reduce heel pain and help stretch the plantar fascia.

How great – A Podiatrist/Pilates instructor encouraging people to exercise their feet!  This is a wonderful tool for Pilates promotion to markets where general exercise is a problem due to foot issues. 

If the excuse is “I can’t exercise because it hurts my feet.” 

The reply is – “You can do Pilates, and over time we may be able to reduce or eliminate your foot pain, are you interested in learning more?”  

I found that so many of my clients benefited from a focus on specific exercises for the feet – that it’s the reason I wrote Fantastic Feet – Exercises to Strengthen the Ankles, Arches, and Toes.  I wanted people to have a resource to help develop a foot exercise program for home and travel.

If you’ve got friends, family or clients with foot issues encourage them to check out the NPR website and read the article “How to Keep your Feet Happy” by Allison Aubrey.  They can also watch the short foot exercise video that’s linked to this story in the Health & Fitness section.  Then if you’d be so kind, please spread the word about the foot-fitness resources available from Centerworks Pilates! 

Eliminate your risk for foot pain with exercise, and treat your feet to the support they deserve with good-fitting, comfortable, supportive shoes.”