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Posts Tagged ‘Pilates-Teaching Tips’
I recently received a question from Kylie, a fellow Pilates teacher, regarding snapping hip syndrome and what to do to make it go away during exercise.
Here are her comments and question:
“I have some very hip flexor dominant students that suffer from hip click in quite a few of the Pilates exercises, big one being Leg Circles and virtually anytime they extend their legs out away from the body. I cue to bring balance with the antagonist muscles (tva and Glutes) but am still having issues. Could you guide me in helping these people a little more effectively? (I do ask them to stretch with a lunge prior to class, and even do a recumbent jazz attitude movement before leg circles.) So is there something I am not seeing or doing? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.”
I then dove into a folder on my computer to find an article in hiding that I had written, but never posted on my blog – think I may have posted in on a Podiatry forum where I read a clicking hip question! Interesting to me that Podiatrists are also dealing with this issue with their patients. It doesn’t do anybody any good for me to keep things a secret! So I hope that for those of you out there challenged with clicking hips – you will find some of this information useful. Please let me know how it goes with teaching or doing Pilates exercises and using this info to get out of the hip click!
Here are my thoughts:
Continue reading ‘Pilates Exercise Focus – How To Fix a Snapping Hip’ »
Tags: Add new tag, Clicking Hips, Pilates Exercise, Pilates Matwork Exercise, Pilates-Teaching Tips, Popping Hips, Snapping Hips
Posted in Articles, Exercise and Fitness, Pilates, Pilates Exercise, Pilates-Teaching Tips by Aliesa George on August 17th, 2009.
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In my opinion, everyone who is teaching Pilates should have an opinion on this topic! And each of our answers (and the exercises we choose to incorporate into a workout program) might be slightly different. That’s ok, as long as the end result is positive for the client, and enough thought has gone into program development that the Pilates system is being utilized to it’s maximum potential to get great results!
The new teachers who have completed the Centerworks Pilates Teacher-Training Program, occasionally will ask questions, like the ones in this post, as they are faced with the challenge of creating quality Pilates programs. I am always happy to share my perspective and insights with them, to help develop good teachers with great critical thinking skills.
They, in turn, have been kind enough to allow me to post some of their questions and my replies, so that other Pilates teachers and trainers might benefit from hearing my thoughts on working with different clients and issues, and perhaps also practice developing great critical thinking skills to create the best Pilates workout programs possible.
I hope you find my thoughts and information below helpful to continue developing your skills as a well-qualified Pilates professional!
Continue reading ‘Developing a Workout Program for a Pilates Client with a High Hip and Short Leg’ »
Tags: Pilates Exercise Plan, Pilates Workout Program Design, Pilates-Teaching Tips
Posted in Pilates, Pilates-Teaching Tips, Uncategorized by Aliesa George on July 13th, 2009.
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Designing safe and effective Pilates training programs that are client-specific, goal-oriented, and help improve whole-body health is the primary function of a great Pilates teacher. You can know lots of good exercises, but it’s the subtle changes, adaptations, or order for workout sequence that help your clients get the results they are looking for from their Pilates program.
The Pilates program outlined here was designed by an Apprentice Teacher and is being used as an example for a critique on designing effective Pilates programs.
This blog posting is meant to assist Pilates teachers, and especially new Pilates trainers with assistance in thoughtful and safe exercise selection to design safe and effective workout programs. I do not recommend that you precisely follow this program, but analyze the program and my comments and suggestions – then use this information to help develop your critical thinking skills, make good exercise choices, and design great Pilates programs for your clients.
As a more-experienced teacher, I enjoy helping the students in my teacher-training program develop their critical thinking skills. It thought there may be other new teachers out there who would find this information useful.
Continue reading ‘Beginner Pilates Program Design – No Neck Flexion’ »
Tags: Pilates Teacher Education, Pilates Workout, Pilates Workout Program Design, Pilates-Teaching Tips
Posted in Pilates-Teaching Tips, Uncategorized by Aliesa George on April 14th, 2009.
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I’ve been focusing a bit more on my own Pilates workouts lately – and it’s such fun to discover new things about the same old exercises I’ve been doing and teaching now for fifteen years! Â It’s never boring, and regardless of whether I’m teaching a client, or giving myself a workout – I’m amazed at what I continue to learn about the benefits and subtleties of the Pilates system.
Here’s my revelation for the week! (or perhaps it’s just today’s revelation – and something else will pop up eager for me to share tomorrow.)
I’ve always cued my clients to begin learning their exercises with the awareness of working within the framework of the Pilates “Box.” Think about the torso from shoulder to shoulder, and hip to hip. Every exercise starts from the center of the box, moves away from, and back to center. The farther away from center you move, the stronger you have to be to maintain balance, control, and core support for your exercise or movement. Feeling where the corners of the “box” are help create an awareness of being evenly distributing your weight and staying centered. Great concept!
So when the knees bend in towards the chest on any exercise where should they go?Â
Continue reading ‘Knees Over Chest Is Best – For Getting Great Benefits from Pilates Training’ »
Tags: balance, body awareness, control, core support, exercise program, Fitness Training, flexibility, Health, health and fitness, Pilates, Pilates Box, Pilates Exercise, Pilates Matwork, pilates method, Pilates System, Pilates Teaching, Pilates Workout, Pilates-Teaching Tips, strength, Wellness
Posted in Pilates, Pilates-Teaching Tips by Aliesa George on March 23rd, 2009.
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Darlene Asks about Pilates and Pregnancy…
Dear Aliesa,
I am teaching a Pilates class and one of the participants has
told me that she is pregnant. She has been doing Pilates for
a while and is strong and knows her limits, but I am looking
for a resource where I can research the limitations and
contraindications for a pregnant participant.
Can you recommend some reading or a website I can rely on
to give me correct information? This is a mat class only.
Thanks very much for your help,
Darlene
Great Question Darlene!!!
You’ll find a few guidelines for Pilates & pregnancy in the PMA Pilates Certification Study Guide. If I remember correctly, Dawn-Marie Ikes did a session or two on this topic at the PMA conference in 2005 & 2006, it was great information. If you have access to a copy of the course outlines for either of those years, I think you’ll have the info you’re looking for. You might check on the PMA website for Dawn-Marie’s contact information www.PilatesMethodAlliance.org and request info directly from her.
Continue reading ‘Pilates and Pregnancy: Exercise Guidelines – Resources for More Information’ »
Tags: ACE, ACOG, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, American Council on Exercise, Health, Pilates, Pilates Method Alliance, Pilates-Teaching Tips, PMA, Pregnancy, Prenatal Exercise Guidelines, Wellness
Posted in Health, Pilates, Pilates-Teaching Tips by Aliesa George on November 30th, 2008.
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I’m always experimenting with cues to help find good images that my clients can associate with while they’re moving through their workouts. When I can associate a relatable picture to proper body position and movements – I usually get great execution of each Pilates exercise.
Here’s my new cue of the week for improving Spine Extension.
Continue reading ‘Opening the Ribcage for More Lift in Spine Extension’ »
Tags: Arched, armpits, Back Extension, backbend, cue, Cueing, cues, execution, Extension, fan, Fanning, Fitness, image, image visualization, Imagery, Pilates, Pilates Exercise, pilates method, Pilates Teaching, Pilates Workout, Pilates-Teaching Tips, pivot point, proper body position, reducing stress, Reformer, ribcage, ribs, Spine Extension, stretch, swan, Teacher Education, technique, understanding, workouts
Posted in Pilates, Pilates-Teaching Tips by Aliesa George on April 21st, 2008.
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I’m always looking for great new Pilates Teaching cues. Here’s the one that came to me this week – thanks to a client who had a big number three on the front of her shirt. Good images for cueing can come from anywhere!Â
Do you remember reading Dr. Suess as a kid? One of my favorite stories was the Starbelly Sneetches. And how wonderful that that star is in the perfect spot to think about pulling the abdominals in for support and Core Control.
Here’s my tribute to the great Dr. Suess from a Pilates perspective!
Continue reading ‘Pilates Core Conditioning – Dr. Suess Exercise Teaching Cue for Ab Workouts’ »
Tags: Ab Strength, Abdominals, Core Conditioning, Pilates Exercise, Pilates Teaching, Pilates-Teaching Tips
Posted in Pilates-Teaching Tips by Aliesa George on March 11th, 2008.
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