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Posts Tagged ‘Pilates Workout’
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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I was eating lunch today and talking shop with one of my Centerworks-trained, PMA Certified Pilates teachers, Â and we ended up on the topic of:Â Â 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.
Continue reading ‘6 Ways To Help Your Clients Stick with Their Pilates Workout Program’ »
Tags: Aliesa George, Centerworks, Centerworks Pilates, client retention, Pilates, Pilates exercise program, Pilates Teacher, Pilates Training, Pilates training program, Pilates Workout
Posted in All Posts, Business, Health, Pilates, Pilates-Teaching Tips by Aliesa George on December 10th, 2008.
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Wii Fitness…Â What Fun!
I may be a bit behind the times when it comes to enjoying the fun and benefits of all the new interactive video game products on the market – like the Nintendo Wii Fit… but recently my techno-geek boyfriend purchased a Wii Fit for home. (He’s had one at work since they first hit the market.) Being a bit shy about actually getting a computer to do what I want, for me is intimidating, never mind the hand-eye coordination it takes to “win” a computer game…..I was never any good at these games as a kid.
I have to admit my extreme skepticism about the benefits of staring at a TV screen and using a computer game for fitness. But am always excited to hear about new ways to inspire and encourage people to increase their exercise and activity level, and ANYTHING that people enjoy doing that involves movement can be a great way to improve health and fitness.
Continue reading ‘Health Benefits, Fun and Fitness with Nintendo Wii Fit’ »
Tags: balance, Baseball, BMI, body awareness, Body Mass Index, body mass index bmi, Bowling, Boxing, computer game, exercise program, Fitness, fitness activities, fitness products, Fitness Training, flexibility, games, Goal Setting, Golf, hand eye coordination, Health, health and fitness, health benefits, health status, interactive video game, muscle strengthening, Nintendo, nintendo wii, Pilates, Pilates Exercise, Pilates Workout, Posture, posture improvement, skill challenges, strength, Tennis, video game products, Weight, Wellness, Wii, Wii Fit, workout, workout program, workout time, yoga
Posted in Health, Pilates by Aliesa George on November 30th, 2008.
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I’m frequently asked for referrals from people across the country (and the world) in search of a Great Pilates Teacher or Pilates Studio that they can check out and take Private Pilates lessons and join group Mat and Pilates equipment classes.
Here are a few frequently asked questions, and Five Tips to find a Great Pilates Teacher near you:
Continue reading ‘How to Find a Great Pilates Teacher’ »
Tags: Health, health club, mat exercises, Pilates, pilates books, pilates equipment, Pilates Exercise, pilates instructor, Pilates Matwork, pilates method, Pilates Studios, Pilates Teacher, Pilates Workout, Private Pilates, referrals, workout
Posted in Health, Pilates by Aliesa George on May 12th, 2008.
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I recieved this question about Pilates training by email today, thought it relevant for a blog posting:
Question: Is Pilates appropriate for someone with peripheral atrophy? Balancing is becoming more & more difficult so yoga is no longer an option. If appropriate, please tell me where I might find a certified teacher/instructor. Please advise.
Answer: I do not feel it’s appropriate for me to answer this with a specific yes, or no – because I’m out of my scope of practice to recommend Pilates for a specific person, with a specific medical issue. (Especially someone I’ve never seen or worked with!)
However, here are my personal thoughts on the subject:
Continue reading ‘Pilates Training and Peripheral Atrophy’ »
Tags: atrophy, balance, blog, body awareness, Exercise, exercise program, Fitness, Fitness Training, flexibility, Health, Kinesiology, Mat, medical issue, medical specialist, muscle diseases, nerve, nerve and muscle, physician, Pilates, Pilates and Posture, pilates equipment, Pilates Exercise, Pilates Matwork, pilates method, Pilates Studios, Pilates Teacher, Pilates Teaching, Pilates Workout, PMA, Posture, Private Pilates, quality of life, strength, therapy, training session, Wellness, workouts, yoga
Posted in Health, Pilates by Aliesa George on May 12th, 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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As a Pilates teacher, I can’t think of one client in 14 years that I’ve taught the Up Stretch exercise to on the Reformer who hasn’t freaked out going forward over the footbar as the are learning the exercise. All goes well, this is temporary… And while a lighter spring or changing the gear bar might help a bit – in the long run, chances are it won’t fix the problem. Here are a few tips for a smooth, controlled exercise.
Continue reading ‘Help Me – I Feel Like I’m Going To Go Flying Over the Footbar On The Up Stretch!’ »
Tags: Pilates, Pilates Continuing Education, Pilates Exercise, Pilates Reformer, Pilates Teacher Training, Pilates Teaching, Pilates Up Stretch, Pilates Workout, Reformer
Posted in Pilates-Teaching Tips by Aliesa George on February 22nd, 2008.
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I’m always looking for good new visual imagery to use with my clients that will help them better relate to their body, movement, AND better understand how to improve their technique.(I can’t take credit for this one, came from one of my teachers newer clients this week.)
Continue reading ‘Pilates Breathing & Butterfly Wings’ »
Tags: Breathing, Fitness, Fitness Training, Pilates, Pilates Exercise, Pilates Workout
Posted in Pilates-Teaching Tips by Aliesa George on February 21st, 2008.
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