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.

Below is an example of a beginner’s Pilates Workout Program with the consideration of no neck flexion that I recently reviewed for an apprentice teacher. The exercises that were chosen for this program are not right or wrong… Any exercise can be a good choice if done correctly.

Apprentice Program Design: Beginner Student – No Neck Flexion

***Please consult with a Pilates professional, and your Health Care Provider, before following this, or any other fitness program.

Comments and Suggestions for Tweaking and Improving this Pilates Workout Program:

Since I don’t know the reason for this individuals need to avoid neck flexion, I have to ask if it’s because of an injury, Doctor’s request, or just because it’s uncomfortable and creates pain to curl up into exercises like the 100 (due to weakness, muscle imbalance, or lack of body awareness to be mechanically efficient with the movement.)

In my experience – while we play it safe and typically choose exercises that keep the neck in a more neutral position, it’s important to watch closely to see if client’s are “gripping” with their neck and upper traps to hold the head steady. Too many exercises laying on their back, or side lying and you can exacerbate their problems….even when you’re choosing to stay flat!

With neck issues, I tend to do 2-3 exercises laying down (see if they are more or less comfortable with a pillow), and then change to doing 2-3 exercises seated or standing. This will help reduce strain as the head and neck can sit in its normal balanced position on the torso, plus you won’t have clients snoozing after a whole hour in a reclining position!

In The Pilates Program Example above – Here Are the Things I Might Do Differently:

• I would choose to NOT do #3 Shoulder Elevation and Depression. But start from a resting position and cue “diamond down”, then arms hang down lower. The elevation of the shoulders will create more neck tension, but they need to learn how to better utilize lower traps to release shoulder tension. By doing this seated or standing, gravity is assisting the release of neck and shoulder tension.
• 100: I might choose to start with the legs in the straps, and no resistance (straps) in the arms. Or feet on the bar, No Straps. Head down – legs up, and straps could aggravate the neck, especially if the legs are lower.

Here’s where knowing WHY you’re avoiding neck flexion is important…

If a client just has a tense personality and needs to understand how to relax their neck and shoulders…doing Flexion exercises INTO gravity will help you over time progress into safe, strong, well-supported flexion working against gravity. If the head is going along with the rest of the spine in a relaxed state – this might be beneficial.

If a client has experienced an injury, accident, surgery…or other issue that has a medical limitation to avoid neck flexion – the exercise choices may be altogether different! (This limitation may be prescribed by a doctor forever, or for a limited period of time suitable for recovery. This information is vital to a Pilates professional making appropriate exercise choices.

Continuing on with things I would consider changing for this program…

• Ex: Stomach Massage Round – The head should be in a good posture position over the shoulders. The primary flexion is through the pelvis and low ab scoop, with a focus change down and forward, but not the head sheered forward off the neck. There’s a chance this might be safe and appropriate – but if in doubt, better to start with the 2^nd exercise (hands back)
• Ex: Elephant – Round. If the spine is in a properly flexed position, the head and neck are relaxed and handing forward. Gravity is assisting in stretching the neck for someday being able to do flexion and lift the head off the floor. (Same concept for Kneeling Knees Round)
• Arm Springs lying down on the Cadillac may have a tendency to create more neck tension, so watch for this and be prepared to find alternate exercises. Leg Springs – (when you brace the arms on the poles) are strengthening your lower traps if you cue “diamond down” and remind them to keep the shoulders & neck relaxed. Or – you can do with arms by the sides. But long-term you want to work to that overhead arm position, and understanding how to use the arms and shoulders without creating any problems for the head and neck.
• I might choose to do the Standing Cadillac Arm exercises right after the Reformer for a moment of standing, and reinforcement of “Diamond Down,” good posture, and a lengthened, relaxed neck and shoulders. Then would do Parakeet, some of the Matwork, then consider the Arm Springs lying down.
• I would NEVER choose to do Double Straight Leg in Matwork with the head down. Esp. for a beginner with neck problems. The modified one leg at a time version will be safer for their whole body! Until someone can curl up safely – I would personally opt for this one-leg modification.
• I would probably add Alternate 1 Arm Reach (Climb a Rope) as a modified Criss-Cross to cue the Oblique Abdominals, and work on coming from under the shoulder, around the ribcage to a diagonal scoop of the torso.

The STRONGER a client’s core muscles are, the less they will use their upper traps and shoulders for body support. When the core is working, the neck and shoulders will begin to relax – you then focus on transfering this feeling to every exercise, daily life activity, and movement.

• Corkscrew will be a challenge to keep no tension in the neck and a good position. I might consider doing Knee Drops or Can-Can. (This is the 8^th exercise in a row that they’ve done lying down, perhaps a seated exercise would be a nice choice – even though this is not a classical order.)
• If you’re doing a hinging Saw it means that spine rotation is not contra-indicated. I might suggest that you add a Seated Twist to your reformer. This will warm up rotation in a vertical position (if it’s appropriate for them to twist) Rotation improves muscle length for flexion and extension. Seated Twist will help your Swan, and as appropriate progression into gravity assisted flexion, and finally working against gravity.
• There is a chance you’ll need to alternate sides for EACH exercise in the Side Leg Series. Look at neck placement and tension and switch sides before they feel anything in their neck. Ask how they feel while working – and change sides as often as needed – or do the series in a standing position.
• Because you’ve chosen the SEAL, I’m assuming that spine flexion is OK, but neck flexion against gravity is not. If you needed to avoid spine flexion altogether – I would do Dead Bug here instead.
• Because you’ve chosen the SEAL – I would definitely have done Stomach Massage Round, and probably Elephant and Kneeling Knees Round. Stomach Massage round will be warming up the correct body placement and support. It might also indicate that over time – the Roll Down on the Wall and 100 on the Wall would be good progressions.
• It also make more sense to finish your Matwork with the Seal or Dead Bug (a centering exercise,) and then move on to something else. By my re-arrangement of the Arm exercises, this happens automatically, and you finish mat and proceed to your ending stretches.

Other GREAT Exercises to consider for this program:

Chair – Footwork, Going Up Front, Spine Stretch forward, Swan on top, Pump 1-leg Demi-pointe

If gravity assisted flexion is OK – add “Washer Woman” to your safe list.

Spine Corrector – Breathing Over the Barrel, Swan, Hamstring Curl, Leg Extension

If there are NO medical limitations for the neck, and flexion into gravity is OK… I would also incorporate some gentle neck and chest stretching.

Wall – Clock Stretches, Standing W

Gentle Neck Stretch: Ear-to-Shoulder, Nose-to –Shoulder, Forehead-to-Shoulder, Chin- to-Chest, Center head.

• Ballet Stretches on the Ladder Barrel involve Forward Flexion and articulation of the spine & neck through flexion to recover to center. AGAIN – this may be OK, useful, and beneficial for your client. IF I had to play it safe – I would either stretch with the Magic Circle lying down, OR do the Split portion of the Ballet Stretches on the Cadillac with the Trapeze.

Now that you’ve had time to read and review this beginner Pilates Program… What choices would YOU make, and how would you progress your client if avoiding Neck Flexion was something you had to take into consideration when choosing exercises to develop a safe and effective Pilates workout program?

I’d love to hear comments on this! Is this example useful to your thought process for Pilates program design?

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? 

I encourage clients to stay within the framework of their “Box” and here’s why:

When the knees don’t open wider than the body there are multiple benefits for strength, flexibility, joint range of motion, core stability and control.

Here are 5 Great Benefits for “Knees Over Chest is Best – For Pilates Training”:

1. Better abdominal support for a safe and healthy back. The abdominal muscles have to pull in – out of the way when the thighs/knees pull in towards the chest.  This cues the core muscles to work and get stronger while the legs are moving.
2. This improved abdominal support, and the relationship with the thighs to the chest, provide a massaging action on the internal organs to assist the digestive system and elimination processes. If the knees open wide and the abdominals “pop” out to the front – support for the spine is lost, as well as the strength to hold the organs in a natural resting position in the torso.
3. Strengthen the Adductor Muscles. The inner thigh muscles work more effectively to stabilize leg control, and guide the legs in a precise plane moving away from and back to center.
4. Improve Knee Flexion. The medial hamstrings will do more work and get stronger as the legs bend in towards the body. This will help strengthen the knees and assist with smooth, controlled movement.  (With the legs opening wider than the body the inner thighs and medial hamstrings might not be working much at all!
5. Moving the legs while tracking within the Pilates Box, strengthens efficient alignment and allows the ball to drop in the hip socket to a good posterior-inferior position.  This helps to develop a free full range of motion for the hip joint (which is necessary to maintain and improve bone density),  trains the legs to move independently of the pelvis, and effectively stretches the glutes, and lower back.  AND while all this is happening, you are maintaining support with the back and core muscles.

I encourage you to play with this concept and see how it feels.

With which Pilates exercises can you see value in thinking about the “Box” and Knees Over the Chest position?

Has this post changed your perspective on wide knees vs. knees over the chest?

I’d love to know what you think!  Comments please….

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?

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.

After playing with the Wii Fit only a couple of times, I am a happy to report that I am a fan of the fun, interaction, and health benefits that this gadget can provide!  Last night my family spent 6 hours playing Wii Fit games together!!!  Tennis, Baseball, Boxing, Bowling, Golf, balance games, yoga.  I think we explored the gamut of options!  I can honestly say that I can feel my abs this morning – so core muscle strengthening was definitely happening, and I wasn’t one of the folks that spent tons of time playing! So can only imagine how sore a few other people might be today!  We had more fun, spent more time laughing, talking, and encouraging each other in competition that the evening flew by and nobody wanted to stop playing.

While I wouldn’t want to spend all my workout time on the Wii…I think it’s a great option for friendly competition, a way to check-in on your health status with weight, Body Mass Index (BMI), goal setting, and some basic fitness testing for strength, balance, and control.  This gizmo provides instant feedback to see where you’re at, games and skill challenges to improve your health, and a way to do something besides just be a couch potato in front of the TV.  I also think that the balance awareness and assessment tools are excellent.  More about that in an upcoming blog post!

Do you Wii???  If you’re doing or teaching Pilates and haven’t tried this yet…find a friend who’s got one – create your Mii (your own personal cartoon version of you!) and go play!  I’d love to hear what you think about using Wii Fit as a tool to help your clients track improvements with their health and check-in with Posture and being “on center” for balance and body control that is such a key aspect of Pilates training.

Share your Wii Fit experience!

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! 

Here are a few frequently asked questions, and Five Tips to find a Great Pilates Teacher near you:

Q. I use Pilates books and videos at home, why should I participate in lessons at a Pilates Studio or Health Club?

A. Books and videos can be good tools to help you remember what you’re doing. However, nothing can replace the eye of a qualified and experienced Pilates teacher to help you understand the exercises and find the right muscles to do each exercise correctly. Books and videos will show you the basics of the exercises, but won’t help you become aware of the ways you’re cheating, or help to identify your bad habits and assist you in correcting them. Also, not every exercise is for every person. Following exactly what’s on a video may be dangerous for your body. Besides, just doing Matwork is only half of the system, so you’re missing out on half the benefits Pilates has to offer. Use of both the Pilates equipment and mat exercises is the ideal and best way to utilize the Pilates system.

A Qualified Pilates Teacher Can Help You:

• Find the right muscles to get the most benefit from the exercises.

• Learn how to modify or tweak the exercises for your body to be in safest position.

• Identify which exercises are appropriate for your body and which exercises you should skip or wait awhile before adding to your workout.

Q. How do I know if my Pilates instructor is a qualified teacher?

A. Great Question! Anyone can call themselves a Pilates Teacher – If they’ve read a book and watched a video, participated in only a weekend workshop, or completed an intensive 500+ hour Comprehensive Pilates Teacher-Training program.

To the uneducated consumer, without asking questions, you may not know if your teacher has the background and experience necessary to really help you get the most from your Pilates training experience.

The Pilates Method Alliance (PMA) is an international non-profit organization to provide information and education to Pilates teachers and consumers.

The PMA^TM recommends that anyone wishing to teach the Pilates method:

• Participate in a Pilates exercise program prior to attending a teacher training program.
• Attend a comprehensive training program, and maintain a commitment to education.

The following are general guidelines, questions, and information from the Pilates Method Alliance that you can use to help search for a qualified Pilates teacher:

1. Are the instructors trained through a comprehensive training program?

2. Did that training program require a written and practical test, lecture, observation, practice and apprentice hours?

3. How many total hours were spent in the training program? (The Pilates Method is a knowledge based method of exercise and training. Time spent in certification training produces qualified teachers.)

4. Does the instructor have any other movement related teaching experience.

5. How long have the instructors been teaching Pilates?

6. What is the instructor’s / studio’s philosophy and specialty? Are they able to handle special needs, injuries and rehabilitation?

7. Does the instructor or studio teach the full repertoire of Pilates on all pieces of apparatus?

Q. How do I find a Pilates studio with qualified, comprehensively-trained Pilates teachers?

Five Tips To Locate a Great Pilates Teacher Near You:

1. See what’s listed in your local phone book under Pilates.
2. Inquire with your local health clubs.
3. Call sports medicine / physical therapy / or kinesiology / chiropractic clinics and ask where they refer their patients for Pilates Training.
4. Check with the Pilates Method Alliance. The PMA is an international membership organization for Pilates. You can search on their website to locate a PMA member Pilates Teacher/Studio at http://www.pilatesmethodalliance.org/curntmemb.html
5. PilatesStyle Magazine also has a good studio referral network at http://www.pilatesstyle.com/web/directory.aspx

Remember…Pilates is for Every Body! Find a Great Pilates Teacher and check out what Pilates can do for you.

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:

There can be many different reasons for peripheral atrophy. It would be important to know the causes, what parts of the body are being affected, how long it’s been an issue, symptoms, challenges, goals, a personal medical and exercise history, AND get prior approval from your primary care physician and medical specialist who is treating you for this — before starting a Pilates program. Your physician should give you the green light that it’s ok for you to begin (or continue) an exercise program – Pilates training or other forms of exercise.

Based on my years of Pilates teaching experience, and having worked with several clients with moderate to severe health challenges related to degenerative nerve and muscle diseases, Pilates training didn’t help reverse the clock and make everything “normal” but I have watched my clients enjoy substantial benefits in regards to gaining and maintaining strength, flexibility, balance, and body awareness for an improved quality of life.

Because a training session with the Pilates equipment can get you off your feet, and into more supportive positions – the challenge of balance can be taken out of the equation while learning different ways to improve strength and body control. The goal, of a Pilates program (in my opinion) would be to help identify things in your daily life activities, movements, and posture that are becoming a challenge, and then develop a program with the Pilates exercises that will best help to maintain and improve your fitness.

Some of what I do with my special needs clients is Pilates. Some exercises have been creatively modified; other exercises I pull from my experience in dance and general fitness that I feel are applicable to continue gently encouraging the body to stay strong and healthy. This is my approach! It might be different with a different teacher.

If your Physician agrees that Pilates might be beneficial and recommends you give it a try, then you can start the search for a qualified Pilates teacher with the knowledge and background to work with you.

Not all Pilates teachers are created equal. With health challenges, it would be best to find a teacher with good experience, and it might be advisable to find someone with rehabilitation background or physical therapy experience (You want to find a Pilates teacher who is confident to work with special populations.)

Ask your potential Pilates trainer if they’ve worked with other clients with special needs or peripheral atrophy. If you’re lucky enough to be in an area of the country with an abundance of Pilates professional, I’d recommend visiting several studios, asking lots of questions, and possibly take lessons from a few different teachers to be sure you’ve found one that has a personality that clicks with yours and fits the bill for knowledge, expertise, ability to help encourage you, and can design a Pilates training program that allows you to work at your own pace.

Begin with private one-on-one Pilates training, and let the teacher you are working with help guide you into Pilates Mat or other equipment classes if and when it’s appropriate for you. (Private Pilates lessons may be your long-term best and safest option.) Chances are there will be lots of exercises and concepts that you will be able to take out of the studio for “homework” as a supplement to your Pilates personal training routine.

To locate a Pilates Teacher near you:

• See what’s listed in your local phone book under Pilates.
• Inquire with your local health clubs.
• Call sports medicine / physical therapy / or kinesiology / chiropractic clinics and ask where they refer their patients for Pilates Training.
• Check with the Pilates Method Alliance. The PMA is an international membership organization for Pilates. You can search on their website to locate a PMA member Pilates Teacher/Studio at http://www.pilatesmethodalliance.org/curntmemb.html
• PilatesStyle Magazine also has a good studio referral network at http://www.pilatesstyle.com/web/directory.aspx

It’s so important – that we maintain a good level of wellness! Finding an exercise program that you can do safely to maintain strength and flexibility will keep you as healthy as possible. It doesn’t have to be a wild and vigorous workout to get results. There is a difference between a professional athlete training for sports performance, and you or me enjoying exercise to maintain a good quality of life. Check with your doctor to be sure it’s ok for you to be active, and then find exercises you can do and enjoy that keep you moving at your own pace… and keep on moving!

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If you’re looking for more general info on peripheral atrophy visit: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000593.htm

Here’s my new cue of the week for improving Spine Extension.

Pretend your ribs are like an oriental fan, and as you lift into extension open the fan.

The pivot point for the fan is under the armpits, (assisted by shoulder depression and the lower trapezius.) By visualizing each rib sequentially pulling away from the next and lifting apart the spine moves more freely, and pulls away & up, reducing stress on the lower back while moving into a glorious well-supported backbend.

I have found this cue particularly helpful on Down stretch on the Reformer, where the goal is to be light on the arms while lifting into spine extension. But it works equally well on many other back extension exercises. Try it on Swan, Short Box Round (into the backbend) Extension exercises on the Spine Corrector, Pulling Straps on the Long Box, Kneeling Knees Arched, Even on Mermaid – opening one fan, and closing the other. (If you have success using this image on one exercise – associate it to other exercises and you should get similar results!) It might also be helpful on Spine Flexion in “Fanning the ribcage into a good C-Curve” bending the other direction.

Depending on the exercise you’re teaching, you might also consider which end of the fan is opening first. Pulling apart from the top of the ribcage to the bottom, or opening from the bottom of the ribs to the top. The image of the fan works both ways. Evaluate what you’re doing and what will be best for the body to determine which end of your fan should be opening first. Then see how many different exercises you can apply your “FAN” image visualization for improving exercises understanding and technique.

Try it and drop me a post to let me know how it works for you!

Good Execution of the Up Stretch
First, look at the starting position. In the UP position the “center” is strongly pulling to the spine in a C-Curve.(Look for an even back position from the tail to the head.) This should put the center of gravity in the center of the carriage – with the body weight balanced evenly between the hands and the feet.

Second, as the hips and legs extend to press the carriage out, the center/center of gravity should remain in the same spot and just lower so that the body is in a straight line from the head to the heels. (Depending on the height of your client and the length of their legs – the legs will be over the carriage and the “center” will be over the stretched springs.)

As they pull the carriage in, the “center” should remain in the “center” – so the body weight remains more evenly distributed between the hands and feet and there is less weight in the arms and shoulders so they can move freely to hinge forward over the bar.

Done well, once forward over the footbar, returning to the Up position is easily accomplished because the shoulders are free and the spine articulate easily from the top to the tail back to the Up position with the “center” over the center of the carriage.

What To Watch For:

1. If the center of gravity moves out with the legs – the arms and shoulders have a tendency to grip to put the brakes on and keep from going too far out. When this happens, clients pull themselves in with the shoulders and the “center” moves forward into the chest & shoulders. The result – no control and tons of weight on the arms and wrists. 
2. If the back sags as the carriage goes out, the movement is being initiated from the low back instead of the hips to extend the legs. This gives the “saggy old mare” visual and causes the center of gravity to be unsupported dropping the belly & back too low -the result the deltoids, upper traps, rhomboids, and back extensors are trying to do the work that the abs, multifidi, and serratus should be doing to support the body as it moves forward over the bar. (In simple terms…the shoulders will take over to pull the “center” into the chest & shoulders causing the upper back to hunch more while moving the body towards the footbar.) And too much weight on the hands and wrists.
3. To compensate for the lower body moving out – the “center” may be shifted forward from the “center” to the upper body as the legs extend. The deltoids are cued to do the work as the body hinges forward over the bar, PLUS all the body weight is moving forward with the carriage – assisted by the closing of the springs. Gripped shoulders, scrunched neck, folding the hips too soon, lots of weight on the hands. Panic will set in for sure!

Add a head position that’s looking forward over the footbar rather than down at the feet to any one of these three possibilities (or for some clients – a combination of 1,2, or all 3) and they are set up for that scarey “flying over the footbar” feeling.

In all my years of teaching, I’ve never had anyone actually fly over the bar! Comforting to tell folks, but they will be more reasurred by having complete control over their own body during the exercise. So the SECRET’s out…

Keep Your “Center” in the Center
With the “Center/Center of Gravity” staying supported and IN the pelvic bowl throughout the exercise, it is easy to keep the body lifted with less weight on the wrists, move freely – hinging from underneath rather than on top of the shoulders, articulate well through the spine and have great control over the body throughout the whole Up Stretch exercise.

Try it and let me know how it goes!

Since we want clients to breath into their posterio-lateral ribs for Pilates, try explaining the feeling of breathing into this area like a butterfly, opening it’s wings to fly. Breathing into your wings might help your clients associate to where they should put their air, and if they continue the breath out to the tips of their wings, you’ll really be able to open & widen the back ribs on every breath.

My last hint for the day on this – Suggest that their butterfly wings are attached very close to the spine. This way as they fill there will be a better sense of using the breath to elongate the spine as the ribs are opening. Without this, they might just be widening the sides of the ribs and not using the breath for the benefit of opening and lengthening the natural curves of the spine.

What color are your Butterfly Wings?

Happy Breathing!