Understanding diastasis Being a new mom is demanding enough. But then there’s the added pressure of having to lose the weight gained during pregnancy. Sometimes, it doesn’t seem to matter how hard women work. The bulge doesn’t seem to budge. It almost looks like they’re still pregnant. Most assume they’re just not working hard enough.…
Prepare for plank Planks are considered to be one of the best “core” exercises. It’s important to have the best support possible in the lower, middle and upper body. This is a quick little exercise to prepare the upper body for plank and any other quadruped work. Make sure to do these shoulder blade glides…
Teaching with confidence Do you ever feel like you don’t know enough about movement and functional anatomy? Do you worry about a lack of inspiration when you teach? Do you want to attract more amazing clients but don’t know how? Read below for answers to these questions and more from my “Up close and personal”…
How to become a great Pilates instructor As students enter the space we will share for the next hour, I carefully watch the newcomers. They look around nervously, trying to figure out where to set their mat to get the best view of the instructor and wondering if they will survive the class. I hear…
Pilates Springboard 101 As Pilates instructors we’re always looking for new ways to challenge our clients and help them get strong and move better. As part of that quest we installed springboards in our Body Harmonics studios in 2012. The results have been fantastic! What is a springboard? A springboard consists of a plywood board…
Avoiding injury this spring Spring is around the corner, and with spring comes anticipation of more outdoor activity — golf, soccer, running, biking, cycling and more — as well as the potential for injury as we gear up. The most common injury sites are the ankle, knee and shoulder. Necks, elbows and backs also get…
What to avoid with beginner mat classes Beginner clients can be challenging to teach. How do you ensure that you give them enough of a challenge to keep them engaged, but not so impossible a task that they get discouraged? How do you choose which of the many exercises to teach them? The most important…
Set the right tone with music Music has the ability to inspire movement. Think of Swan Lake without Tchaikovsky’s dramatic orchestration to bring meaning to the dancer’s movements (video). Combining music and movement creates an emotional connection that only deepens our understanding of movement. It’s what compels us to tap our foot when our favourite…
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