Tips on how to stay busy as a Pilates teacher Have you ever been in the middle of the summer or peak holiday season and wondered where all your clients went? Less than a month ago, you may have been working 20+ hours/week, and now half your clients have disappeared to the cottage, on holidays and…
Train your Pilates clients like a Fascia-nista I’ve referred to myself as a fascial fanatic. I am truly “fascia-nated” with fascia! It is intriguing because it is a game-changer. Our basic assumptions at the foundation of fitness training are being challenged. The number of research papers discussing fascia has increased exponentially in the last few…
Tips for your Pilates teacher audition Recently, a long-time client of mine transitioned into teaching Pilates as her full-time career, and I was reminded what it’s like starting out as a new instructor. Hustling for teaching jobs can be tough to navigate. When starting out, it’s hard to see exactly what it takes to be…
Inspire your Pilates teaching Have you ever fallen into a teaching rut and realized you’re using the same material over and over again? Have you ever struggled finding a theme or interesting nugget of information to weave into your class? Have you ever been uninspired to teach? I’m sure we’ve all been there at one…
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…
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…
Neutral pelvis in a beginner Pilates class Some instructors grapple with how to focus on one concept and end up teaching several different exercises that don’t have anything to do with this concept. The rule of thumb is: teach lots of exercises in all different movement planes, and only reinforce “the concept of the day”…
Pilates for great posture At Body Harmonics we make Posture a priority everyday. We work on and teach postural control in every class and try to bring it alive with everyone who walks through our door. Some days we get a bit serious and others we keep it light-hearted and fun. Either way, our clients…
Goal setting With the New Year soon approaching, you’ll soon be thinking of setting some goals or New Year’s resolutions. Why not spend a few minutes thinking about this now so you’re confident and ready to take on 2014 prior to January 1st? Every goal-setting book will tell you that if you have a vision…
Use Pilates to help your balance this winter Are you worried about your balance this winter? Download the article below to find out how movement can help. It’s often the most simple solutions that produce the greatest results. Click to downoad the pdf article: 3 Steps to “Stay in Your Spine” This Winter Question for…
Happy Pilates clients “I came in at my usual time for our session and you weren’t here!” “I came in for a Pilates lesson and now my back hurts!” In terms of guarantees in life, unhappy clients are right up there with death and taxes. Instead of viewing these situations as problems to be avoided,…
The best Pilates cueing formula
Pilates class design principles The classical Pilates repertoire developed by Joseph Pilates consists of 34 original exercises that are supposed to be executed in the same strategic order every single time. Many of these exercises are great, but not appropriate for all populations. Routine is also great, but can get boring in the fast-paced world…
Kickstart your Pilates career Whether you’re newly certified, have recently moved, or are looking for new teaching opportunities, searching for Pilates jobs can be nerve-racking. When I moved to Toronto as a newly Pilates mat instructor, I wanted to experience different types of teaching opportunities. It took a bit of persistence, but within a few…
Tips on creating a stellar résumé As a studio that auditions, hires and employs Pilates instructors, Body Harmonics receives countless résumés every year. So we have a bird’s eye view on what works and what doesn’t. Also instructors who have taken one or more of our courses and workshops often ask for advice about how to…
Tapping into the Seniors Market: Key Exercise Elements for Success Are you ready to embark on an adventure of training senior clients? Read Margot McKinnon’s article to find out how. Click Here to read the article in PDF Format Question for you…… What techniques and modifications do you use when training senior clients? Do you come…
Beyond Pilates On July 18, 2008 I attended my first Pilates class at Body Harmonics with Margot. I’d been teaching for a few years by then, and was part way through the Mat Work program. From the moment I stepped into her class, I knew there was something special going on. There was a buzz…
