The post 5 Key Benefits of Pilates for Aging Bodies first appeared on Pilates Method Alliance.

Pre-Operative Benefits:

• Strengthening and Mobility: Pre-operative Pilates can help improve the strength and flexibility of the chest, shoulders, and back muscles. This is particularly valuable since these muscle groups are often affected during breast cancer surgery.
• Breathing and Lung Capacity: Focusing on breathing can help to maintain and even improve lung capacity and overall respiratory function. This can be crucial both before and after chest wall surgery.
• Stress Reduction: A breast cancer diagnosis and the anticipation of surgery can be stressful. Pilates focus on the mind-body connection can help to reduce anxiety, promoting a sense of calm and emotional well-being.

Post-Operative Benefits*:

• Pain Management: Chest wall surgery can result in discomfort and pain. Pilates exercises, when appropriately adapted and supervised by a certified instructor, can help manage pain by promoting gentle movement and reducing muscle tension.
• Improved Range of Motion: Post-surgery, it’s essential to regain mobility in the arms, shoulders, and chest. Pilates exercises can be tailored to promote a gradual increase in range of motion, preventing stiffness and discomfort.
• Lymphatic Drainage: Breast cancer surgery often involves the removal of lymph nodes, which can lead to lymphedema. Pilates can incorporate movements that facilitate lymphatic drainage, reducing the risk of swelling.
• Core and Posture Support: Pilates focuses on core strength, which can help maintain good posture and support the upper body, reducing strain on the chest and shoulder muscles.
• Psychological Well-Being: Pilates has been shown to improve mental well-being by reducing stress, enhancing mood, and increasing self-confidence. This is especially important during the post-operative phase when individuals may be dealing with body image concerns.
• Functional Movement Support: Pilates exercises can be customized to address functional challenges faced after chest wall surgery, such as reaching, lifting, and carrying objects.

*It’s important to note that individuals recovering from breast cancer surgery should consult with their healthcare team and receive their doctor’s approval before beginning a post-operative Pilates program. Each person’s situation is unique, and exercises should be tailored to their specific needs, limitations, and the stage of recovery.

During Breast Cancer Awareness Month, raising awareness about the potential benefits of Pilates in breast cancer recovery can help individuals make informed decisions about incorporating this form of exercise into their rehabilitation journey. It’s a holistic approach that not only addresses physical recovery but also supports mental and emotional well-being during a challenging time.

The post Breast Cancer Awareness Month first appeared on Pilates Method Alliance.

Before the PMA, the Pilates world felt like a bit of a “wild west” landscape with people taking Pilates in vastly different directions. The PMA has brought consistency to our community and advocates for the highest quality of Pilates education. My own relationship with the PMA has shifted over time, and the current leadership and vision has made the PEI team confident that we are headed in the right direction. 

 Joining a Dedicated and Encouraging Community

I started working in rehab in 2001 and opened my first Pilates studio in 2005. It wasn’t until 2015 when I went to my first PMA conference.Up until then, I had mainly focused on Pilates to aid in rehab. The conference was amazing: 1,200 Pilates teachers from over 26 countries. That conference showed me how Pilates helps all people get healthy, no matter their background or fitness level. This was when I truly fell in love with the Pilates Method! I found incredible, well-educated peers, teachers, and mentors. Being surrounded by so many Pilates teachers and their positive energy made me want to be a better teacher. I decided to join the PMA right then and there. 

 As a PMA member, there was so much more to learn about the deep and rich history of Pilates. I needed continuing education credits to maintain my membership, which led to more conferences and workshops.  

I am grateful for the way the PMA drove my desire for excellence. After 23 years of Pilates experience, I still want to be a better teacher with greater skill, all while helping others achieve their health and fitness goals. 

The State of the Pilates Community in 2023 

In the past several years, there’s been an increase in the number of people using the Pilates Method for sports, physical rehab, and weight loss, and the results are amazing! The PMA contributes to ensuring new practitioners experience the high standards of practice that Joseph Pilates advocated for: professional, thoughtful, evidence-based, and effective exercise. Pilates is truly a level above all the other exercise programs and will continue to be so; the PMA ensures the continuity of this work!  

Learn more about our platform that lets you train highly qualified Pilates instructors on our website, and reach out directly if you’d like to talk about the benefits of adding a Pilates teacher training program to your studio.  

The post Pilates Education Institute’s Partnership with the PMA first appeared on Pilates Method Alliance.

Once you begin teaching classes in the real world (and I know all my veteran instructors understand), you realize that there is still so much more to know about being a Pilates instructor. Whether you want to find your niche and unlock all the information about it, or you simply want to broaden your knowledge, continuing education workshops are a key element to mastering your skills.

Here are 3 top reasons you should continue your education:

1. It will inspire you.
   • It’s so easy to get stuck doing the same thing over and over again. Taking other people’s classes, attending conferences, and participating in workshops can open your eyes to different ways of doing things. There are so many incredible Pilates Instructors to learn from and you can find them both in person and on-line.
2.  Grow your community.
   • Growing your Pilates community is key to growing as a teacher. Whether these friends are virtual friends or local friends, these relationships have the potential to unlock opportunities for you. It’s also common to feel alone when you’re focused so hard on your practice. Branching out and connecting with like-minded people is a great way to not only support each other but to also learn from each other.
3.  Find your niche.
   • Being a master Pilates instructor doesn’t mean you have to be a master at everything. Finding a speciality that fits you can be the most rewarding thing! Maybe you want to teach a specific type of clientele (athletes or seniors) or maybe you really love the fitness element of Pilates (like me). While narrowing your scope of practice may feel like you’re saying no to future clients, it actually allows you to attract and have a deeper connection with your ideal clients and become well known for your speciality.

Hopefully, I sold you on all the benefits of continuing education and you’re now ready to dive headfirst into all the options out there for you to learn. If so, here are 3 tips from my best selling

Pilates Workshop Good to Great to Awesome:
1. Take other people’s classes.
2. Attend Conferences and Workshops.
3. Take classes on presentation skills.

If you’d like to get inspired, improve your craft, and have fun… then you’re going to love John Garey TV and Pilates Grad School.

John Garey TV is the world’s most comprehensive online Pilates and fitness studio with over 1000 online classes, series, and challenges. And every workout comes with teaching notes you can download. Also, join me for live classes, a supportive online community, and teaching tools
to increase your knowledge.

Pilates Grad School is the place to be for Pilates teachers who want to take their practice to the next level. Whether you want to hone your craft, deepen your understanding of the body, or become a more masterful and compelling teacher, Pilates Grad School has something for you. Take one of our workshops and earn CECs while doing it.

The post Why Continuing Your Education is Important for Pilates Instructors first appeared on Pilates Method Alliance.

Not so long ago, Body Contrology teachers were hesitant to use the word “Pilates” for fear of being sued. Even now, there continues to be discussion about the differences and merit of true/authentic/classical/real/contemporary Pilates, as well as the ownership of certain historical documents and images, but we’ve established much more common ground since the inception of the PMA. Since then, hundreds of experienced Pilates teachers from around the world have collaborated to develop and establish the primary pillars of professional development necessary to support our expanding Pilates industry.

To date, our profession can boast the establishment of the following:

• A Professional Association (Pilates Method Alliance – PMA)
• A Certification Program (National Pilates Certification Program – NPCP)
• Research standards (Pilates Research Forum)
• Pilates initiatives for specific demographics, ex.: Pilates 4 Youth, Heroes in Motion

The Pilates industry and I have grown up together professionally. Since initiating a Pilates school in 1999, I have felt a responsibility to establish a stronger foundation for our profession and leave things better than they were when we (long-timers) started practicing, teaching, and educating in this field. These years have been well spent to ensure that Pilates practitioners around the world have access to legitimately educated and certified Pilates professionals to help improve their quality of life. Likewise, much progress has been made to ensure that our teaching community has access to quality research, continuing education, and the ability to develop a career based on the application of this knowledge.

To be a part of the development of industry standards is beyond fulfilling for me. As a school, Fletcher Pilates has moved successfully through each applicable industry development opportunity and is proudly poised as an example of what alignment with standards can mean. We have been licensed at a vocational school in the State of Arizona since 2006, and we are honored to represent our school and work by presenting research studies, offering continuing education, and providing other valued information at meetings and conferences for our profession. Our Fletcher faculty are all NPCP certified and we encourage all of our graduates to apply for the only accredited Pilates certification.

I’m amazed by how far our school, and the Pilates industry in general, have come in a relatively short period of time. I encourage each of you to have a hand in the next steps toward the future of this industry by:

• Volunteering for the Pilates Method Alliance
• Promoting the NPCP credential
• Participating in Research Forums
• Developing continuing education

The development of a profession takes a community, and many perspectives. The Pilates community is now brilliantly equipped to carry the torch and light the way for the next generation of Pilates teachers and practitioners.

Director of Fletcher Pilates, Kyria Sabin preparing to teach the Fletcher Pilates Comprehensive Program of Study students a piece of movement on the Guillotine Tower.

Kyria Sabin, NCPT, Director of Fletcher Pilates

The post Professional Development of our Profession first appeared on Pilates Method Alliance.

Whatever spatial orientation the pelvis is in, supine, sitting, kneeling, prone, the Sit Bones maintain curious connections, behaving like precocious twins. One can go upwards, one can stray from the other. Weight can be more forward on one and toward the inside, medial side of the other. Countless variations.

Focus on their use in Pilates is legendary. Although they receive frequent mention in a class or session, their greatest opportunity for guidance or correction often escapes attention.

The cue of the “magnets between the Sit Bones” is now my mantra.

First a warning about the use of this cue. Many people immediately grip the ubiquitous “buns” or “bum”, holding the elusive quarter between the cheeks as if to stop an embarrassing accident. So, an introductory explanation is helpful.

Ask your clients to bend over and cradle the gluteals with soft hands and squeeze that soft tissue together. Then relax. Next place the fingers a bit more to the mid-line and gently pull the tissue between the gluteals together. It’s different, and more specific, creating a central tail-bone focus and balanced platform at the bottom of the pelvis.

After mastering the basic idea, try implementing the cue before a double leg stretch, providing good central leg tracks, or a Reformer feet- in straps leg circle sequence, where leg-opening imbalances may then pop out more clearly.

Recently, a client suffered an epic fall down a flight of stairs causing a tibial plateau break. Her right leg was hugging toward the left, giving her knee pain and weakness.

A favorite exercise addressing this imbalance is the ball-in-groin exercise. Take a soft nine-centimeter ball and place it high in between the legs at the groin. Bring the feet to the neutral leg position, something I call first parallel, where the second toe (next to the Great Toe) is lined up with the knee cap and mid-pant line, as much as possible. Cue the Sit Bone magnets. Next plie’ (standing elongated leg bend) in that form. Stay at the bottom of the bend with feet firmly on the floor. Linger a few seconds. Exhale, relax the ankles to soften into the bend a little more. Use the exhale to recoil at the bottom of the motion, straighten the legs and take a little heel rise. Gently lower. Soon, the errant Right Sit Bone then complied to give an equal distance to the mid-line.

Try the Sitz Bone connection in half-kneeling positions such as the half-kneeling thoracic rotation on the Reformer.  This exercise is great for clients with anterior approach hip replacement. There might need to be some investigation or pre-stretching to be sure the client is at a point to benefit with the exercise.

Scar tissue in the pelvis can remain indefinitely. It’s best if the client can half kneel on the Reformer carriage straightaway, yet modify as needed. Observing the client’s pelvis from the posterior, note which side promotes more hip hike on the bent leg side. Consider performing the exercise on the easier, non-replacement side first. Spot the client while they hold the rope’s hand grip and begin to rotate. Afterward, try the more difficult side. Use the fascial re-shaping principles of bracelet-rubbing the soft tissue around the thigh, creating friction and heat. Next cue anchoring the high kneel support-leg Sit Bone. Then cue the flexed leg Sitz Bone to the support side. Heat, repetitive motion, and tensioning body pressure will help your client to bone balance, one Sitz Bone at a time.

Finding neutral Sit Bones, and guiding wayward Sit Bones through fascial re-shaping, aids in correcting asymmetry.

By Dr. Suzanne Clements Martin

The post Sit Bones- A Curious Set of Twins first appeared on Pilates Method Alliance.

This highlights one of the challenges that Pilates teachers face in helping clients measure progress similar to more traditional methods of fitness, such as strength training or cycling. In strength training, you can track repetitions, sets, and the amount of weight used over time. In cycling, you can calculate speed, resistance, and distance.  When a client walks into a Pilates studio for the first time, not having those familiar metrics can be disorienting.

As Pilates instructors, we’re taught that the foundations of Pilates are concentration, control, center, flow, precision and breathing, factors that are far less straightforward and measurable than pounds moved on a weight rack or miles run on a treadmill. All of this can make it more challenging for data minded clients or clients with body awareness challenges to see their progress, because it’s difficult to see improvements on factors that you can’t track.

Adding AI technology to a Pilates machine can bring a new lens to measuring and tracking progress on a Reformer, creating a whole new way to experience Pilates. Of course, it doesn’t replicate or replace the experience of working with a teacher. It expands on it by giving your clients concrete data about their performance and quantifying their quality of movement, so they can see their progress over time through actionable data.

With Flexia, we track a number of variables with the use of tech. For example, the total amount of weight moved per exercise over a series of repetitions and the entire class. This in part gives clients a more concrete answer when they ask how springs translate to resistance moved in pounds. We also track control, which analyzes an exercise specific combination of factors like smoothness of carriage movement during a bicep curl, or how still the client holds the carriage during a bridge.  Additionally, our sensors calculate consistency of movement across multiple repetitions, encouraging repeated range of motion, speed, and control.  Finally, based on the appropriate tempo of an exercise, our technology also has the ability to sense if you are matching the correct speed and give you feedback on if you need to speed up or slow down.

All of these variables can come together to create a Movement Quality Score (MQS) that indicates the quality of movement used during an exercise and through an entire class.  Over time, the objective is to increase your MQS by improving your control and consistency scores during class.

You’re probably wondering, how can anything in Pilates be standardized? This is why we’re creating a Pilates “genome”– classifying qualities of each exercise we teach so that its unique intention is captured and reflected in our real-time feedback during class. While there is no one right way to do things, this genome creates a level of consistency for our clients and tracking metrics.

As technological capabilities expand, so should the capabilities of your equipment. The smart Pilates reformer space is currently in its infancy and we look forward to leading innovations with how we practice and experience Pilates.

Learn more about how Flexia is moving Pilates forward.

The post The next evolution of Pilates technology is here first appeared on Pilates Method Alliance.

See ELEMENTS Ambassadors in action on our Instagram profile.

The most beautiful part of the whole experience has been our sole focus on people and how ELEMENTS help people feel better and move better. We made you happy offering ELEMENTS in your favourite colour. We made your client emotional as they felt cared for. We surprised you with improved Fuzzies and fancy faux fur straps and super soft Wide Slings. And we also made ELEMENTS to your measure! 

Time ago, there was a customer asking a question, via email, that made me take extra time to carefully format the reply. I much prefer in person communication, including video calls, as they have the non-verbal part of communication too, which shows and gives so much more than written words. She asked: Which straps are the best for the Tower? I ended up making a video and talking about variety of straps and the benefits of using them. 

Today, my reply is super concise:  

ELEMENTS are for people, not for the equipment. Tell me about your client… 

The reason WHY we started ELEMENTS in the first place and HOW we continuously expand our offer is: To make people comfortable!  From our first 3 products: bench cover, Pilates Loop and Roll, and Small Double Loops that were meant to make my sister and myself more comfortable, we grew into specialists for Pilates and Gyrotonic equipment accessories. People have been contacting us and asking for Shoulder Loops, Lumbar Belt, Standing Straps, Hanging Straps, adjustable Fuzzies, Cuffs (see all), and more that would make them feel and move better. They are all experienced teachers who felt the need for additional tools.

Pilates and/or Gyrotonic teacher are noble professions. Our work helps people to improve their lives. We are delighted that ELEMENTS play part in this. There is a perfect pair of ELEMENTS for all body sizes and shapes, levels of fitness and types of exercises you wish to practice. 

ELEMENTS have you covered for your Personal Straps and all needed for your studio, including the covers for all Gyrotonic equipment.

For more information about ELEMENTS visit our website, Instagram and Facebook accounts. 

The post Made for People, not for the Equipment first appeared on Pilates Method Alliance.

By Erika Nickless, Education Coordinator & Teacher Trainer, Natural Pilates

When COVID-19 brought the world to a grinding halt in March of 2020, employers and employees had no idea what to do. Small businesses were hit especially hard. We all had to get a little more resourceful, and a lot more comfortable doing everything from home. 

At Natural Pilates in Los Angeles, Owner and Master Trainer, Laura Wilson, was forced to temporarily shutter her four studio locations. Feeling responsible for her large staff, she immediately jumped into action and set up daily online Mat classes (on a then-unknown platform called Zoom). It was difficult to find props at that time, so she made goodie bags of bands, balls and weights to distribute to clients and encouraged us to use household items in a pinch. “Need free weights? Use water bottles!” (or wine bottles, she sometimes joked). She sold some studio equipment to clients who wanted to continue Reformer and Chair sessions from home.  Laura also started NPTV, an online platform for classes, which now includes thousands of hours of content on all Pilates apparatus (https://www.naturalpilatestv.com). 

In June of 2020, the state of California allowed certain businesses to re-open. Natural Pilates was ready with masks, gloves, gripper socks, sanitizer and electronic temperature takers at all locations.  Laura has two young children at home and was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis several years ago, so she was especially concerned with safety.  Reformers were spaced 6 feet apart and curtains were placed in between each machine. Late cancellation charges were waived to discourage people from coming to the studio sick.  Laura’s mother is a great seamstress, and she sewed vinyl coverings for all Reformer and Tower straps, so they could be easily cleaned. Classes and privates were spaced 15 minutes apart to allow for thorough cleaning in between sessions. It felt a little like Pilates meets science fiction, but everyone was elated for something that resembled normal. 

That new normal lasted only one month. In July 2020, Los Angeles County closed bars, restaurants, gyms and salons. Everyone at Natural Pilates – clients, instructors, and administrative staff – was crushed. 

But Laura began thinking outside the box. Natural Pilates’ West Hollywood location had an outdoor patio that was sometimes used for Mat classes and photos.  Within 10 days, she had moved all eight of the studio’s Merrithew V2 Max Plus Reformer Towers from inside to outside.  Voilà – Natural Pilates in the open air!  

As time moved on and the pandemic continued, there were many additions to the WeHo Outdoor Classroom: bed sheets and tarps were put on each night to protect the equipment from the elements, then later tents were installed to further shield clients and the equipment from sun, rain and wind.  Additional Reformers were added as the classes became more popular. Southern California is blessed with very mild weather year round and little rain, so the outdoor classes were a big hit… so big that Laura began looking for other outdoor spaces.  Many businesses were suffering during this time, especially tourism, so she looked into hotels.   

Enter the next NP outdoor location: The Luxe on Sunset in Brentwood. The valet parking lot stood empty, and there was space for a “private room” by the pool.  In September of 2020, Laura moved all the equipment from the Natural Pilates Brentwood studio location to The Luxe Hotel. 

Two years later, these two outdoor spaces remain favorites of both Natural Pilates clients and instructors.  Although we have since re-opened our flagship Beverly Hills location for indoor classes, and will soon open two new locations (in Sherman Oaks, CA, and Soho, NYC), many of our clients prefer doing “Pilates al fresco.”  

Natural Pilates Owner, Laura Wilson, in the “private room” of the Brentwood outdoor studio, located at The Luxe Hotel on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles, California.

The pandemic completely changed the world as we know it, but it also taught us – about ourselves, the people close to us, and people on the other side of the globe. The Natural Pilates family is very grateful to Laura for thinking outside the box, for demonstrating creativity and resilience in the face of the complete unknown, and for making the seemingly impossible, not only possible, but amazingly successful. 

The post Thinking Outside the Box first appeared on Pilates Method Alliance.

While the PMA respects legitimate intellectual property rights and recognizes the important role they can play in developing a successful business, we do not support attempts by individuals to use tenuous claims of copyright protection to attack studios and instructors who wish to use images from our shared Pilates heritage in a respectful, selective, and lawful manner. We believe that access to the historical legacy of Joseph and Clara Pilates is integral to the continued growth of Pilates.

The PMA itself was created in the wake of a lawsuit centered on the use of the term “Pilates.” Many in our organization well remember the existential threat to the American Pilates industry posed by attempts to use trademark law to monopolize the generic term to describe the practice. Yet, some good came from the Pilates trademark battle. It brought our community together. It reminded many teachers, studio owners, equipment manufacturers, and enthusiasts that we have more in common than we have dividing us.

As we work to grow and professionalize our still-young industry, the PMA encourages, and even facilitates, frank discussion regarding the controversial questions about the teaching and practice of Pilates. We do not believe, however, that defining and determining the scope of Pilates is something that should be up to one person, or even one professional organization. We all have a stake in it. Many voices are, and should be, part of this conversation.

We know the value of Pilates and what it can do to help people. We share an appreciation and admiration for the work done by Joseph and Clara Pilates, as well as the work done by the many talented and extraordinary individuals who followed — even if not all of them are recognized in our official histories. So many people are so dedicated to sharing Pilates with others and we must keep that work alive by bringing it to new communities around the world.

That is the real fight for the soul of Pilates. Let’s keep it up!

PMA Board of Directors

The post PMA Statement on The New York Times Article first appeared on Pilates Method Alliance.