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.

But competition isn’t a bad thing. It can help you and your business grow. Connecting with other Pilates studios and professionals not only elevates the profession for everyone, but can also open pathways to mutually beneficial relationships within the Pilates community.

Exchange Ideas with other Pilates Pros

Interaction with other Pilates pros and even other fitness genres can expose you to new ideas and ways of thinking.

Consider brainstorming with other professionals about new ways to support clients, whether through cueing or specific exercises that can help manage pain. Stay true to what makes your  business unique, but be intentional about tapping into the expertise of others to help you grow. Share your expertise as well. Remember that the success of all contributes to the success of the Pilates industry.

Combine Your Pilates Resources and Connections

In addition to broadening your horizons and generating new ideas, you can also go a step further and team up with other professionals in your community. By combining your resources and connections, you can strengthen both of your businesses and enrich the experience of the fitness community as a whole.

This might look like a workshop series where you and another professional showcase your strengths and offerings. Perhaps a joint marketing campaign could highlight different unique features of your respective businesses. Even if you simply utilize your relationships to further network and expand your reach in the industry, you are better off than simply going it alone.

Expand Your Pilates Community

When you enrich your local fitness community with the full scope of experience and ideas, you are benefiting students, teachers, and business owners alike.

Consider connecting on social media, joining others’ mailing lists, or even taking classes at other studios. And, of course, reciprocate by inviting other fitness pros into your world. 

Don’t isolate your business when there is so much potential to expand and meet other inspiring professionals. Be sure to check out our Membership Directory to find studios near you and start building lasting and mutually beneficial relationships today.

Ready to connect with a thriving international network of Pilates professionals? Join the PMA today and connect automatically through our monthly in-person and virtual events, conferences, and more.

The post Why It’s Important To Connect With Other Pilates Professionals first appeared on Pilates Method Alliance.

Why?

1. It was the beginning of Pilates; Joseph Pilates began with thirty-four Mat exercises.
2. Everyone can access the Mat. All you need is a Mat (beach towel) and a flat surface!
3. It offers a wonderful community-building opportunity for instructors.

The original 34 bodyweight exercises as presented in Return to Life through Contrology (Pilates, 1945) highlighted the movements without the support of any apparatus. The beauty of Mat and the sequence presented by Joseph Pilates is that each exercise does not stand alone, but rather builds upon or enhances a previous exercise. Students see their progress building strength, length, and confidence as patterns are repeated within many exercises.

I have taught Mat in a Department of Defense gymnasium and a field in Athens, Greece. Currently, I teach on my patio in Jacksonville Beach, Florida, and in a nearby active retirement community. Each class follows our six Principles: Breath, Concentration, Control, Precision, Centering, and Flow, while improving functional movement patterns, strength, and balance. Whether in the gym providing young sailors with a fun(challenging) alternative to traditional physical training, in the field working with first-time marathoners to stay injury-free, on the patio nurturing moms as they recover from birth, or in the retirement community activities of daily living, all Mat Pilates classes are done with consistent goals in place, progress noted, and programs adjusted as needed.

As a movement instructor, Mat is a great way to introduce Pilates to your community while giving back. Offering a donation-based class targeting a local charity or school brings people to you. Although a community center, school gymnasium, or church is ideal, the beach, local park, rooftop, or a backyard work just as well!

Finally, it is worth noting that the practice of Mat is highly inclusive and open for most. Balls, bands, magic circles, and rollers add to the work and fun, but they are not needed. The original thirty-four exercises were prop-free and aligned with Joseph Pilates’ belief that “Contrology is complete coordination of body, mind, and spirit.”

Dr. Elizabeth Kirby Fullerton, NCPT, NBC-HWC, has a Ph.D. in special education and is a national board-certified health and wellness coach and Pilates instructor. She is a member of the PMA Board of Directors.

The post The Message of the Mat first appeared on Pilates Method Alliance.

As Pilates Professionals, we are proud to help our clients discover enhanced movement patterns, build their core strength, stand taller with better posture, and gain overall health and well-being.  Our healthcare professions colleagues share similar pride in helping patients move away from illness or injury, though each profession approaches this from its own vantage point and through its unique scope of practice.

My role as a registered nurse and health professions educator affords me the daily opportunity to interact with individuals from many different healthcare backgrounds.  We all share commonalities, including a deep desire to help those who need our care, to make a difference in others’ lives, and to be of service to the community.

So, how can we as Pilates professionals most effectively partner with those in the more traditional healthcare professions to expand the reach of Pilates to the broader public?

We should first seek to understand the work healthcare professionals actually do – rather than make assumptions about their roles – as each profession has a regulatory scope of practice that describes its work.

Many Pilates professionals work closely with physical therapists, whether it is through referrals and/or a form of collaborative practice.  However, there are other healthcare professionals that share similar beliefs about health, well-being, and the power of movement.

For example, many individuals are only familiar with nurses who work with patients experiencing disease, yet the nursing scope of practice includes not only the facilitation of healing, but the promotion of health.  Chiropractors focus on spinal health and emphasize that the body heals itself. Physical medicine and rehabilitation physicians, also known as physiatrists, work with patients who have physical impairments to restore their function and quality of life.  Mental health social workers treat patients with a wide array of emotional issues, including depression and anxiety, which are becoming increasingly commonplace in our current environment and could certainly be helped by a movement practice.  All of these healthcare professionals and others have the potential to become our collaborators in promoting Pilates practice to help physical, mental, and emotional challenges that individuals face.

Second, we should treat each as a person, not a project, as healthcare professionals are first and foremost people.

They have to actually be interested in Pilates themselves and gain some basic understanding of it before they will recommend it to patients.  A family nurse practitioner, with little knowledge of movement practice, recently remarked to me, “Tell me how Pilates could help ME become healthier, before we even focus on how it can help my patients.”

Third, as with all aspects of business, we should cultivate personal relationships.

Invite your primary care nurse practitioner or physician to attend one of your classes. Offer to do a private session for them or offer to attend a class with them as an exercise partner.  I did this with my chiropractor, who not only attended a class with me, but now explains the benefits of Pilates to appropriate patients and encourages them to pursue it.  He is what I would refer to as a “fan” of ours!  Though these individuals might not take you up on your offer to attend a class, it opens the door to continued conversation about Pilates.

Remember that no one wants to be in a one-sided relationship, so if you are seeking to partner with healthcare professionals, be sure to make it worth their time.  Perhaps they could offer a short educational session or a write-up for your email blast on their practice for your clients, introducing them to chiropractic care, physiatry, etc., and how it could be beneficial.

Ultimately, such relationships can broaden sources of revenue as Pilates and other health-related practices become more visible to each other and to the general public. This not only expands our Pilates client base, but helps improve the lives of our current clients as they progress along their wellness journey.

The post Three Ways Pilates Professionals Can Start To Build Relationships with Healthcare Professionals first appeared on Pilates Method Alliance.

Seeking out client feedback may feel intimidating or awkward, but without that beneficial data trying to find new ways to improve your business and draw in new clients can feel like flying blind. Client feedback can:

• Generate ideas for new services and offerings
• Identify blindspots and overlooked opportunities for growth
• Open channels for communicating concerns to retain clients
• Promote a sense of cooperation and collaboration
• Generate new client referrals

Listening to your customers and taking their feedback into consideration also benefits your business in other ways. In the health and wellness industry, word of mouth is one of the most powerful tools for building your client base and reputation. As a Pilates instructor, your practice is already deeply rooted in providing excellent customer service and connecting with your clients on a personal level. While this combination of professionalism, approachability, and charisma goes a long way in client retention, it can also help you to draw in new customers.

Gathering Client Feedback: Choosing a Platform

Implementing a client feedback system doesn’t have to be complicated. In fact, it can be as simple as adding a suggestion box or printing short survey forms for your clients to complete. However, online feedback platforms offer more versatility for both management and use of the gathered information. While there are pros and cons to either method, here are a few things you should consider:

Paper forms:

• The greatest amount of control over the dissemination of feedback
• Allow for immediate collection of feedback after services rendered
• Challenging to organize, store, and manage (and tons of paper waste)
• Less anonymity which may skew results

Online Forms:

• Generates content for cross-platform promotion
• Easy to organize and manage from anywhere at anytime
• Requires more active attention to stay on top of potential negative feedback on public forums
• Greater anonymity may make it more difficult to follow up

Creating Incentives for Customer Feedback

Choosing a medium for getting customer feedback is only the first step. Creating incentives for your customers to provide feedback can help you get the data you need to build your Pilates business. To help encourage your clients to provide their thoughts and feedback, consider offering one of the following incentives.

• A rewards program
• Discounted training sessions
• Discounts on shop products
• Raffle entries for a prize
• Free one-on-one sessions for referrals

Other Ways to Use Your Client Base to Promote Your Business

Happy customers are any business’ best source for free promotion. For health and wellness professionals this is especially true. Social media makes it easier than ever to gather great promotional content in the moment through video clips of classes, client progress posts, and even testimonials. Moreover, by offering incentives for your clients to follow your accounts and engage with your posts, you can ensure your brand has the furthest reach possible. Some fun ways to increase your online engagement include:

• Daily, weekly, or monthly specials unlocked by following and sharing your account
• Polls and surveys for choosing fun class themes or other offerings
• First-come first-serve online engagement specials (e.g First 10 to comment get a prize)
• New client specials for sharing a review on their social media accounts
• Social media-based contests for free sessions or waived monthly fees

Looking for more ways to engage with your audience and use your existing client base to your advantage? Join our PMA’s member-only community forum for more great ideas! Login here.

The post Customer Feedback As a Tool to Build Your Pilates Business first appeared on Pilates Method Alliance.

It might surprise many to know that Joseph Pilates was a yoga practitioner. He was greatly influenced by the Pawanmutka Series of yoga. In fact, the moves Pilates laid down in his book, Return to Life Through Contrology, look suspiciously like this “wind releasing” series.

When used in tandem, yoga and Pilates are a powerful duo. The tension-releasing movement form alone of yoga Asana practice offers an immense opportunity to take the tension off a joint and better align your body. Combining this with the neutralizing and stabilizing properties of Pilates for the spine and joints holds great potential for solving a host of our clients’ alignment-rooted ailments. This is especially true for the hunched- over home office locked-down Zoom meeting postures so many are experiencing today.

Additionally, both Yoga and Pilates involve the use of breath.

Yogic Krias, such as Kapalabahti, Nadi Shodena, or Shitali, are all breathing exercises, but they are considered cleanses and are not intended as stability helpers the way a Pilates scoop might be used. In Pilates mat class repertoires, we encounter the percussive breath right at the start — and the 100s leads off the series with a breathing style that looks a lot like a yoga Kria.

The main difference between yoga Asana practice and mat Pilates is the dynamic delivery of Pilates. For example, the Plough in Yoga looks like our Pilates Roll Over on the mat, or even like Long Spine on the Reformer. Where one might use the breath to go deeper into the pose In the Plough, breath in the Pilates Roll Over could be used to support the movement of mobilization of the exercise. In either case, breath is critical and fundamental to both.

Joseph Pilates sampled and remixed practices that spoke to him, including yoga, ballet, and the sports of the day. We have him to thank for this experimentation that has so influenced the fitness world.

I encourage you to review the Pawanmutka Series and Joseph Pilates’ book and then consider how you might support your clients’ overall progress with a healthy combination of both yoga and Pilates.

Karolina Schmid NCPT, YA E-RYT500, is the owner of PILATESwiss Switzerland and the author of The Visceral Approach to Pilates. She serves on the PMA Board of Directors and is a former university lecturer in sociology.

The post The Complementary Power of Pilates and Yoga first appeared on Pilates Method Alliance.

As Pilates teachers, one of the first lessons we provide our clients is on proper breathing techniques. Beyond being a core component of all Pilates teachings, proper breathing is revitalizing and empowering. Our deeper understanding of breath and breathing allows us to help our clients adjust the way they breathe, thus enriching their training experience and overall quality of life. Here’s what you need to know about applying the most fundamental Pilates practice for clients with varying needs and experience levels.

Pilates Breathing Techniques Benefits for Chronically Ill Clients

Pilates is incredibly effective for clients dealing with chronic health conditions. Because Pilates is a highly efficient fitness method that uses precise, intentional movement, it offers an ideal means of regaining strength and improving overall physical wellness. Where chronic illness may limit capacity for exercise, Pilates can be easily modified to meet the needs of anyone. Specifically, learning Pilates breathing techniques can improve the quality of life for chronically ill clients experiencing:

• High blood pressure
• Dysautonomia
• Shortness of breath
• Fatigue
• Chronic pain
• Digestive issues
• Low tolerance of physical activity
• Muscle weakness
• Joint stiffness or pain
• Anxiety and/or panic disorders

For clients recovering from COVID-19, certain cancers, or other long-term illnesses that can impact lung function, Pilates breathing techniques can bring much-needed relief. By learning how to use core muscles and correct posture to support breath, your clients can improve their lung capacity and increase vital blood-oxygen levels. This in turn reduces blood pressure and heart rates and supports immune system health. Pilates breathing techniques also support strength and endurance restoration over time.

Universal Benefits of Pilates Breathing Techniques

The benefits of Pilates breathing techniques and other principles are not limited to the chronically ill. People of all ages, backgrounds, and levels of fitness use Pilates because it is such an effective way to improve and support total body wellness. 

Pilates breathing techniques have been shown to reduce stress, provide mental clarity, and help improve moods. Proper breathing may also help prevent injury due to muscle strains or improper form. By syncing movements to the breath, Pilates promotes fluidity and flow rather than rigid, jerking motions that are the primary cause of injury in other forms of exercise.

Incorporating More Breathwork into Your Pilates Practice

There are two primary breathing methods you can use to help your clients train their breath:

1. Diaphragmatic – which fully engages the core with each breath. This method draws air fully into the body, allowing the belly to completely expand on each inhale and deflate on each exhale. These deep breaths fully oxygenate the body, promoting relaxation and regulating the nervous system.
2. Lateral – which focuses on training specific core muscle groups. This method primarily engages the muscles of the back and rib cage to draw in and exhale full breaths without the lower abdominals. Lateral breathing is typically used when performing moves that target the lower abdomen like The Hundred or leg lifts.

Breathwork is a great way to start and end any Pilates session because it allows time to really connect with the body and be present in the moment. Breathing exercises as a warm-up help to wake up the core muscles and prepare the body for proper breath support throughout the workout. As a wind-down post-exercise, breathwork aids in recovery relaxation, bringing the body back to its homeostatic base.

What is the most effective way you’ve found to help your clients master Pilates breathing techniques? Let us know in The Alliance, the PMA’s member-only community forum! Log-in here!

The post Power of Pilates to Support Breath first appeared on Pilates Method Alliance.