How I Teach Pilates Is Evolving

A beautiful thing is happening in the studio these days. It’s something I’ve been dreaming of for a long time, and I’ve had to change the way I teach Pilates to make it happen. Can you guess what it is? It’s Pilates. Instead of my clients coming to class and going through the motions of what I tell them to do, they are finally doing Pilates on their own. It’s a subtle change that they themselves may not have noticed, but I have. And it’s amazing. 

The Evolution of My Teaching

It makes sense that how I teach Pilates has changed over the past seventeen years; I’ve learned so much during my journey! Looking back on it, I’ve come so far. I transitioned from teaching aerobics to Pilates, so my first instinct in the studio was to talk clients through each step of every exercise. The first few Pilates teachers I learned from also did the same. Over time, though, I started to branch out, take more workshops, and attend more conferences. I also started to hear more presenters talk about talking less when teaching. And that’s just what I’ve been working on.

I’ve learned to talk less, observe more, and not “over teach”. I’m still working on this. It might seem weird to go have your Pilates teacher “teach” you less, but now my clients are knowing and understanding Pilates better. This is what I’d been wanting to happen; I just didn’t know how to get there. 

Try, Try Again

I always wished that clients would learn the exercises and the set up of the apparatus for each of those exercises. When I’d talk to clients about them one day knowing how to do it, too, the response was always mixed. Some said they didn’t want to have to “think” about doing their workout or that they didn’t know the exercises. I had clients who’d been coming to Pilates for over five years that still didn’t “know” what they were doing. I felt like a bit of a failure and knew I was doing something wrong. But I kept trying. 

I Tried Posters…

I got posters made up for the studio showing the order of the exercises for the reformer and the mat. Some clients were keen and would follow along during their workouts. That was a win; it was fun to see clients starting to know the names and set ups better. We still weren’t there though.  

I Tried Joe’s Gym

“Joe’s Gym” is an open-gym concept where you show up, do your Pilates routine, and have teachers watching and guiding you when needed. It’s a very hands-off approach, and I loved the classes I attended – but I know enough to be able to hop on the reformer and just get to it. It made me wonder how I could get my own clients to this level. Others clearly could! 

I thought I could introduce this slowly, by using the last ten minutes of classes to have clients work on something they wanted to do in the studio. Some clients did well, while others struggled with knowing what to do or trusting their knowledge and ability. 

So I shifted to adding a Joe’s Gym class once a week for those that preferred that style. I even offered workshops and booklets with the exercises that they could make notes in. Unfortunately, the classes never took off. I needed a new approach. 

I Found a New Perspective

I’m always learning something new about Pilates. In the course I’m taking now, there was some talk about Joe’s Gym or circuit-type classes, and I had an aha moment. I learned that by providing clients with a smaller number of exercises to work on and repeat, they would get very good with them before adding more. Everyone can work at their own pace and it wouldn’t be overwhelming. 

This approach makes Pilates available to every body, which it was designed to do. Some people will eventually get to the advanced exercises, while others may take longer working on the foundational exercises to build their strength. Others may land somewhere in the middle and stay there. I started making small changes to how I teach Pilates in the studio. And it worked!

The Magic Formula

I’ve re-introduced a Joe’s Gym style class, but I didn’t call it that. Now, we generally start this class doing a mat or standing Pilates workout. Then I break the class into two groups, and give each a list of exercises to follow along with. When the time is up, we wipe the equipment and they switch. Finally, if time allows, we come back together as a group to finish up. 

I’m finally noticing what I’d always hoped would happen! By talking less and giving my clients a supportive space to take control of their own practice, they’re making more progress than before. I’m seeing improvements in their form, technique, and abilities. Some are achieving exercises they never thought they could do. I couldn’t be prouder of them… And myself!