Pilates Workout Blog

by Laurette Ryan

Just back from the PMA 2011 conference in Palm Springs. I got to connect with so many awesome teachers and benefactors of our Pilates world. It’s in those moments I know I am so lucky to have found and discovered my calling as a teacher of Joe Pilate’s work.

I am also re-energized to move this work, as a true profession, forward. In 2012, I personally, will be re-doubling my efforts to achieve critical-mass in awareness of teacher training, qualifications and certification. I feel it is essential for us (Pilates Teachers) to uphold the foundations and standards of our work and move forward together, blazing the trail on the pathway to professional recognition.

The percentage of truly “certified” teachers is still small. This does not reflect the percentage of “qualified” teachers, whom I believe there are a great number! Helping the public have some idea who to go to for “real” Pilates, (not referring to style or lineage-but instead-*not core class,ab class etc.) becomes more difficult everyday as more and more fitness instructors read an article online or in print and suddenly add “Pilates” to their repertoire of “can teach”! AND the public has no idea!

We are in the days of the Barber/Dentist. 200 years ago, if you had a bad tooth you went to your local Barber to have it extracted. Today people would never consider that- but they will go to their aerobic instructor for Pilates , and it’s basically just as outrageous. In the 17^th century,Pierre Fauchard, “the father of modern dentistry” was probably not well-liked by the Barbers of his day. The Barber/Dentist continued well into the 19^th century, let’s hope it doesn’t take 2 centuries for Pilates to become it’s own field of study! Barbers, I am sure, felt they were in fact, very qualified to take care of dental concerns, and resented the implication that it would take an entire educational experience devoted to that practice to do such. (sound familiar yet?) The parallels here are uncanny. Now Barbers are great at what they do -but they are not Dentists and we all, easily, see that today. I long for the day that will be the case in our profession. The day when we appreciate what our group exercise and personal trainers can do for us, but would never consider going to them for advice or lessons in Pilates.

You’ve heard my rants on the benefits of 3^rd Party credentialing and true “certification” -I know this is a huge part of getting us to the goal of being a Profession, a real career. At this point, those of you who cannot see or understand this, have their heads in the sand- the time is now to look up and look forward. We join hands and heart together, inclusive. (Feel the Pilates love-I’m calling it Pil-love -that’s what happens after 4 day love-fest with your Pilates peeps in the desert!) There is room for all qualified Pilates teachers in this, by getting “certified” “3^rd party credentialed” yes- PMA-certified (the ONLY 3^rd party credential) we help each other and we sustain our profession. *(BTW the PMA is a not-for-profit! We are the voice! We are the PMA! We need you and your voice! Again it is a not-for profit and it’s books are open to all-so if you’re wondering – go educate yourself on the finances of this thing- it’s your absolute right and you should be cautious about where you put your time energy and money- kudos to you.)

My crusade this year will be to begin to educate the public about our profession and credentialing. I feel a little like Joan of Arc and wonder if I shall be burned at the stake- but I love my profession and I suppose when a passion grows so deeply in one, this is what one, is compelled to do. Wish me luck and send fire extinguishers and water.

Sincerely and with the deepest Pil-love,

Laurette Ryan

www.balancepointpilates.com

By Laurette Ryan

www.balancepointpilates.com

Pilates has been for a while one of the hottest workouts around. I remember WHEN…before the media hype, before the celebrity endorsements, before it was a multi-million dollar industry. I remember when there were not 50 zillion “Pilates” “Certifications” out there. I remember getting a paper pattern and detailed instructions on how to “build” the wunda chair. Now there are a ton of equipment companies and as many chair designs as that! I remember feeling lucky when Pilates started to get popular, more people were interested in class.

In 1993, I taught a mat class that had 2 students, until the health club owner took it off the schedule in favor of a Step n Body Blast class. Then in 1999 I had a mat class that went from 4 regulars to 25 people jammed into a little aerobics studio in the span of about 2 weeks after Madonna said-she did Pilates-I was excited. 12 years later my excitement is turning to an overwhelming nervousness and apprehension about the future of “Pilates”.

I put Pilates in quotations because I would like to say true Pilates, but at my age, there may not be enough time to fully resolve that issue. So let’s just say that there is “Pilates” and then there is Core conditioning, Ab toning group exercise, stretch and lay there , dare I say unsafe, ineffective group and private sessions, on and off equipment masquerading as “Pilates”.

A lot of this fake Pilates comes out of the group exercise and Personal training realms, however due to the immense popularity of this industry we now have a new problem. “Pilates” teacher training programs taught by those with limited actual experience- teaching there own version of Pilates to student teachers who go and teach it to other students. Additionally there is little or no mentoring of these new teachers. They are told (lied to) that they are teaching “real” “true” “classical””authentic” “Pilates”. They believe it. They believe it with all their well-meaning little hearts …but in fact they know so little of “Pilates” it would be comical if it were not so tragic. There is a scam being perpetrated on these teachers and on the public. A multi-billion-dollar scam, it’s horrible.

My issue is this, those who are adequately and exceptionally trained in the art of teaching “Pilates” suffer a deep injustice. 1. They are often criticized undermined and slandered by false teachers who know not of what they speak, 2. They lose income to such teachers, 3.Potential students are turned off,injured and leery of Pilates, because of their experiences with poorly trained teachers.

Let me interject I believe there are a few good ways to skin a cat and I’m not advocating any particular lineage of “Pilates”, however when the “cat” is not in fact a “cat” but is instead a skunk!, there is a difference.

I have had the privilege of teaching to a diverse group of Pilates teachers recently, all wonderful lovely people. What I most noticed was the number of Pilates teachers who were unfortunately ill-informed and educated about “Pilates”. I was so thrilled that at least they were there, seeking out expanded educational opportunities- that is huge. I was a little worried though, that these particular teachers are the ones teaching large groups in the public arena about Pilates.

Pilates professionals, we are losing the battle, and the public IS suffering, and “Pilates” is being maligned, there is no doubt about it. Noting the amazing growth the Pilates industry has seen in the past ten years, I can see why the need for teachers has grown. That is why group exercise organizations have jumped in to fill the gap. They Don’t KNOW “Pilates”-FACT-!!! I could be more polite….but I’ll turn 50 next year- that’s what happens! Teacher Training is a great revenue stream for them, can you blame them?

So now what do we do? So many, are adverse to having one governing body? What would they do?

If we stay as it is, more of the corrupting of the “Pilates” method will continue until Joe becomes some eccentric old white haired guy in bathing trunks who did sit-ups and “Pilates” as in Contrology exists no more. We need a democratic governing body, we need an entry level foundational test, we need required continuing education. In a perfect world only those who were mentored and nurtured by wonderful experienced “Pilates” teachers could one day, hang out a shingle declaring themselves, “Pilates Teachers”, but this ain’t no perfect world, in case you haven’t noticed.

We need to stand together -I truly believe that- and it will be hard. The reason I have, for 10 years supported the idea of the PMA is just for all of these reasons, and it’s not always perfect either, but I have felt, it’s a malleable enough organization to be guided by the will of it’s members. Does the PMA have to be IT? No, but is there another democratic international organization out there with a third party exam? If you want to start one go ahead, more power to you….or you could work with the one we have that exists not in some utopian fantasy- but in real-life, flaws and all, but striving to be better all the time. This is not an ad for the PMA, this is a wake-up call to those of you who think you can go on forever teaching “Pilates” -the good stuff and not be affected by the marauding hoards of ill-trained Pilates instructors out there.(okay -marauding hoards-is a little over the top)

Bottom line is the public is being duped—every single day, and the reputation of my profession is suffering. I’m getting a little mad..(if you ask anyone about me-that takes a whole lot!)

I am passionate about what I do- this is my life, it’s what colors the tapestry of my spirit .

We can’t lose “Pilates” we have to stand together. ……now I’ve got to go breathe……

Pilates & Peace

Laurette

for more info on PMA  go to : www.pilatesmethodalliance.org

Is Pilates Different?

By Laurette Ryan

www.balancepointpilates.com

www.LauretteRyan.com

Recently, I was engaged in one of those crazy online “discussions” where a person asked “So, what makes Pilates different from other forms of exercise?” And just like it goes, at times when you are online, I couldn’t tell whether the “asker” was under the impression that Pilates was in fact no different, or they just wanted others to defend their personal position as to why it was different and see if it matched her contentions??? I, of course strongly believe Pilates is different, more importantly though I felt my clients thought it was different. The problem was, I so strongly believed this, that I never actually asked them what they thought.

I have spent the last couple of weeks asking! I’ve asked my clients, I’ve asked Pilates teachers, I’ve asked people online….and what I found out – made me smile, because I found out that what I know from a scientific and experiential foundation is what they believe too! Everyone who answered also replied that they expected to continue to practice Pilates for a lifetime! Let me repeat— a lifetime!

Interestingly, all student felt that they experienced a feeling or sense of having “lengthened” their muscles. Every respondent participated in other physical fitness activities. A few had then given up their other activities completely and solely practiced Pilates.

Whitney Arruda who runs on the treadmill and does free weights at home,has been practicing Pilates for 6 years on and off, said, “I find Pilates very effective, I have always been a runner to stay in shape, but after I started doing Pilates I found that Pilates lengthens the body and strengthens muscles that I didn’t know I had and other forms of training don’t reach. Pilates is a full body workout that lengthens and strengthens the body using your own body mass/muscle, Pilates gets the deeper muscles and not just the ones on the surface like many types of training.”

Carrie Brooks : “The word “lengthen” is a good summary word for Pilates.

Most students reported using principles like proper breathing, core engagement and a focused mind, which they learned in Pilates, in their other sports and activities. These Pilates enthusiasts recognized that Pilates was a system of exercises which focused on “whole body movement” Let me be honest, anytime anyone stated that -I was getting a little giddy. I could tell they “got it”. They might have started for a toned tummy…but after practicing they are all finding the joy in an efficiently balanced, functionally intelligent body. The consensus was that they had not previously understood- the what , how, or why of strengthening and using deep muscle groups like the transverse abdominus. ( I like to call it- your suck-in muscle, you know pretend your on the beach and that cute guy/gal walks by…you know-your suck-in muscle!)

“Pilates makes me feel longer, stronger, and more centered. My posture has changed drastically and I was recently deemed a half inch taller at a physical this year. I considered myself to be 5′ 4 1/2″ since my teenage years. When the nurse claimed that I was 5′5″, I had to ask her to please remeasure in order to convince myself that I “grew” in my late twenties!” says Kristen Reynolds,Pilates Teacher and Physical Therapist.

Lavina McKenna replied, “It really helped my posture which I can see now in old pictures of me. It toned and shaped better than all other types of exercises that I had ever done.”

The Teacher was noted as a very important factor in the effectiveness of the pilates workout. Although, it is a topic of much debate, I think this emphasizes the need for setting guidelines or parameters like third party certification as a way for the public to find a qualified teacher.

When asked to explain why Pilates is different?,Tracy Maurstad, PMA-CPT  of Las Vegas Pilates replied, “Interesting challenge Laurette. It’s hard to distill down something we’re so passionate about isn’t it? Pilates is not about how your body LOOKS. It’s about how your body WORKS. Looking good just happens to be a nice side benefit! Traditional weight training comes out of body building. Think about a body builder. On stage. Posing. Looking good. But not MOVING. Pilates uses full body movement emanating from a strong core not to get bigger, but to get better.” she also added, “…The concentration required. If you’re talking about The Housewives of Whatever and doing a Pilates exercise, you may be doing exercise, but you’re not doing Pilates. Practicing Pilates requires your full attention. The motion without the mind won’t get you there. Imagine your spine growing another inch, or a powerful magnet being dropped between your hip sockets, even just a little more weight into the ball of your big toes and the feeling of the exercise completely changes. I call those “Pilates moments”.

Is Pilates different? YES, those who practice properly agree. They may continue with running or weight training or cardio, but they need their Pilates. Nothing else substitutes. So whether my the “online-asker” of the question is satisfied ..I don’t know. What most importantly matters is, people do think Pilates is different and is effective and intend to practice it their whole lives.

Whitney summed it up, “I enjoy Pilates…. I find that it makes me feel good about my body and myself and also helps me mentally with stress from work/life.”

Pilates makes life better.

Now -go do your Pilates….

Laurette Ryan