Pilates Teacher

Factors to Design the Best Pilates Session: Part II

 In our previous post we discussed various issues to consider in making your Pilates sessions, whether private group, or rehab, effective and safe. 
In this post we delve into a few other factors to take into account when preparing a quality Pilates program.


Development of a Pilates -Based movement Program:

 A successful movement program based on the Pilates repertoire acknowledges the different influences that create the context of the student’s motor response. Every human being, even with the same type of training, responds differently. Therefore, we will approach our programming from multiple perspectives.

1. Structural Level:

Movement affects different structures, whether bone, joint, muscle or myofascial. Each part of the human body has its own characteristics and it is essential to know how they work and how they mesh as part of a whole. We have known for some time that no movement occurs in isolation. Instead, it involves the entire body through the fascial system, which envelops and connects all body structures down to a cellular level.

The student’s whole body must be prepared to handle the work load you are going to propose in the session, so it’s important to make sure that all tissues have the capacity to support the planned training load. This is the basis for minimizing the risk of injury. We know that injuries occur in 80% of people who usually practice sports due to overload.

2. Motor Level:

Evaluating a client’s motor control system and functionality is important because each person has their own circumstances and a different way of adapting to them. Knowing the student’s motor ability helps us to set limits in terms of complexity and intensity of movements to better serve their needs. Our way of understanding movement goes far beyond the practice of some exercises, whether they be Pilates or other techniques. Our goal is to help people enjoy their daily activities whatever they may be, in their work, recreation, leisure, etc. Our classes should have a continuous challenge for our students in order to maintain their attention, which may include exploration of and beyond the Pilates repertoire. 

One wonderful thing about Pilates is that instead of being limiting, like a table of exercises, it opens us up in innumerable ways through the variability of movement. 

Repetitive sports (tennis, paddle, golf, horse riding, etc.), pain, injuries, sedentary life, etc. can limit us by generating and strengthening fascial restrictions. The open-ended style of the Polestar Pilates environment and philosophy  and the variations of the exercises are a great ally in maintaining the health and openness of the different body systems. Our nervous system learns by repeating patterns as well as by exploring new options to move. Finding the balance between well-done repetitions and the inclusion of new movements is key. Remember that the motor learning of each person is different. Pilates is a very rich environment at the proprioceptive level, using the help of equipment and small tools to teach the nervous system new ways to improve their movement patterns or acquire new ones. 

3. Experiential Level:

Taking into account the student’s previous experience is helpful when we analyze their motor skills and their way of moving. A person who has experienced pain before is very likely limiting their movements without knowing it, out of fear. Fear is a key factor when we talk about movement: having previously been injured or feeling pain conditions the motor response.

As teachers, we need to take into consideration the student’s beliefs and previous experiences (including negative experiences and injuries), as these all effect the student’s response to our movement proposal. 

4- Medical Level – (Bad Prescription): 

The recommendation of medical practitioners, traumatologists and physical therapists is not always adequate . There are still many who “prescribe” complete rest in injuries when science has shown recovery time can improve with an immediate, albeit gradual, addition of movement. So frequently students come to us because they don’t know what to do anymore and can’t stand anymore “total rest!” Likewise, it is true that communication between movement and health professionals is not as fluid as it should be. It is something that is changing, but we still have a long way to go. 

5. Neuroscientific Level: 

The ultimate goal of our work, as Pilates instructors or movement professionals, is to assist the student in their complete autonomy of movement. The goal is to provoke a positive movement experience that is capable of changing their habits and returning the mind and body back to their normal function. 

Movement is an essential part of your life. 

Using Pilates as a supplement to other sports like hiking, climbing or running can prevent injuries and pain otherwise suffered by folks who move with faulty or limited movement patterns.  A regular Pilates practice carries into your daily routine and can work wonders in allowing you to continue moving throughout your life.  Pilates improves brain function, because the brain creates the grace and agility of human movement. This is what neuroscientist Daniel Wolpert explains in his TED talk: “The brain evolves, but not to think and feel, but to control movement […] I believe that movement is the most important function of the brain, and that no one tells you otherwise. So, if movement is so important, do we understand well how the brain controls movement? And the answer is, we understand it very badly. It is a very difficult problem. ” 


As you can see, there’s more to preparing good Pilates classes than can be done on a whim or at the last minute.  What do you do to plan a good Pilates session? Do you follow some scheme? Do you have a trick?  

Article prepared with the collaboration of our educators María Herranz and Blas Chamorro . Discover Polestar Pilates in Spain: Here

Factors to Design the Best Pilates Session, Part 1

Factors to Design the Best Pilates Session: Part I

Does the “magic” Pilates class exist? One that serves both the student and the instructor? How are the best exercises chosen? Can a session be suitable for each and every member of the class? We’ll explore how to design the perfect class… 


Having a clear intention and focus is essential in choosing the exercises that are going to provide a positive and focused motor experience for your clients. 

It’s important to keep in mind that not every exercise or transition will be 100% appropriate for everyone. For an individual or private session, we take into account the specific circumstances of the student, their needs and their objectives. When we talk about group sessions (either collective or small group), we must look for a balanced group objective that addresses the entire body. In this case it is very helpful to have clear distinctions between the levels of each class: if the student is in an inappropriate class level, they may not be able to follow the class or it will be too simple, boring or insufficient. 

Whether it be an advanced Pilates session, a beginner class or a session for the rehabilitation of an injury, planning is essential.  

We recommend that you always perform a functional assessment and conduct an interview with your students to know their habits, lifestyle, sports practice, etc.  It is important to plan subsequent assessment sessions in order to evaluate the efficacy of your program design, changes in the student, and to subsequently adjust the program if the desired changes in the student have not been produced. This assessment tool also helps us communicate to the student their progress . 

It’s a good habit to keep a “logbook” of your classes where you can write down information about each student that may be relevant in relation to their movement.  This logbook can also be useful for you as the instructor in evaluating the level of your classes and how your students are performing and improving. 

In our next post we will go in depth on how to develop a movement program based on effective and quality Pilates, under the premises we follow in Polestar Pilates. Do not miss it! 

Before adding a new student to your Pilates classes, do you have them fill out a questionnaire? Do you do an interview or a functional assessment? Tell us what works best for you.


Learn more about Polestar Pilates Spain

Mental Imagery in Pilates Instruction

Written By Polestar Pilates Australia Educator Brad Jamieson

Athletes frequently use mental imagery for a number of reasons.  They can run through potential scenarios in their sport to help them better prepare for possible outcomes.  It may look like the driver of a bobsled going through a run turn by turn, reciting in their mind everything that needs to be done to safely and effectively execute their run.  It may be a sprinter imagining a perfect start just before getting into the blocks, or divers just before their dive as they close their eyes and wave their arms around.

Imagery is a very useful tool for athletes as they often have very few opportunities to correctly execute their skills.  Remember, a 100m final at the Olympics happens once every 4 years, and it needs to be performed with split-second perfection.  

Repetition of this actual situation is impossible without waiting 4 years, so athletes recreate this scenario in their mind and “experience” it with the ability to do so at various paces, stop and reset, and repeat as necessary with no physical side-effects (such as fatigue).

Researchers are now studying how mental imagery can be used in a rehabilitation situation.  Promising research has shown that muscle strength can increase by using mental imagery with or without actual movement (further reading 1, 2, 3), can assist with chronic pain sensation (4, 5), and potentially assist in the maintenance of range of motion of immobilized joints (6).  These findings are significant for movement therapists in understanding how imagery operates at a neurological level.

During mental imagery, the brain performs certain processes that exactly mimic those that occur during performance of the movement. 

 The only difference between mental imagery and actual movement, from a neurological level, is that the brain doesn’t deliver a motor signal; the muscle doesn’t fire, and thus, no movement.  It mediates the “needs” of the mind to move- the mind saying, “I want to lift my arm”- and the actual movement.  The brain collects sensory information about the body’s current position, creates an idea of where the arm needs to be, and plans out the route between the two.  It then sends motor messages from the brain to the muscles, which then create the movement.  During the movement, the body feeds back to the brain its position, and the mental process repeats based on the new information, working out whether it is on track to execute the movement or not, and what to do to correct it if it’s going astray.

Here, we need to differentiate between the mind- the part of us that is not a solid-state part of our body, sometimes referred to as a soul- and the brain, which contains the solid brain matter, memories, neurons, and cells.  The mind is what differentiates us as living creatures from a cadaver.  The cadaver has a brain, but has nothing to drive it.  

It is the mind that we use in mental imagery, and the mind then affects the brain’s functions.  This is where we can use trickery to convince the body that it is doing something, even though it is not.

While mental imagery is a very powerful tool in movement, it doesn’t build muscle.  Muscles do not gain any strength through imagery.  Imagery can, however, make the movement more efficient by cutting out extraneous or unnecessary movements.  Consider someone doing the “dead bug” exercise and over-activating their hip flexors, abdominals etc. while also adding global bracing of antagonist muscles, such as the glutes.  All of that extra work and activation is excessive.  The exercise can and should instead be done with minimal effort.  Mental imagery could reorganize the habitual over-activation into a far more effortless one, which will then be delivered from the brain to the body, resulting in a more efficient and easier movement outcome.  Any strength increase that may have occurred in the studies could be attributed to this better organization. 

So, the question arises: How do we utilize mental imagery in our practice?

The good news is (for Polestar graduates at least) we already have the skills and had to practice using imagery during our course.  Imagery cues!  Cues such as, “lift your leg as though your hip joint was full of thick, sticky honey,” or, “imagine your legs are helium balloon and are weightless… allow your legs to float up to tabletop,” are examples of mental imagery.  Through images, the mind considers the body differently (such as resistance or weight).  The mind then changes the way it organizes movement and creates a different outcome.  These are simple examples of mental imagery, and it can be far more complex if needed.

In the event that we were to work with a partially or fully immobilized patient (day 1 post-spinal surgery), we could utilize the same language, but we would need to stop the patient before they moved.  To create an effective use of mental imagery here, we would need the patient to imagine a secondary body inside of their mind- often referred to as an astral body- which can do the final movement instead of the real body.  This imagery would effectively maintain the neural linkages inside the brain that work during movement.  Leaving a patient immobilized without Imagery could allow these linkages to be lost or re-patterned to their immobilized body (i.e. making their mind believe their body can’t move).

Creating effective imagery is largely about creating vivid, realistic, and believable images to present to the mind.  Failing to do so makes imagery less effective since the imagined processes can’t be mapped to real-life movements.  For example, asking someone to imagine their foot is being removed and attached to their shoulder is so foreign to the mind and brain, that the person couldn’t consolidate how to utilize it, and the cue would be ineffective.  Imagining that the foot dorsiflexes by effortlessly hinging at the ankle joint could easily fool the brain and would be more effective.  Imagining that the foot that is moving is yours, has your toes, is cold/warm etc. would be even more effective as it relates to how the brain and mind expect the foot to be.

Finally, a little exercise based on the “dead bug” exercise, showing how this can be put into practice.

  • Lay down in a comfortable place, in the crook lying position, as you would in order to perform the “dead bug” exercise.  This way, the feedback from the body will be exactly as we want it to be, and will not need to be overcome.
  • Close your eyes and connect to your body and surroundings.  Use all of your senses to gather information.  Is there any noise in the room?  If so, acknowledge it.  Is the room cool or warm?  Can you smell or taste anything?  This will use 4/5 senses (not sight), to create a realistic environment
  • Imagine your body as it currently sits.  Where are your arms, legs, body, head, etc.  Create an image in your mind, as if it were a dream, that will act as the body that moves in this exercise.
  • From here, imagine your body is in the room that it currently is in, adding all of the details from point 2- light, heat, noise, smells, etc.
  • Now you are ready to start imaginary movement.  Take one leg of your imaginary body, having it as light as smoke.  Allow it to float up to tabletop, perfect and easy in its movement, then float back down to the start as easily and effortlessly as it rose up.  Remember that the real body remains unmoved.  Only the imaginary body moves.  Also remember that the imaginary body is completely under your control, and you have ultimate control over it.  Even more control than you have over your real body.  Whatever you want it to do and however you want it to be done is completely possible, even if it is not possible in real life.
  • Perform a few repetitions of this, and then you can add on real body movement.  Focus on the imaginary body, and move your real leg as if it were the imaginary one- light and effortlessly.  Once re-patterned, the actual exercise should be able to be done without the imagery, as the body will be convinced and habitually moving in a different way.  This exercise is great for people who over-recruit musculature to perform easy movements.  It teaches them to reduce activity, without just telling them to “relax.”  The idea that someone can just “relax” is proving to be ineffective, as it’s difficult to organize within the brain.

There is much more to be said about this subject but I am going to leave it here.  If you want to learn more, get into things like neuro-plasticity, treatments for phantom limb syndrome, etc., studies are cited below.


References and Further Readings:

1. Effects of Mental Imagery on Muscular Strength in Healthy and Patient Participants: ASystematic Review. Tod et Al. (2016) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4974856/

2. Strength Gains by Motor Imagery with Different Ratios of Physical to Mental Practice. Reiseret al. (2011) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3158386/

3. Strength increases from the motor program: comparison of training with maximal voluntaryand imagined muscle contractions. Yue, G. & Cole, K.J. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1597701/

4. The Effects of Graded Motor Imagery and it’s Components on Chronic Pain: A SystematicReview and Meta-Analysis. K Jane Bowering, et al. (2012) https://www.jpain.org/article/S1526-5900(12)00809-7/fulltext

5. The power of the mind: the cortex as a critical determinant of muscle strength/weakness.Clark, BC et al. (2014) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4269707/

6. Mental Practice Maintains Range of Motion Despite Forearm Immobilization : a Pilot Study inHealthy Persons. Frenkel M.O. et al (2014) https://www.medicaljournals.se/jrm/content/abstract/10.2340/16501977-1263


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Couch to 5K (no, this is not about running!)


Why is it that adults have such a hard time not being good at things on the first try?  

Of course I am generalizing, however, I have been noticing this in my classes more frequently.  If I teach a new skill and it is hard for someone, I get real resistance.  As we get older we tend to do fewer things, and we do them really well.  The average age for retirement in the US is 62.  So potentially you could be doing the same job for over 30-40 years.  Kids do new things ALL of the time.  By the age of 2, children learn a whole new language.  Every year adolescents are learning new subject matter in school.  When we are young our bodies and brains are accustomed to not knowing a skill and then being good at developing a new system. 

Please understand that I know not everyone fits in this category.  I myself thrive on new experiences, but it makes sense that adults get stuck from time to time.  A couple of months ago I was teaching “pulling straps” to an amazing group of ladies that were fairly new to Pilates.  One of them commented on how hard it was.  I went through all of the usual suspects, are your springs too tight, are they too light, are you positioned correctly on the box.  Come to find out she was just uncomfortable lying prone.  Then I asked her when was the last time she was on her belly; she laughed and said, “Years!”  She professed that she was not good at this exercise and never wanted to do it again.  After ruling out potential medical/trauma reasons for not liking this exercise I began a new approach. 

How can I get this client to take a normal human function, such as lying prone, and put it back into her vocabulary?  Well… I load her slowly.  

The next week I put her on the ladder barrel and let her hips press onto it as she extended her spine.  It gave her less pressure on her front body and more control to get down when she was ready.  

Demo on Chair

A few weeks later I put her on the chair and laid her on the seat as her feet were still onto the floor.  From there she put her hands on the pedals and extended the spine.  Still less pressure but allowing more load to the front.

Demo on Chair

Now we are able to get about halfway through pulling straps and still feel good!

Demo on Chair

You see we load at a slow and steady pace to get the function we desire.  Exactly like kids… did we give up walking as a toddler the first time we fell? 

This is one small example of frustration with new things.  I have seen clients get upset with themselves because the tension was hard, but they don’t want me to lighten it.  The coordination of a series gets overwhelming and they need to get water.  An exercise requires a certain amount of mobility and they just don’t have it yet, so they let everyone know that it is their bad leg.  Recently I have experienced clients repeatedly apologizing.  So lets say Beth needs me to lighten their springs in footwork; she says, “I’m so sorry, please could you take a spring off.”  Then I say, “Don’t be sorry, be Beth!” 

I have decided it’s not my job to judge them, or understand why they get upset or apologetic.  My task is to let them know, it’s OK to not perform perfect Pilates.  Who really does?

My new cue is COUCH to 5K.  When you embark on a program such as this do we immediately run a 5K straight off the couch?  No.  We start slowly, safely, and walk for the majority of the time on the first day.  Load slowly, be unapologetic!


Becky Phares, PMA®-CPT is a Polestar Pilates practitioner and graduate with more than 10 years of teaching experience. Find Becky and her Studio on Facebook: The Body Initiative Pilates Studio in Lafayette, Louisiana.   The body Initiative Pilates Studio and Instagram @the_body_initiative_ .

Why Pilates? Why Polestar Pilates? 9 Inspiring Examples


I’m often asked how I ended up where I am…..like many others in the fitness world, I’ve had personal injuries that have led my interest in specific trainings to find healing. On my path, I was led to Polestar Pilates. I was drawn to them because of their mission to create life changing movement experiences. Polestar Pilates’ philosophy has been an integral part of my work for several years. Polestar Educator Amy Dixon, NCPT

God made us so marvelously complex and yet so simple at the same time!  Moving the body as it was designed brings strength and healing.

Positive movement experiences are always the mission!  We focus on how the body moves and functions to be in the best shape in order to live life to your fullest potential. Helping you find your inner strength is truly our goal. I’ve been so blessed to be a part of many others journey on their path to wellness.  Over the past 23 years I have seen clients overcome various obstacles.

Here are 9 inspiring examples of client success with Pilates:

  • Clients that have been able to reduce or eliminate medications
  • Pro athletes adding Pilates to balance out their training programs
  • Chronic pain clients that are so fearful to move when they begin, then realizing freedom of movement when function is restored
  • Post operative and post rehab clients that learn how Pilates can bridge the gap to wellness during recovery
  • An 87-year-old great-great grandmother who is as spunky today as she was 17 years ago when we began working together
  • Spinal cord injury client that has gained range of motion
  • Clients that have seen an increase in bone density to the effect that they’ve been removed from the label of osteoporosis
  • Clients with MS that have been able to maintain independence and movement even through flares of their condition
  • Clients suffered from strokes using Pilates for functional rehabilitation

Pilates changes lives. To some it is simply another form of exercise to add variety to ones routine, to others it is a groundbreaking revelation that blows their mind!

What client successes can you add to the list? Share in the comment section below!

Amy Dixon is a Polestar Pilates educator in Winston Salem North Carolina. Discover her studio Inner Strength Pilates here.

Educator Highlight : Karyn Staples PhD

I am a wife, mother (2 children), physical therapist, Pilates instructor, business owner, researcher, and mentor. I live in Peachtree City, GA and am the local operator of ProHealth Physical Therapy and Pilates Studio (established June 2005). I graduated from the University of Evansville in May 1998 with my Master’s Degree and Bachelor of Science degree in Physical Therapy. I attended my first Pilates continuing education course in June 1998 and fell in love with the work for my own body.

I was a gymnast as a child and the movement made sense to me. In June 2002 I began the doctoral program at Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions (Provo, UT) with the focus area of Orthopedics and Sports Science. The program provided access to wonderful teachers, mentors, and classmates from all over the USA. Through all of my doctoral work, I had continued my personal Pilates practice and decided to pursue a comprehensive teacher training program (the completion of the program counted towards my required practicuum). I was drawn to Polestar Pilates for the rehabilitation background and how the program would enhance my physical therapy practice. I completed the program in May 2005 and completed the Advanced Teacher Training coursework in January 2011.


What do you love about teaching Pilates and owning a Studio?  Where did you take your Training and who was the educator?
KS: I love assisting people on a path of healing. I love seeing the growth of my co-workers as their skill set continues to develop. I took my training in Evansville, IN with Kristen Veltkamp in 2004/2005. I opened up ProHealth Physical Therapy and Pilates Studio in June 2005.

What are your current Inspirations?​  What do You love about them? 
KS: My current inspiration are my children. They are 12 and 10—evolving as independent thinkers, still reaching out for guidance/assistance, willing to make mistakes and learn from them, willing to challenge the way things are/or appear to be—how can things be different.

Why Pilates?  How did you find the practice? 
KS: It fits for my body. I was a gymnast as a child and when I discovered Pilates when in my 20’s it was a reminder to me of what my body was capable of doing.

What do you hope to convey in your teaching? 
KS: A sense of hope. Movement is medicine.

Where would you love to Vacation to? 
KS: My family and I really love to travel. We enjoy cruising quite a bit to explore many areas in one vacation. Our favorite spots: New Zealand, Iceland, Ireland

What is your favorite Quote? 
KS: “The healthiest response to life is joy.” Deepak Chopra

Describe your movement style? 
KS: I move with purpose.

What is your Favorite Apparatus or favorite way to move? What do you love about it? 
KS: Pilates Chair—ability to move in many different orientations to gravity without much assistance. Hamstring III is my favorite as it brings me upside down, back to my gymnast days.

What are you reading or learning about? 
KS: The Revolution of Marina K by Janet Fitch. I generally read books that will inform my physical therapy and Pilates profession, but this book has historical accuracies very intriguing.

How does Pilates inform your profession?​ 
KS: Pilates is an integral part of my profession. The philosophies guide everything I do each and every day.