Polestar Pilates

How to Motivate your Clients to Keep Moving

Article by By Polestar Educator Carlos Marin Burguillos

Polestar Pilates celebrates 30 Years of Movens Mundi “Moving the World”. Make this year amazing for your clients by motivating them to keep moving!


The definition of adherence to treatment, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), is:

“the extent to which a person’s behavior — taking medication, following a diet, and/or executing lifestyle changes — corresponds with the agreed recommendations from a healthcare provider.”

Adherence to an exercise program or a certain activity, in this case, Pilates, is something fundamental to ensuring the healthy objectives the practice generates are obtained. For this reason, we are going to explore the possible influences, variables, and tools we can implement in our teaching to make this happen.

It should be noted that adherence to physical activity is influenced by the motivation of the subject since it is a psychological component that controls the direction, intensity, and permanence of the behavior (Murcia,2007).

In fact, motivation determines the initiation, maintenance, and completion of behaviors in which we are involved, and its analysis can help us to understand how people begin and continue in physical exercise (Deci and Ryan, 1985). The Theory of Self-determination (Deci and Ryan, 1985), an explanatory model of human motivation, directly relates self-determination to intrinsic motivation. Intrinsic motivation is what drives us to do things for the simple joy of doing them. The execution of the task itself is the reward. To be intrinsically motivated is to take on a problem as a personal challenge. It is to face it just to find its solution, with no hope or longing for an external reward for doing it (Jiménez, 2007). 

This is why being aware of the achievements obtained and the mere enjoyment of the sessions are two essential factors to facilitate motivation and therefore adherence to the pilates program. In this order of things, our work as Pilates professionals gives us a multitude of options to promote the intrinsic motivation of our students and thus improve adherence to the method. 

To facilitate its practical application, I would like to divide these endless elements into two large groups: the development of the program and the pedagogy during the sessions.


DEVELOPMENT OF THE PROGRAM:

In this section, we will cover topics from the selection of objectives to planning the “base exercises” integral to achieving each of these objectives in a session.

In order to maintain and improve the intrinsic motivation of the student, it is important that the exercises chosen are within the student’s comfort zone and close to their limit, allowing for an achievable challenge with determined effort.

As teachers trained in Polestar Pilates we have two tools developed with this purpose in mind:

Polestar Fitness Screening(PFS): A tool through which we can precisely determine the functional objectives for a specific client, to be best able to adapt to their needs.

Polestar Program Design & Sequencing Guide: A tool in which we define the essential exercises of the program according to the objectives determined in the PFS and the ever-changing capacities of the student throughout the program. This we combine with the categories of movement which facilitate developing the program by integrating all planes of movement, positions, and apparatus.

In short, it is about the program being adaptable enough to change instantly to meet the physical and mental state of the student, not the other way around. 

This is most easily achieved in individual classes, where we can modify the pre-established program in a very efficient and immediate way; but how do we achieve this in group classes, regardless of how small they are? 

When working in a group setting, each student presents different characteristics and objectives. Because of this, a personalized adaptation of programming is diminished and we need other tools to give the sessions a certain “mobility”. 

In addition to the basic progressions and regressions of each exercise and the option of creating homogenous single level groups (which is not always possible), I propose three ideas that have been very useful for my study:

  • Before the student joins the group and after the “evaluation of movement ”(PFS), invite them to do at least a couple of private sessions to lay a foundation that at the very least reviews potentially dangerous movements and movements requiring the most modifications for said student. This allows the student to feel more comfortable when joining the group, autonomous, and therefore safe when just by saying “Antonio, the shoulders”, the client knows exactly what you mean, and you can continue the group class with this individual cueing. 
  • Evolve each exercise almost “from zero”, even if it is one repetition for each modification. This will help your students to “enter the movement” and become aware of the state of their body in that precise moment for that specific gesture, to feel the progression in the effort, need for control, coordination, etc., and decide with criteria where to stop or how far to continue with the progression of the exercise.
  • Carry out a collective evaluation once every season (or determined number of weeks) in which each student scores themself, without the intention of “qualifying”, but rather to determine the progress and the points still to be reinforced at the individual level, and mark some general guidelines or “keys” that facilitate the most deficit movements. It will serve as positive reinforcement for the students who already have them integrated and give a boost to those who need it.

PEDAGOGY DURING THE SESSION:

Pedagogy is a general theory of learning that studies the laws of the general process of education and training with an emphasis on creating a learning environment that is suitable to multiple learning styles. I include in this group everything related to the way of teaching during Pilates sessions, which has an influence on the intrinsic motivation of the student.

It is essential to keep the student’s attention focused on the session so that learning can occur. Although many of the factors that influence this process are endogenous to the student, we can significantly influence this process.

LANGUAGE: Let’s divide language into “verbal” and non “verbal” to analyze the way in which it influences attention and student motivation

NON-VERBAL: Non-verbal communication is defined as a process where we transmit information to another person without using any type of word, spoken or written.

Nonverbal communication includes:

  • Gestures
  • Facial expression
  • Eye contact
  • Body language
  • Posture
  • Clothing
  • Spatial distance
  • Physical appearance
  • Rhythm
  • Intonation, and tone of voice

Playing with these variables offers endless possibilities and therefore can significantly influence the perception of the exercise by the student.

For example, the act of walking around the room and placing yourself in different points can influence the students feeling of integration, even more so if you look at each student, nod or smile, or approach and speak privately to a specific student with a lower tone of voice if the moment requires. Take into account the response of each student to these gestures, as not all students feel comfortable when they receive special attention or see their personal space “invaded”. Again the adaptability of your non-verbal language to each concrete learner is the key to success to maintain their focus and motivation.

VERBAL: Verbal communication uses words to convey a message. I propose several ideas that cover various objectives that will influence the intrinsic motivation of your students:

  • Words are associated with connotations beyond their own meaning. For example: “Trying” to do something implies the idea of ​​failure if it is not achieved. This can frustrate more competitive and less skilled students. I propose the word “explore”, where each action becomes part of an exploratory process with no glitches or errors, but movement options.
  • Talk about what you do want your students to do. Sometimes we try so hard to say what “could go wrong” that we are unintentionally pushing our student towards that option, or posing “success” as something so unattainable that it blocks any intention of movement. Look at the difference between these two instructions: “lift your leg and try not to move your pelvis at all ”, vs “raise your leg and feel how your pelvis rests heavily on the mat ”.
  • Use language that is accessible to your students. Using technical language does not elevate your status as a teacher, and what’s more, it could create a gulf between you and the student, making it difficult to communicate. This can generate frustration if the students are unable to understand the exercise when it is supposed to be something within their reach. What’s more, I suggest that you use colloquial words, and from time to time use a joke to break the tension, grab the attention of your students and generate an atmosphere of trust in the session.
  • Teach simply. Sometimes we want to say so many things about the exercise that after two minutes of explanation we still have not transmitted what movement we are asking our students to perform. I propose a simple scheme avoid falling into this error:
  1. Describe the initial position (if it coincides with the end of the previous exercise, eliminate this step).
  1. Define the base movement of the exercise (if it entails any real risk for the student, now is the time to comment. Otherwise, it gives rise to error, because experience is where you learn).
  1. State the objective of the exercise (you do not have to do it explicitly, just state what you want the student to achieve).
  1. Propose some guideline or technical indication that facilitates the achievement of the objective.
  1. Observe the execution and decide if it is necessary to make any correction (touch or verbal), reinforce some part of the exercise, or reward a specific gesture.
  1. If necessary, create a loop between the previous two, or add modifications in the exercise returning to point 2.

TYPE OF INSTRUCTION

In the same way that you can decide what kind of teacher to be (the serious teacher, the authoritarian, the joker), you can choose the way to approach an exercise. Apart from the general teaching guidelines which are more concrete, I propose some fun options:

  • Games: When playing a game, you are able to grasp the attention of your students and help them tap into a more playful feeling. This facilitates interaction between students and creates a bond between them that favors adherence to the method. A simple way to incorporate a game is to have students maintain a certain position that requires balance and have them pass various objects to each other, such as balls with different weights.
  • Simon Says: Once a specific exercise has been explained, modify some aspect with each consecutive repetition. This will keep the student’s attention, in addition to challenging their ability to react to external changes. For example, during one-legged footwork, alternate between one leg and the other, toe or heel of the foot, place of support on the bar, etc.
  • Give it a Turn: Create a sequence of fluid movement in which each gesture links with the following, and when they have it fully integrated, reverse the order of execution, or vary the order of the parts.
  • Improvise: Give specific guidelines that determine the essence of the exercise according to its objective, and suggest that they move the rest of their body freely and even randomly. You can put on music and give them time to express themselves and explore freely.

I hope that this small compilation of ideas has been interesting and especially useful if you decide to put them into practice.Carlos Marin Burguillos Educator for Polestar Pilates Spain, Valladolid.


REFERENCES

Jimenez, M. Intrinsic motivation. Competence, self-determination, and control. On:

Fernández-Abascal, E .; Jimenez, M .; Martín, M. Emotion and motivation: Human adaptation.

Madrid: Ramón Acelles S. A. Study Center, 2007.

Deci, E .; Ryan, R. Self-determination theory: A macrotheory of human motivation,

development, and health. Canadian Psychology, v. 49, n. 3, p. 182-185, 2008.

Murcia, J.A., Gimeno, E.C., & Coll, D.G. (2007). Analyzing motivation in sport a

study through the theory of self-determination. Apuntes de Psicología, 25 (1), 35-51.

Community Highlight: Polestar Practitioner Peter Clerkin

In your own words – describe “the Spirit of Polestar”:

PC: Using Pilates as a tool to create a positive movement experience.

What Three Words come to mind when you think of “Polestar Pilates”?

Holistic

Evolved

Legacy

What do you love about teaching Pilates?

PC: I love teaching because I can express and articulate what is good about Pilates as people do it – I know that a class or an individual person will feel better than they did before at the end of the session and I love to be present to see that change occur. I took my teacher training in London and my educators were Liz Bussey and Diane Nye.

What are your current Inspirations?  

PC: My current inspirations are researchers and physiotherapists trying to understand pain science so that it can be applied to Pilates, or movement practices in general, as a way to build resiliency in our clients. Polestar Educator Juan Nieto does a lot of good work in condensing this research and making it applicable to Pilates

Why Pilates?  How did you find the practice?

PC: I have been a Pilates teacher for almost 10 years – before that, I coached youth sports and earned an undergraduate degree in Sport and Exercise Science. Movement fascinates me and Pilates is a wonderful way of moving and making shapes that is in the moment, fun, and rewarding. Afterward, you feel improved emotional and mental health, and the physical, mental and emotional benefits continue the more you practice.

Pilates takes me into flow more than any other activity.

Why Polestar Pilates?  How did you come to join the Polestar Community?

PC: I felt that it was the gold standard regarding teacher training and I love that across the world we can all find common ground with the training and methods we use.

What do you hope to convey in your teaching?

PC: Moving is vital to being healthy and living a varied and fulfilling life. Also, that it can be fun, explorative, collaborative, and a way to understand your own unique body.

What is your favorite Quote? 

PC:

“The only constant is change”

Simple but powerful, I interpret it as trying to embrace what may come next and adapt to that rather than expecting things to be a certain way.

What is your Favorite Apparatus or favorite way to move?

PC: I love the ladder barrel – I think because a lot of the other apparatus are similar to each other. I like that the ladder barrel is a wonderful way of moving through many directions with your spine and also as a way to perform movements with a greater range of motion around the major joints.


You can find Peter on social media @peterdoespilates and discover teacher training opportunities here.

Unlock the Myth of Intra-Abdominal Pressure


What Is Intra-Abdominal Pressure And Why Does It Matter? 

Intra-abdominal (IAP) pressure is defined as the steady-state pressure concealed within the abdominal cavity and resulting from the interaction between the abdominal wall and viscera; IAP oscillates according to respiratory phase and abdominal wall resistance.

How do we educate people who have lost the capacity to appropriately use intra-abdominal pressure?  Think about the following statement: The appropriate amount of stiffness for the anticipated activity. What does this best describe? Stability? Core Control? Powerhouse? All of these things? 

The answer is all of them. Whether we are talking about stability, the powerhouse, or core control, we should be talking about the same concept. That is, does someone have the right amount of support for the anticipated load or activity? I intentionally use the word anticipated. The brain is using information from past experiences to determine the best approach. This enables us without thinking to know how much stiffness to create in preparation for picking up a jug of milk versus a bag of dried leaves for example.

Joseph Pilates implied that the powerhouse is where things start. What kind of tools do we as movement practitioners have to facilitate the appropriate amount of stiffness for the anticipated load? When asked how they would rank the greatest influencers of intra-abdominal pressure, our #PilatesHour webinar attendees answered as follows:  

A lot of people think it is about muscle control or abdominal strength. This is not the case. When we talk about the abdominal wall and intra-abdominal pressure with our clients, we often confuse them. This is because intra-abdominal pressure involves much more than just the abdominal wall. Intra-abdominal pressure is the stiffness inside the trunk, particularly in between the chest and the pelvic floor. It is this stiffness that is necessary to control the amount of movement based on the load. 

The Power Of Breath 

Breath is a powerful influencer of intra-abdominal pressure. The diaphragm is in fact one of the primary muscles and controllers of intra-abdominal pressure. Some people do not utilize the breath or the diaphragm efficiently or as part of dynamic control. This provides a terrific opportunity for Pilates instructors to affect IAP simply through training efficient and supportive breath patterns. 

The appropriate amount of stiffness is going to be determined by the activity and facilitated by proper alignment. For example, holding your breath in and of itself will create stiffness, but does it create the appropriate amount of stiffness? Is this a stiffness or support that can be maintained for a period of time? Proper alignment and practice lead to efficient and successful movement that seldom has to do with core strength. 

Most of our bodies are given the appropriate amount of strength to be able to handle the movements we choose to participate in. That does not mean that tomorrow, with my body in its current condition, I can go out and perform a 400-pound deadlift if I chose to. I am not conditioned for this activity, nor do I have a need to lift 400 pounds.

However, if I were training to perform that specific loaded movement, my body would naturally start gaining strength by steadily increasing the deadlift weight. Tissue adaptation would happen, meaning that my abdominal wall, my back muscles, and my pelvic floor would all start to change based on the demand that I would be making on those tissues. 

This leads to the question, How much control, mobility, or stiffness is necessary to accomplish the task at hand? 

Let’s say the box in this photo weighs 40 pounds. What parts of his body must recruit and create stiffness to keep him from falling? What if the box were 100 pounds, vs 15 pounds. How would that change the situation? 

When we look at the dynamic movement of kicking a ball, what are they doing and what muscles must be turned on for the person in the photo to be able to kick the ball? Which fascial trains or slings are being activated or tensioned to be able to have the appropriate amount of control of the trunk so that their leg and body can accelerate the foot through space and kick the ball down the field? 

How can we support clients in improving the efficiency of their intra-abdominal pressure? 

  1. Help them find their optimal alignment 
  1. Help them find efficient breath patterns within their optimal alignment 
  1. Progressively load them, working always within ranges where they can maintain the above 
  1. Work through the above points to help them perform the activities in which they want to participate 

With this basic introduction to intra-abdominal pressure, we see that it is more about alignment, breath, and load than focused abdominal work. I encourage you to try facilitating the above points with your clients and see how their quality of movement and integration with activity improve. 


Brent Anderson, PhD, PT, OCS, NCPT is the President and Founder of Polestar Pilates International. Brent is a licensed physical therapist and orthopedic certified specialist with more than 22 years of experience. Based on his extensive background in rehabilitation and movement science, Brent elaborates on Joseph Pilates’ mind-body work through the Polestar curriculum by developing tools for critical reasoning and applying supportive scientific research. He also infuses the integral role of psychology and energy systems on motor control and motor learning.


Brent hosts our weekly webinar #PilatesHour featuring special guests from the movement science field and Polestar community. Watch episode 82 “The Science And Myth of Intra-Abdominal Pressure” here.

How to Promote Embodiment in Your Clients: Somatic Cueing

By Kristin Loeer, Movement Therapist, Polestar Pilates Mentor & Practitioner @polestarpilatesuk, @kristinloeer_movement


What Is The client Really Telling Us?

There are many ways in which we can guide our clients through movement. We can use a vast variety of verbal and tactile cues to help them change their movement habits and master increasingly complex challenges. 

How often do clients tell us that unless we put our hands on them to guide them in the right direction, they are unable to replicate the experience?

And how often do they say, after a complex piece of work, that there is so much to think about? That they have to concentrate so very hard to coordinate everything? While feedback like that is common we should consider carefully what the client is really telling us. 

As a Somatic Practitioner and a Pilates teacher, my goal almost always is to help people become more aware of sensations. Sensations provide vital information about our physical and mental well-being. Being present in our body and in tune with its sensations is not just an essential part of healthy movement practice. It also adds to our overall resilience and life vitality. It alerts us of physical and emotional strain, so we can take action before problems turn chronic. It allows us to make better decisions. It makes us better at resourcing ourselves with what helps us maneuver through tough times so we are less prone to trauma. 

“There Is So Much To Think About In Pilates!

One day one of my clients sighed: “there is so much to think about in Pilates!”. I had to pause and try to understand what they were really saying. The way in which the client sighed their words told me that the experience had somewhat overwhelmed them. When we are overwhelmed it is much harder for us to be and remain in our bodies. This is especially true if we are not used to it and trying to make sense of something new at the same time. The fact that they had to “think” a lot while moving told me they may have not been “in their body” at all during the past 20 minutes of our one-on-one Pilates session. 

Our conscious thoughts happen in our prefrontal cortex, also known as the thinking brain. This is the youngest part of our brain and also where our modern society requires us to be focused most of the time. From a young age, we are expected to understand rules, keep to a schedule, and use logical reasoning to navigate through life. The older parts of our brain, the limbic and reptilian brain, concerned with emotion, instinct, and physical sensation, become subdued and controlled by the prefrontal cortex. If we are upset we try to pull ourselves together. If we feel threatened by something that we can not logically explain, we feel ashamed and try to hide it. If we have pain, we numb it with painkillers. 

Pilates, as an embodiment practice, should help us reconnect with our instincts and physical sensations, yet all my client experienced was their thinking brain coordinating their movements. I had thoroughly failed at providing my client with the basics of an embodied movement practice. 

Kristen Loeer

Firstly I had to look at my own insecurities that had led me to overwhelm my client. My desire was to give them all the wonderful cues, visualizations, and information that I knew. I had been driven by my thinking brain, which would tell me that unless I did everything I possibly could, I was being lazy, holding back, and not giving my client enough. 

What might this have been like if I were more in tune with the oldest, most instinctive part of my brain, my reptilian brain? Perhaps I would have been less distracted by my beliefs about my worth as a Pilates teacher. I may have picked up on the silent and physical clues that would have told me that my client was overwhelmed. That they were trying to figure it all out in their head, rather than communicating with their body. The first steps were for me to realize that I had more embodiment work to do myself. 

This experience also made me more aware of our “cueing tool kit” and how we use it. Could it be that the way we cue our clients favors addressing their thinking brain, rather than promoting embodiment? 

Dr. Peter Levine’s SIBAM Model

Dr. Peter Levine introduced the SIBAM model representing all of the elements of human experience; S – Sensation, I – Image, B – Behaviour, A – Affect, and M – Meaning.

When we have a traumatic experience, one or more elements can get split off from our awareness. For example, we might be unable to remember what we did during the traumatic event (behavior). We may feel numb when we talk about what happened (affect). Ideally, we have a fairly balanced awareness of all the elements in order to best integrate the experience moving forward in life. 

If we apply the SIBAM model to the experience of practicing a Pilates exercise, such as semicircle on the reformer, it could look like this: 

Sensation: The physical sensation of feeling the pressure of the foot bar under our feet. Feeling a sense of expansion or containment, as we reach into the shoulder rests and foot bar. The heat or tension generated by the stress our body is experiencing during this exercise. Is there intensity? Does intensity turn into tension and struggle? Is there pain? Do we feel connected? 

Image: The visualization of my spine riding a wave. The image of myself as a dolphin-like creature. I can imagine my sitting bones moving apart and closer together throughout the movement. Maybe I am literally seeing myself in the studio mirror. 

Behavior: The movement that is semicircle is essentially the behavior, but also the strategy I am using to move through this exercise is part of the behavior. In short: “what am I doing?” and “how am I doing it?” 

Affect: Any experience has an emotional component. Perhaps I feel joy at experiencing this fun, flowing exercise. Maybe there is a slight sense of unease, irritation, or fear attached to the movement. 

Meaning: The meaning we give the movement is a semicircle. As we say the word semicircle we already have a meaning attached to the movement. Perhaps the meaning is “integrated, pleasurable exercise that helps my spine gain mobility.” Or maybe I have a belief about this exercise putting me at risk of hurting myself.  

I do want my client to be aware of all the elements of their movement experience, but as mentioned earlier, we tend to learn from an early age to rely heavily on our meaning and belief-making brain. We don’t tend to be very in tune with our more subtle physical sensations.

For example, when you are happy, how do you know you are happy? The emotion you are naming as happy always comes with physical sensations. But what are those sensations, can you name them?

You may find that it is not all that easy, because these sensations can be rather subconscious. However, if they were not present you would not be able to identify what you are feeling as happiness. Becoming more aware of the sensations in our bodies is what helps us become embodied. If I can feel the mat underneath me if I am confident about where I am in space. If I can detect the first level of bracing in my muscles and make an instinctive change that allows me to relax. This means I am in my body and truly communicating and working with it.

When I explain to my client that we are going to do semicircle on the reformer and give them the general instruction of what goes where I am setting up the behavior coupled with meaning. We are doing semicircle and this is how the movement goes. 

As they start moving I might notice aspects of their strategy that do not look so efficient. That is when I might offer a cue: “dive your tail through the water like a dolphin,” or “send your sitting bones to the back of your knees.” In terms of SIBAM, I am still cueing behavior with the help of an image. 

It is only when I draw my client’s attention to their proprioception (awareness of themselves in space) and even more importantly their interoception (awareness of internal sensation) that I begin helping my client embody semicircle. I may also offer tactile cues. In fact, this can initially be very helpful for those who struggle with feeling their body. It is much easier to recognize the sensation of someone’s hand on me than the sensation that comes with happiness. Tactile cueing can be a great starting point to help clients become more embodied. 

Ultimately tactile cues are only helpful if the client can be aware of the sensation of the touch, in addition to the sensation of the change that the tactile cue has caused in their body’s movement. Only then can they apply the changes internally that help them move better. Otherwise, the client will not actually integrate the changes we are making and simply go back to their old patterns. 

Awareness Of Affect In Pilates

Another element of SIBAM we hardly ever promote awareness of in Pilates is the affect. Have you ever acknowledged a client’s excitement after managing parakeet for the first time. Do you respect a client’s fear of a suggested exercise and find a compromise? We do not tend to dedicate much time to engaging with emotional responses. Of course, that may be for good reason. There is a fine line between encouraging someone to feel their pride and confidence at achieving parakeet, and the boundaries of the scope of practice as a Pilates teacher when it comes to managing more challenging or negative emotions that might be attached to a movement. 

Promoting embodiment and the awareness of one’s body in movement is certainly an essential part of teaching Pilates.

Promoting true embodiment in our clients means having to assume less and ask more questions. I can make my client aware of sensations that I can assume they are able to feel. I can say: “feel the contact that you are making with the reformer”. “Feel your relationship with gravity changing,” or “allow your head to be heavy.” This is where our ability to assume things ends. Sensations are highly subjective and we can not know what our clients are sensing on a more subtle level. W can only be observant and ask them about the sensations they are experiencing. This also makes our clients feel seen, communicating more actively with me and taking ownership of their session. 

I can ask a relatively directive question about my client’s sensations, like: “can you feel your jaw releasing?” or “can you feel your connection through your right arm into your center change as you hold the bar differently?” The client has to feel into these specific areas in order to answer the question. I could also ask more open questions to allow the client to expand their awareness and gain new insights into themselves in the movement. I could ask: “as you are gaining more flow, what changes are you aware of in your body?” or “what was happening in your body just then, before you lost stability?” 

The Client is the Expert of Themself

Ultimately it is my goal always to make my client the expert of themselves. I am not there to tell them what they should be feeling or how they should be moving. My goal is to help them get to know their unique self in movement. I am there to help them engage with their body to learn how they can improve their movement ability. I respect that we are all different and that our experiences are also different. While I may help them orient and navigate, ultimately their experience will be different than mine and only they can experience themselves moving. 

When experimenting with more sensory or somatic cueing, it is also important to be mindful of our pace, giving too much information, and asking too many questions. Sensing into what the body has to say while we are moving requires us to slow down a lot. 

Many clients will struggle to access physical sensations, particularly if their brain is busy with figuring out what (behavior) they are doing, or why (meaning). If I am engaging with semicircle for the first time, I easily resort to connecting with the part of me that I am most used to consulting. My thinking brain goes into overdrive trying to figure out where I am in space. How do I engage with this spring tension? What is this movement or choreography? My felt sense would be a very authentic, wise, and safe advisor in this.

It is easy for teachers to buy into this struggle by wanting to offer more clarity with more cues serving meaning, behavior, and image. This may get us some success in terms of our client being able to navigate through the movement. Telling someone what to do is quicker and easier than asking the client to be comfortable in confusion and taking the time to help them sense into their body and figure out what feels true to them. However, if we allow the client to rely on their thinking brain too much to master the exercise, we will see them putting their body through a potentially risky movement, with no or very little awareness of themselves and no deep learning that could enable authentic change or growth.  

If we provide the right environment and remain mindful of our pace, sensory cueing will make an incredible difference to our client’s experience. If we can cue and support our client in a way that enables them to be embodied from the beginning to the end of an exercise, we will see a client who is moving confidently and well, fully aware of what is happening in their body, and fully in control throughout, having a calm and enriching experience. 

All we need to do is be in our body ourselves, aware of our own sensations, as they will guide us to promote the same in our clients, without pushing or overwhelming them.


By Kristin Loeer, Movement Therapist, Polestar Pilates Mentor & Practitioner @polestarpilatesuk, @kristinloeer_movement

Community Highlight: Carlos Marin Burguillos

Carlos Marin Burguillos is an Educator for Polestar Pilates Spain. Discover how to keep your clients motivated to move with Carlos here.


In your own words – describe “the Spirit of Polestar”

CM: It is a way to rediscover natural movement, under the principles of science and self-exploration.

What Three Words come to mind when you think of “Polestar Pilates”

Family

Commitment

Movement

What do you love about teaching Pilates?

CM: I have always loved to train and from a very young age, I frequented gyms. Understanding the why and how of movement multiplied the effects of my fitness training.

Being an educator of future teachers means sharing everything I have learned over the years, in movement and in life. I believe that each person moves and understands movement in a special way, and having the opportunity to share my unique perspective makes me feel whole.

In my Pilates studio, we teach students different ways of moving so that each one can internalize in a way that best suits their way of life. I believe that the freedom to teach and explore within the principles of Polestar is what has helped my students the most to feel good within their bodies.

What are your current Inspirations?  

CM: Currently, I am very dedicated to my movement studies. Leading teacher training courses with Polestar is a window for me to share what I know with others who are moving in the same direction. I would love to be able to convey the little ideas that I develop throughout my experience with as many people as possible.

Why Pilates?  How did you find the practice?

CM: Pilates is the medium and the purpose is to feel good in the body. I learned about Pilates through a friend who suggested I take a class, and since then I have lived from it, for it and with it.

I think that the evolution of science and learning places me more in using the “pilates environment” than sticking to the traditional exercises as shown in the manuals. Knowing why and how to do things is important!

Why Polestar Pilates? 

CM: Polestar was the first school I trained with. I have also completed many courses with other schools. Polestar is a family to me and I have felt continuous accompaniment and support in all areas of my life from Polestar Spain. Polestar International makes it possible for this symbiosis to exist.

What do you hope to convey in your teaching?

CM: I hope to convey the knowledge of the principles to be able to help clients set objectives and carry them out. From there I hope to convey my point of view of the movement – how the support points create the stability necessary to release into the movement.

What is your favorite Quote? 

CM: First move – Then move well – Then move around a lot – And then improvise and be happy.

What is your Favorite Apparatus or favorite way to move?

CM: I think the Reformer is the most versatile apparatus, especially when teaching a group. All of the Pilates apparatus provide options and environments that enable learning.


Carlos is an Educator for Polestar Spain – You can find Carlos on social media @carlosmarin_move

The Best Tool To Support Dancers: Pilates

By Vikki Harris, Polestar Pilates Mentor and Practitioner

Supplemental cross-training, alongside technical dance training, is an essential ingredient to developing and enhancing a dancer’s learning and longevity.  With the increasing athletic demands and challenging choreography on dancers’ bodies, the Pilates environment provides an opportunity to support optimal performance and reduce the risk of injury. 

Many Pilates teachers are seeking advice as dancers venture into their studios for support with their technique, strength, flexibility, management of hyper-mobility, or rehabilitation from injury.

As Pilates teachers, we have valuable tools to support their learning. Of course, this is not new as many dancers sought the support of Joseph Pilates in his New York studio. Though Contrology was not specifically designed for dancers, George Balanchine and Martha Graham were clients of Joe’s who then sent their dancers to his studio for support with their strength or rehabilitation.  In this article, we venture into the nature and demands of a dancer in the current age to explore an approach for this population.  


The Dancer’s Goals

There are a wide variety of dance styles and techniques ranging from classical ballet, contemporary, commercial, street, ballroom, Latin, tap, jazz, musical theatre, and many more. For the purpose of this article, we will focus on the classical ballet technique, which forms the foundation of many dance programs. When approached by a dancer it is important to understand the nature of the dancer and their goals.

  • Are they professional dancers currently performing?
  • Is their training schedule full or part-time?
  • Are they dancing for recreational purposes?

The age of the dancer is incredibly relevant, as the length and quality of their dance training. What is the dancer’s capacity?

A thorough screening assessment and interview, with support from the dance teacher, choreographer, or therapist will gather valuable information.  Dancers are often driven, committed, and motivated with perfectionist traits and have busy training or performance schedules. Supporting a dancer’s mental health as well as physical health is hugely important. 

The Demands On The Dancers

The demands of the dancer require a balance of flexibility and strength. Desire is for full ranges at joints within the capability of control throughout the range. Dancers learn through barre work, adage, and allegro exercises to develop a well-tuned repertoire of proprioceptive kinesthetic awareness. A well-programmed dancer has good motor skill recall, an attuned sense of balance, ear and eye vestibular turning skills, and all navigated within gravitational changes and forces with the required speed and reactivity.  

This is all possible by utilizing a full-body approach and integration of core stability, along with understanding good breathing dynamics of the diaphragm. This provides benefits for the heart and lungs to fuel muscular activity and for artistic expression and stability. 

Pilates & Dance Research

A famous study at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York (1975) compared all forms of sports, including dance, in terms of the athletes’ physical fitness capacities.  Ballet, boxing, and hockey were ranked at the top. These activities require high levels of strength, endurance, flexibility, cardiovascular fitness, and other measures of fitness. 

An experimental study by McMillan and associates found that a 14-week Pilates intervention improved dynamic alignment in ballet students.

As well, a study by Amorim and Wyon found that dancers who participated in a 12-week Pilates mat intervention increased their levels of muscular strength and flexibility. This is compared to a control group who showed no changes in participating in normal dance class. Due to these muscular adaptations, dancers were able to hold a developpé position for an average of 9 seconds longer and increased their height 4-10°. McMillan A, Proteau L, Lebe R: The effect of Pilates-based training on dancers’ dynamic posture. J Dance Med Sci. 1998;2(3):101-7. 

The placement and alignment of the structure and understanding of the bone rhythms educate the dancers’ mechanical relationships for congruency, ease, and control. For example, the pelvic bone relationship to the femur to support optimal turnout in external rotation required for classical ballet.

This also allows for maximum movement efficiency using the myofascial communication network for storing and releasing potential and kinetic energy resources, reducing stress on joints and tissues. The rhythm of the lower extremity bones of the knee, ankle, and foot, for example, supports the strength when standing en pointe.  The use of the foot and ankle is vital for speed, agility, and awareness of the supple plié for maximum ground force reaction that is necessary for allegro elevation. 

The Complexity Of Dance Training

Instructors working with dancers must also remember the use of the ports de bras, carriage of the arms lines, the head, neck, and upper extremity, and understanding the integration to the torso for support.  The dancer is required to look effortless with strength for lifting, floor work, choreographed falls, rolls, and dynamic powerful acrobatic skills. 

Dancers are required to learn and remember complex challenging enchainments, or sequences of choreography. These include changes of direction and weight transfers, sometimes off-balance, suspended with a center of gravity shift.

Alongside the speed and accuracy, the dancer must have an innate sense of spatial awareness and what is known as the dancer’s radar, not only for themselves but others on the dance floor.

Dancers are often aware and need support with compensation strategies that appear due to their individual structural design or mobility issues.  For example, rolling or sickling in the ankles or feet: a pronated, supinated, inverted, everted alignment issue. Dancers may develop shin splints from poor dance flooring, raked stages, or lack of ballon bounce or elevation. It is also common to develop an inability to land with their heels down from a jump from the over-tensioned Achilles tendon.

Supporting Young Dancers

It is important to understand the adolescent dancer and the growth pattern where bones grow faster than tissues reducing flexibility for a period of time. The speed of growth may also affect the awareness of the center of gravity, and suddenly pirouettes turns aren’t as easy as they were. Dancers may also be working with changing hormonal maturity at this time.  Osgood-Schlatter disease is common in young dancers and most often occurs during growth spurts when bones, muscles, tendons, and other structures are changing rapidly.  

Starting pointe work too young or pushing the body into extreme positions can limit dancers’ careers and damage young bodies for life. Supporting dancers to be individuals, and therefore encouraging positive experiences and building self-esteem, with sound training, attention to detail, and anatomical awareness is the basis of health in any body and its longevity, especially from the athletic demands on dancers in the profession today.


Vikki Harris is a Polestar Pilates Mentor for Polestar UK and ex-professional Principal Dancer of the Drusilla Duffill Theatre School  and owner of V Pilates Studio Burgess Hill