Pilates Teachers' Manual
Self-Improvement
About
Pilates Teachers' Manual is your guide to becoming a great Pilates teacher! I discuss everything about being a Pilates teacher, from certification, class preparation, and scheduling, to working in studios, gyms, and in clients' homes, online and beyond! This podcast is for YOU if you are a current Pilates instructor, an aspiring Pilates instructor, or anyone who wants to learn more about the world of teaching Pilates!
Episodes
- Making Every Word Count
This episode explores how to make every word you say count by eliminating common filler words and phrases. Tune in! I want to hear from you! Share your thoughts and follow the podcast on Instagram and Facebook @pilatesteachersmanual . Full…
- Giving Progressions With Guardrails
Learn to cue progressions in a way that every client only takes a progression when they're ready, and in a way that helps clients understand and deliver the movement you're looking for every time. Tune in! I want to hear from you! Share yo…
- The Art Of Auditioning
This week's episode looks at one of the most important steps in the hiring process for Pilates studios: the teaching audition! Tune in for my tips and tricks for making the best impression in your audition. I want to hear from you! Share y…
- Foundational Teaching Skills
Curious about what skills are required to be a great teacher? Tune in to learn the best practices for before, during, and after your classes! I want to hear from you! Share your thoughts and follow the podcast on Instagram and Facebook @pi…
- Building Up Exercises For Client Success
This episode covers strategies for building up exercises for client success by adjusting the variable of load, base of support, complexity, range of motion, and equipment settings. The benefits of starting small are numerous, and it all ti…
- Staying On Top Of Your Schedule
In this episode, we're diving into the administrative side of the job and sharing top tips for managing your schedule, staying organized, and creating a sustainable workflow. From choosing the right scheduling system to the importance of c…
- Names Make Group Classes Feel Personal
Today's episode shares effective strategies for making group classes feel personal through using your clients' names before, during, and after class. We look at what you can do to learn names and why it's important to make an effort to bui…
- Special Guest - Keisha Brown
The wonderful Keisha Brown joins me on the show today! Keisha is a Master Trainer for Club Pilates, and a Pilates teacher at several Club Pilates studios in Chicago. She shares her journey from watching Mari Winsor DVDs in the early 2000s…
- Movement Diversity Makes Better Pilates Teachers
Are you a Pilates teacher feeling confident in your craft? This episode is for you! We're diving into why exploring movement outside of Pilates can make you an even better instructor and enrich your personal life. Discover how trying new f…
- Special Guest - Seran Glanfield Returns
Seran Glanfield, owner of Spring Three and host of The Pilates Business Podcast, joins me on the podcast this week! We discuss the evolution of Seran's work in the past four years, highlighting her experience coaching Pilates studio owners…
- Olivia & Mara on Pilates Teachers' Manual: The Book
This is the second part of a crossover episode with Mara Sievers of Pilates Encyclopedia discussing Olivia's Pilates journey, how she's grown as an instructor, and all about writing Pilates Teachers' Manual: The Book! Check out the first p…
- How To Give Hands On Corrections
This week's episode looks at the various ways we can offer corrections to our clients during group classes. We explore the importance of consent, the purpose of a hands on correction, and how you may be able to achieve the same outcome wit…
- How To Teach Popular Classes
This week's episode examines what makes a Pilates class popular, from the environmental factors we can't control to the personal factors we can control. Beyond meeting the minimum expectations of being a capable and competent Pilates instr…
- Prioritizing Patience & Reframing Tough Situations
This episode discusses the importance of remining patient while teaching Pilates, even when you find yourself in a difficult situation. We explore the the role of Pilates teachers, the lasting impact of getting frustrated while teaching, a…
- All About Pilates Teachers' Manual: The Book
Today's episode dives into my newly released book! Tune in to learn who this book is for, what's included in the book, some fun behind the scenes info and where to get your copy! I want to hear from you! Share your thoughts and follow the…
- A Love Letter To Mat Pilates
It's March Matness and there's so much to love about mat Pilates! I share podcast updates and to learn how the flexibility, adaptability, creativity, realism, and historical importance of the mat repertoire make mat Pilates a joyful advent…
- Pilates Teachers' Manual Updates
Today's episode has some exciting announcements, namely that Pilates Teachers' Manual: The Book will be available soon! I have been working hard these past couple months and the book's launch date is just around the corner. Check out the s…
- Special Guest - Lesley Logan
The wonderful Lesley Logan joins me on the podcast! She shares her Pilates teaching journey, how she went into business for herself, how she keeps her teaching fun and engaging, and her advice for new instructors. Tune in! I want to hear f…
- How To Be A Superstar Employee
Today's episode looks at another facet of being a great Pilates teacher: being a stellar employee at the studios you teach at. Many factors contribute to being a superstar employee, and we explore how being reliable, being punctual, and be…
- Finding Fun in Foundations
Today's episode looks at the foundation of Pilates: introducing clients to the equipment, to basic exercises, to shapes of the spine, and the language of Pilates. We spend the majority of our time teaching beginners, and it's important to…
- Cuing Basics
Today's episodes looks at how to effectively cue exercises in a Pilates class. We look at the mnemonic PEACE RR, which is how Club Pilates teaches teachers to cue, and cuing strategies for boosting our clients' motor learning. Tune in! I w…
- Speed, Tempo, & Flow in Pilates
What are the benefits of having your clients move slowly when you teach Pilates? Are there benefits to encouraging them to move faster? Tune in to this week's episode to learn more about speed, tempo, and embodying the Pilates principle of…
- Pilates for Everyday Olympics
For most of us, our clients aren't competing at the Olympics in Paris, but they are unloading the dishwasher, sitting at a desk for eight hours, having to pick up and move to a new departure gate at the airport, and babysitting their energ…
- Special Guests - Mora Babineau & Elizabeth O'Rourke
Today the wonderful Mora Babineau and Elizabeth O'Rourke of studio47 Pilates join me on the podcast. They share their experience working in the Pilates industry for almost two decades, how Pilates has evolved over that time, and how they'v…
- Intuitive Transitions
Programming your Pilates classes using intuitive transitions saves you time and energy as a teacher, and maximizes what you can accomplish in class as a student. In today's episode, I discuss strategies for around the world programming, th…
- Dimensions Of Difficulty
The difficulty of every Pilates exercise can be adjusted in three dimensions: strength, flexibility, and coordination. As teachers, we can manipulate the variables of lever length, base of support, equipment settings, exercise complexity,…
- Special Guest - Tabatha Russell
Tabatha Russell, owner of Tab Pilates studio in Chicago and master educator for Balanced Body, joins me on the podcast. She shares her the winding road of her Pilates teaching career, what she's learned from leading teacher trainings, the…
- The Goal Of Pilates Shapes Your Teaching
As a Pilates teacher, what do you think is the goal of Pilates? Is it to perfectly execute the choreography? Is it to rehab an injury? To get stronger, more flexible, or more coordinated? To rejuvenate mind, body, and spirit? Is the goal o…
- Taking The Stress Out Of Teaching Evaluations
Being evaluated as a teacher can be a big source of stress, but it doesn't have to be! Tune in to today's episode the learn about what to keep in mind going into a teaching evaluation, how to shine during your teaching evaluation, and why…
- Giving Individual Attention In A Group Class
Today's episode explore my favorite ways to make students feel seen, safe, and challenged in group classes. Group classes are a popular way to exercise in every fitness modality, Pilates included, and you'll likely teach lots group classes…
- Tips For Keeping Your Teaching Fresh
There might be periods of time teaching Pilates that can feel stale or even boring, but don't worry! This episode explores some of my favorite tips for finding inspiration, staying connected to your Pilates practice, and keeping things fre…
- Special Guest - Stephanie Neal
Stephanie Neal of Pilates HQ joins me on the podcast today. She shares her Pilates journey, her experience learning and integrating Pilates as a physical therapist, finding balance between running a studio and making time for herself, and…
- Practice Teaching Tips
If you're nervous to start practice teaching, you're not alone! It's scary to put yourself out there and dive in the deep end of teaching another person Pilates, but I've got some tips and tricks to help you along on your journey, as well…
- How To Teach More Positively
Do you want to teach in a more positive way, but aren't sure where to start? This episode is all about framing our cues, thoughts, and expectations more positively while we teach a Pilates class. We outline three categories of Pilates stud…
- How Our Words Impact Our Clients
Today we look at the way our words impact our clients' experience in a Pilates class. Our language can prime our clients to expect a positive or negative outcome, and can influence how our clients feel about themselves and movement. We exp…
- All About The National Pilates Certification Exam
Curious about the National Pilates Certification Program (NPCP) exam? This exam used to be known as the PMA exam, but now the NPCP is a separate entity offering a third-party stamp of approval that Pilates teachers meet industry specific c…
- Finding Your Specialty
Today's episode describes the shift you can make from jack of all trades Pilates teacher to a specialist in one area. Benefits of specializing in one population of clientele include protecting your energy by working with people you enjoy,…
- Special Guest - Sho Pettaway
Sho Pettaway joins me on the podcast today! She shares the winding road of her career in the fitness industry, what inspires her, her advice for new teachers embarking on their own journey, and her experience making her own way and startin…
- Managing Ebbs And Flows
The attendance ebbs and flows in the Pilates industry can really impact your bottom line when your pay is tied to attendance and how many classes you teach. Today we look at some of the factors that influence the attendance in your classes…
- Special Guest - Dan Baker
Dan Baker joins me on the podcast today! He shares his Pilates journey, from a cancer diagnosis, back surgery, and trying a Pilates class on a whim, to running his own studio, writing a book, and beyond. He shares what he's learned in over…
- Knowing What To Teach
There are several skill sets involved in teaching Pilates. Today we explore the art of knowing what to teach and how you might go about programming your classes towards a peak exercise, by body part, and by piece of equipment. I also give…
- Special Guest - Joy Puleo
Joy Puleo joins me on the podcast today! She is the Director of Education at Balanced Body, opened her own studio, Bodywise Pilates, and has over 25 years of experience in the Pilates industry. She shares her insights into the magic of the…
- Does Making Shapes Matter To Our Clients?
One way of teaching Pilates teaching shapes as the building blocks for Pilates exercises. That's a useful strategy for teaching, but do our clients care about making shapes? This episode dives into some different reasons people come to a P…
- Three Ways To Make Teaching Pilates Simpler
Teaching Pilates doesn't need to be more complicated than it already is. From streamlining your teaching schedule, getting to the good stuff in your programming, and saying less when you cue, here are my top three ways to simplify your Pil…
- Study Tips For Pilates Teachers
Whether you are in the midst of Pilates Teacher Training or you're taking a weekend workshop for continuing education credits, we are constantly learning in the Pilates teachers. If you're wondering what the most effective strategies for l…
- The Art Of Taking A Vacation
Pilates teachers need a break too! Piggybacking on the last episode, this episode explores everything you need to do to take some time off. We look at how to secure coverage for your group classes and private sessions, the best practices f…
- How To Cover Classes And Be A Great Sub
If you teach Pilates for any length of time, there will be a point when you need a sub and/or you are a sub. Today we dive into the world of covering classes, the etiquette of getting coverage for your classes, some considerations to keep…
- One Off Classes
On occasion, you may find yourself teaching a one time class, either through a studio you work at or as an independent teacher. This class may be a one time private event like a birthday party, corporate wellness event, hosted by a communi…
- Celebrating March MATness: Past, Present, And Future
We are in the midst of another marvelous year of March MATness on social! Tune in to learn more about the history of March MATness, how it has evolved, how it brings the Pilates community together, and how it has the potential to elevate t…
- Special Guest - AlyMarie Moniz
AlyMarie Moniz joins me on the podcast today. She shares her Pilates journey, how multiple movement modalities and Pilates schools of thought have shaped her as a teacher, her advice for making Pilates a full-time career, and how she empow…