Try a Private Session!
Working out one on one is absolutely the best way to learn how to move your body properly. While a group class can provide many benefits, such as camaraderie, competition and energy, even a two person session is one person too many when it comes to understanding your own particular body, all of its quirks and habits and its unique strengths and challenges. A good trainer will key in on the little things- the precise movement patterns that will benefit you in your chosen activity, whether you are a golfer, runner, mom or student, every single physique can benefit from the attention to detail. I once had a sub 2:30 marathoner tell me, “that was by the far, the most I have ever sweat moving so little!” after we did a one hour session which involved only perfecting two pieces of choreography- a bridge and a rollup. We did many exercises that led up to the demonstration of perfect bridges and rollups, broke down and “workshopped” places where he was getting stuck and using the wrong muscles and honed in on opening the places where he was tight from running long distances. The next time he took a class, he was able to employ all that we had worked on in the one on one session
By learning, even in just a few sessions, where to feel certain exercises, how to properly execute choreography and what to work on in your own physique, you can tremendously improve your performance in a group class setting as well as in your chosen favorite activity. We will use Meg as an example. Meg is a triathlete who keeps up her fitness with indoor cycle classes during the winter months. When Meg first came to Pilates, she loved the challenge of the classes, but was shocked at how unfamiliar she was with moving “in a Pilates way”. For the first time in her life, Meg struggled in a movement class. In our first private, we worked on opening the chest, utilizing the back muscles to just get Meg comfortable standing up straight- this was a lot of work for her mid back muscles! We had to counteract her cycling posture just to get her upright and then taught those muscles to act in endurance- getting her to a place where she didn’t have to think about it!! I gave her homework to do every day to improve her seated and standing postures. We also targeted her core and abdominal muscles for additonal mobility and stability support. Like many students, Meg had developed the habit of overusing her shoulders and hip flexors instead of her abs when she was doing “core” workouts in group classes. I took away all of these vices and gave her exercises (and homework!) that disallowed these bad habits and for the first time, Meg really had to work to find her core and abdominal muscles! Meg learned that it is not about “showing” the choreography, it is about doing the exercise right. So, instead of flinging her torso up and down during the rollup, she learned to control, to use the back muscles to keep the shoulders out of the exercise and perfected 3 perfect executions of an exercise, with PLENTY of sweat and work, instead of 30 poorly performed movements. We changed Meg’s whole body into a leaner, more efficient machine!
Group classes are great- fun, affordable and they can cement your one on one discoveries about your body, its habits and strengths! But, if you can swing even one private session, you will discover more than you could ever imagine- it could change your workout style, body and will significantly improve your athletic performance or fix your postural challenges!
