After you’ve been teaching Pilates classes for a while, you might feel like your classes are becoming the same thing over and over. You’ve gone through what seemed like an endless number of Pilates exercises that you had to study and memorize for your Pilates exam, and now that once daunting list of Pilates exercises doesn’t seem like enough to keep your classes fresh and interesting. So where can you get some new moves or modifications of old moves to keep things interesting for your clients and for yourself?
Take Classes with Other Instructors
This is by far the most enjoyable way to learn some new ideas because you get to be a client again for a change. Taking classes from other instructors is a great way to pick up new ideas while enjoying a Pilates class. It’s a good idea to go to other studios since many of your clients will already be taking classes from many of your co-workers, but taking classes from other teachers at your studio won’t hurt either. ClassPass and Groupon are excellent places where you can get deals for trying Pilates classes at a low price. Not only do you get to learn some fresh ideas for your Pilates class, but you actually get to enjoy a Pilates class, which we can often forget to do when we have busier schedules.
Online Streaming Classes
In case you can’t make it to another studio, there are several excellent Pilates subscription-based streaming services from many of the top Pilates instructors all over the world. John Garey, Pilatesology, Pilates Anytime as well as a slew of other Pilates instructors offer streaming services now. Most usually give you a free trial so you can hop on for a week or two and then switch to another service before having to pay. You can also subscribe for only a month or so, then switch to another service, and then come back when you want to change it up.
Free (and Paid) YouTube Channels
There are countless free Pilates classes from certified Pilates instructors on YouTube. I have picked up so many great ideas from several videos I’ve found on YouTube. Saran Pilates is my absolute favorite. She is a certified Pilates instructor with her own studio, and she offers a ton of free videos on her channel, as well as an option to pay for more exclusive content. The back exercise in this video is one of my favorite Pilates exercises that I’ve never seen in another class. When I have my clients do this exercise, they love it.
Continuing Education Credits
Most Pilates training programs require that you take a certain amount of continuing education classes and credits to maintain your certification. This is an excellent opportunity for you to learn something that you can actually use in your classes. Plan ahead and check which courses are being offered at your training centers so that you can sign up for courses that will help you the most.
Incorporate Props
If you haven’t been using a certain prop, or any props, incorporating them into your classes can be a very easy and engaging way to change your classes up and find something new. You can even use a prop as a theme of the class. Or you can choose several props. Sometimes I use all the balls — the mini-stability ball, the BOSU ball, the Swiss ball, toning balls, and massage balls — all in one class. Sometimes I only chose the ring. I make an effort of trying to use all of the equipment in my classes so that clients feel like they are getting their money’s worth when they take their Pilates sessions.
Try New Equipment
Even though you may not be teaching a TRX class, doesn’t mean that you can’t use the TRX in the class. You can use the jumpboard, the stability chair, springboards, and any other pieces of equipment that you have in your studio for your classes.
Read Pilates Books
You can get a ton of great ideas from several Pilates books not actually meant for instructors, but for Pilates, enthusiasts to try at home or their gym. The Women’s Health Big Book of Pilates: The Essential Guide to Total Body Fitness is one of my absolute of my favorites. There are various sections and helpful pictures that show you specific Pilates moves and variations. I also recommend Ellie Herman’s Pilates Props Workbook: Illustrated Step-by-Step Guide, Pilates for Dummies. And Stretching on the Pilates Reformer: Essential Cues and Images is great if you have to teach any kind of stretching-based classes.
Pilates Style Magazine
The only Pilates-centered magazine I have been able to find is wonderful and I highly recommend picking up a subscription. Not only does it provide insight for a variety of topics that concern professionals in Pilates, including running a studio and interviews with prominent Pilates instructors, but also there are also always Pilates workouts in them. I once learned how to use the maple pole in a reformer class and my clients loved it. I still use that hack to this day and I always have clients tell me how much they loved those exercises.
Meet Up with Other Instructors and Have an Exchange of Ideas
I love meeting up for coffee with other Pilates instructors as they are often the only ones who have a similar schedule to mine. In the past, I’ve hosted a brunch for myself and fellow Pilates coworkers or former Pilates student classmates. Whether we meet up for coffee or brunch, we have the intended goal of sharing ideas with one another. We learn what went over well and what didn’t, what our clients love and what they hate, and how to do trickier moves that we have been struggling with. We often help brainstorm ideas that are not limited to new moves but also include different ways to cue, new imagery, and any continuing education courses that we enjoyed.
Experiment In Your Free Time
Most instructors struggle to make it to classes because that is often when we teach. But we do have downtime either before class or after where we can hop on a reformer or other piece of equipment and play around on our own. This is an excellent opportunity for you to come up with some new ideas that you can use in a class and share with fellow instructors.
How often should you change up your classes?
Don’t go too big too fast. Personally, I like to try only one or two new moves a week so that it is easy for people to follow. Some clients prefer repetition and some clients like switching it up. Changing once a week is a good way to ensure that everyone is happy.
What resources do you use to change up your classes?
