What would be more important: new exercises or lesson planning? How do you prepare your students’ classes? In this article, I will help you answer these questions and suggest a style of planning. Come with me!
The Pilates Method and all its variations: suspended, aerial, acrobatic, ballet, among others, has evolved a lot in recent times. What previously seemed to be a new methodology found only in large cities, is now common and can be found anywhere. Hard to find someone who has never tried it.
With that, it is necessary to innovate the classes in order to remain in a competitive market such as today. If you are a person concerned with the satisfaction and well-being of your student, you should certainly be concerned with improving your service even more. And, this is where I reinforce the question: does your student only need different exercises every class?
What is important for Pilates lessons?
Let’s start answering these questions together. The first question is simple. No, the student does not need a huge variety of exercises to feel that you care about his training.
Of course, everyone likes to vary, it is difficult to find someone who likes to always do the same movements. What I want to make clear is that there is no point in having a range of exercises if they do not make sense. This leads to the answer to the second question: there is no point in varying the exercises if you do not have lesson plans to fulfill.
Are you more confused? I’ll explain it better: you can suggest different exercises in all classes, but in none of them will the student observe a purpose. You can be sure that your class will be meaningless and without purpose. But then should you always suggest the same exercises? Do not.
The variety of exercises is essential to not let the class get monotonous. I just want to call attention to purposeless exercises and the lack of lesson plans. These two things lead the student to “walk-in circles” and not feel his progress.
I will give two different examples to better illustrate what I am talking about.
Example 1: You teach your student to perform an exercise with the elastic band. It is a movement he has never done before and he thinks it is really cool to try a variation. Then he asks you about the reason for this exercise. And you answer that it is to work the middle gluteus. Again he asks, why? His answer is simple and direct: because everyone needs to strengthen this region.
Example 2: You teach the same exercise with the elastic band. And before he performs the movement, you explain the following: “You need to strengthen the middle gluteus, because I realize that it is not activated when you are going to make certain movements. The sideboard is an example of this. This explains the discomfort you feel in your knees and that may be why you are unable to stabilize them when you do the squat. So today we are going to dedicate part of your class to activate this musculature ”.
Can you see the difference between the two examples? That’s what I’m talking about. You need to have a purpose, a lesson plan!
So the third question: how do you plan your students’ classes? I will answer below, where I propose some steps to improve your lesson planning. Follow me to the end.
Step 1: determine the type of lesson for planning
It is extremely important to determine the type of class that will be held in your Studio. Classic Pilates is fantastic. The combination of Mat Pilates exercises with the exercises on the devices created by Joseph provides a complete lesson.
In contrast, contemporary versions are also excellent ways of working. Using classic Pilates as a base, these variations use fabrics and devices that create instability and challenge the body. There are also classes in pairs and acrobatic classes. All of them provide strength and flexibility gains, thus improving the functioning of the body as a whole.
Reproducing everyday gestures such as squatting, pushing, pulling, among others, Functional Training is an excellent method of working to increase strength, flexibility, treat pathologies and improve student well-being through dynamic classes.
It doesn’t matter which methodology you use. The important thing is to make it clear to your student what kind of class he is taking. Many people mix the techniques. I, in particular, find it very valid. When we use several methods, one makes up for the shortcomings of the other.
I just consider it extremely important to make the student aware of their lesson planning. What we see out there are many people criticizing the mixture of techniques. Therefore, I reinforce the importance of prior clarification with the student regarding the type of method you use.
So, regardless of whether you work only classic, contemporary Pilates, Functional Training, one day of each technique, or several techniques together in the same class, your student is aware of what he is doing. And, be sure, raising customer awareness is a step towards achieving customer satisfaction.
Once you determine the type of class that will work in your space, you can move on to the next step.
Step 2: evaluation and objective
It is impossible to obtain customer satisfaction without knowing what your objective is. So it is essential that you clarify the needs of the student in the first class.
We know that practicing physical activity improves posture, strength, flexibility, relieves pain, among other benefits. But you need to keep in mind what benefits your client is trying to achieve by taking your classes.
This is a fundamental step in setting up your lesson planning.
What if I work only in groups and each student has a different goal? Do I need to plan my appointments to have groups with students who have the same objective? My answer is: no. Of course, it would be much easier if we could concentrate the same pathologies and needs in groups.
Classes would be easier to plan because we would have the weight loss group, the lumbar pathology group, osteoporosis group, in short, they would be specific groups. But, we know that everyday life doesn’t work that way.
You should set up class schedules according to the time your client can go. Everyone’s routine is racing, so it is inevitable to think otherwise. But believe me, it is possible to meet different needs.
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