Pilates Tips from the Pros | FusionPilatesEDU.com

How to Correct without Being Critical

No one wants to be told or to feel that he is messing up at every turn. People new to Pilates can get discouraged because of all the details and nuances involved. Someone not used to moving or not naturally coordinated or body-aware may end up having instructors correcting him at every turn. Constant correction […]…

Pilates Pregnancy Fitness

Exercise is important during pregnancy on a number of levels, but it is vital that it is the right sort of exercise. Safety and effectiveness must be married together in perfect unison. Pilates and yoga are the ideal disciplines to use to prepare for labor and birth. They are also an excellent way to get […]…

Hug a Tree

Jennifer has a treat in store for you! Learn the proper muscle action and synchronization for exercises like Hug a Tree. See a Theraband wrapping technique that brings you into relationship and connection of the upper and lower core. The Theraband wrapping acts to tactically cue widening the sitting bones, narrowing the top of the […]…

Manual Foot Spiral

The composition of the foot is a myriad of osseous matter intertwining with connective tissue, muscles, and fascia. Our foot is a complex structure that, when aligned properly, is built to propel us through space with grace and ease. Unfortunately, so many people have lost the foot’s innate shape and spiral. It is our job […]…

Toy Soldier with the 1/2 Foam Roller

Scapular stability is a must when performing arm exercises, but often the shoulder girdle is so locked up that it is hard to locate neutral shoulder placement. It is only by exploring the shoulder and surrounding tissues that clients will be able to understand where they are in space, then eventually how to best achieve […]…

Core Activation & The Pelvic Floor

In Pilates, teaching clients how to visualize, feel, fire, and stabilize their core musculature is of top priority. Because of the subtleties of the core and how it fires, communicating how to manipulate it can be very challenging. It might feel like we are giving an anatomy lesson to our clients. This can be frustrating […]…

How to Teach a First Session with a New Client

Forging a new relationship inside the studio space is one of the most rewarding and yet precarious situations that you will be asked to navigate as a Pilates professional. First impressions are crucial as you build and expand your clientele at any phase of your career. This is especially important for those who are just […]…

The History of Pilates

To understand Pilates, it’s important to know a bit about the background of its creator, Joseph Hubertus Pilates. Pilates was about fifty years ahead of his time and so did not enjoy financial success during his life. He did not receive appreciation of his work until long after his death. Pilates was interested in physicality […]…

Pilates and Rotation, Part 1

What Pilates is: Many think of Pilates as consisting mostly of abdominal work that involves lots of flexion of the spine. This is a misconception. Pilates is much broader in its reach than just the rounding of the back needed for abdominal curls. The spine must be guided through flexion, extension, lateral flexion and rotation […]…

Green Spiky Ball Under the Glutes

Here at Fusion we are always looking for ways to make our clients more aware, independent movers. Nowhere is this self awareness more important than in a group class dynamic. While your hands cannot be on every person at once, there are tools you can use to help facilitate balanced movement by the clients. By […]…

Mat Spine Stretch with Thoracic Spine Focus

Spine Stretch is a classical exercise that requires flexibility, range of motion, and differentiation to perform with ease and proficiency. When done correctly, it should not only induce a beautiful thoracic spine articulation, but it should give a wonderful stretch to the spinal fascia and musculature. Just like most of Pilates repertoire, the devil is […]…

Applying for a Job, Part 1: Visit the Studio

Any business owner will tell you that hiring people is one of the job’s most stressful responsibilities. It’s a given that every studio owner wants to make sure that instructors working at his/her business knows what they’re doing and has the proper training and experience. But we also want to make sure instructors will reflect […]…

Knee Stretch

Pilates equipment is genius in its simplicity and versatility. In this video, see how a classical exercise like Knee Stretch can be turned on its head with a simple change of spring tension. This slight variation opens doors to new, fun choreography and strengthens the body in different ways. We hope you enjoyed this video! […]…

Dracula Head Float

The exercise shown on this video is an essential skill that your clients need to perfect before they move on to any of the exercises that require an ab curl. This movement makes all the difference in the world when it comes to spinal alignment and core activation. Most people’s neck flexors are lax and […]…

Osteoporosis: Single Leg Foot in Strap on the Reformer

With cases of Osteoporosis on the rise, it is vital that we Pilates teachers know how to handle this growing clientele. With spinal flexion off the table, you must get creative with the exercises to still bring a well-rounded practice to these clients. The equipment is very helpful in this endeavor. And any exercises in […]…

Centering Exercise: Lineup on the Footbar

As Pilates teachers, we need to be able to mirror back the body’s true center during exercises. Our clients rely on us for this. But we can also teach them to learn to find their center themselves. When a client has a hard time feeling where she is in space, a visual cue is quite […]…

Short Spine Massage with Hip Squeeze

There are many ways to teach and experience the short spine massage. Traditionally, it is taught in femoral external rotation. But for those clients who are stuck walking around with that external rotation every day, it is important to experience a more parallel leg positioning. The variation shown here is immensely useful, and it is […]…

Foot Rolling

How we digest gravity through our bones in our walking and running gaits is paramount to alignment and health. There is no better spot to start than the feet! Through these simple exercises with a spiky ball, you can help your client find more ease in the fan of the foot bones. This opening […]…

How To Ask About Pain

Many people from many different walks of life have found Pilates to be an interesting, challenging, and engaging practice. Some people look to Pilates to build strength, agility, and balance with beautiful life-changing results. But no person benefits more from this amazing scope of work than the person who comes to you in pain. Typically, […]…

Prep to Squat on the Chair

The chair is the perfect piece of equipment on which to practice squatting. Instead of loading body weight onto a flexed knee and ankle, the spring and chair paddle move into the body so we can work on strengthening the leg without extra strain on the joints. This is essential for the pregnant body because […]…