Barbara Wintroub
The times they are a changing. I spoke to several Pilates teachers from Los Angeles, Palm Desert, Omaha and Kansas City who said it’s getting more difficult to find students who want a body/mind workout.
In their opinion the fitness market is shifting to sweating and feeling the burn.
In 1981 when I took my first Pilates classes on the reformer, everyone was into a Jane Fonda type workout. I also succumbed to the fitness craze of “let’s get physical”. I took from Jane three times a week and took from several of her other teachers.
By 1997 when I made my career change to the Pilates business, fitness was already headed to the mind/body connection. We Pilates teachers have had a good run at the breathing and core stabilization thing.
But NOW WHAT?
How are we going to modify or change our workouts on the reformer to keep our business, give the clients what they want and still give them what they need? We walk a fine line.
Over 260,000 people every year get injured doing fitness things. We certainly don’t want to contribute to that number.
Some Pilates Studios are adding TRX and Spin to the workout. I doubt Pilates will go underground like it did in 1981 but good teachers will be creative and I know they will come up with something valuable.
Let me know what you come up with.
Tip of the Day: Slouching causes less oxygen to the brain, less air to the lungs. Sit and Stand tall-Good Posture Becomes You.