This past weekend was the beginning of my instructor training process. I completed my full 16 hours of training required to check off the Reformer 1 requirement. The days were long and very tiring but it was an amazing experience which gave me a lot of confidence and anticipation for what will come. Pilates is a learning journey that never ends and after this weekend I can say that I can’t wait to continue learning, developing, and building my knowledge of this practice.
Beginning at the start of my weekend, I spent my Friday dedicating 4 hours to watching the recommended videos, reading over my manual, and researching what to expect from my first course. I learned what the expectations were, the exercises I would be learning, and any other important information needed. Starting my weekend feeling prepared allows me to focus on the positives and remain excited with anticipation instead of allowing my anxiety to take over. The next morning I packed all of my things and headed over to the studio. Throughout the day we focused on the basic skills, foundation, and safety that are important as a level 1 instructor. We narrowed in on the very specific movements, muscles, and parts of the body which are being engaged. Meanwhile training, there were many mentor teachers able to focus and accommodate the new learners which was very helpful. Over the two days, we went over about 50 staple movements which will build the foundation of how we begin to structure our own workouts. Having these fundamental movements and exercises allows room for progression and adaptation techniques.
The most important thing for me to focus on this weekend was attempting to answer at least one of the inquiry questions I created. Coming into this course with an open mind and no harsh expectation I was able to not only answer some of my questions but also develop new ones. During our movement breaks we engaged in extreme focus on the safety and adaptations needed for our clients. One of the main inquiries I had was “What are important precautions for dealing with clients who may have certain medical needs, are pregnant or post-natal, or who require extra support? How do I execute these modifications?” We focused on the precautions and adaptations needed for clients who may be pregnant, post-natal, and anyone who may deal with osteoporosis. Each of these areas requires more precaution as there are many things to consider. For example, osteoporosis entails clients who may have very weak and easily fractured bone structures. Clients who deal with this issue need to focus on exercises that will help grow and strengthen the bones, structure manageable movements, and stray away from more dangerous movements that may result in injury or fractured bone. Pregnancy and post-natal care require extreme focus on safety as there are many changes occurring in the individual’s body. Some of these focuses involve little standing exercises which may result in falling, little to no front laying positions, staying aware of any possible pain, and care for the core. As pregnancy develops precautions around core movement and flat-back laying positions are significant to ensure there is no pressure on the uterus and child. For post-natal clients, there is a lot of focus on easy core movement as it has some muscles have been disengaged throughout the pregnancy. All of these precautions allow me as a future instructor to understand and adapt certain movements for these clients.
After completing my first weekend I am beginning the process of completing my 30 observation hours, 30 practice hours, and 90 teaching hours. It will be a long process balancing my training and school but it is time I am willing to dedicate to be the best possible instructor I can. I have begun taking classes 3 times a week and observing as much as I can. My next step will be building my confidence to start my teaching hours!
