Answering Your Questions
There are some common questions I am asked at the studio and today I thought I would answer them for anyone reading. I always welcome your questions as they make me consider a different perspective sometimes or confirm that where we are is where we should be! So here we go:
Q: Why Don’t You Offer Your Classes in Levels?
A: There are several reasons for this. First off, people don’t progress at the same pace and students can be skilled and strong in one area and weak in another. Some beginners bring another background like dance making them not really a beginner and some students who don’t come from a body awareness background (I was one of those as a runner) can be strong but take longer to grasp Pilates concepts. A skilled, certified Pilates instructor should be able to teach all levels and should teach a class that works for the bodies in front of them. The goal is to help students progress at the pace that works for them so if I see you having success I am going to offer you more. And on the flip side, if I see you struggling a bit, I’m going to offer a modification. All of this can happen in the same class in my opinion. Levels don’t support that belief. Secondly, it’s always the question of when would you put the beginner class versus the advanced class and what if that doesn’t work for your schedule? Third - let’s be honest students don’t always put themselves in the right level to begin with. And the fourth and final reason - there is beauty in beginner students seeing an advanced student and seeing what they are working towards and also a beauty in having that advanced student offer encouragement or a pointer from their experience. I love those moments of sharing, encouraging, and helping.
Q: Why not add a few more reformers?
A: I love a small studio. I love the hands on, personalized aspect of that comes from keeping classes smaller. With 7 students, I can see eveyone and I can get down the line with modifications or assistance as needed. I also know my students and can craft a class to their needs. That’s hard to do with a dozen or more bodies at one time. When you start getting larger you have to step away from personalized and just teach a program - one size fits all. I used to teach some at gyms with larger classes and it would have been impossible for me to plan ahead for who I thought may be in my class. You got what I decide to teach that day. With a smaller size, I don’t have my back to half to the class and I know who is coming. I know who’s going to request more arms or needs some gentle shoulder work. There is more planning for sure but that is something I enjoy. I don’t want to be an ‘exercise giver’ - I want to craft something special for you and I can only do that in a smaller setting. While larger would be more profitable - I don’t feel I’d be helping as much.
Q: Why do we have to wear grippy socks?
A: There are a couple reasons for this! First, I have seen my fair share of stinky feet in a Pilates studio! There is a sanitation aspect to keep our equipment clean and lasting a long time, socks help to protect our surfaces. Second is for your safety. Grippy socks give you that little bit of traction so a foot doesn’t slide off the bar or on the floor. Occasionally I’ll have a student forget their socks and we’ll make an exception. Without fail, I am told after class that they didn’t realize what a difference the socks made!
A: Why do we harp on the Pilates Breath so much?
Q: I love this question! I also understand where it’s coming from … I was in your shoes once as a beginner questioning if this breath was really necessary! Short answer - it’s a game changer! First from the aspect of calming the body. Most come rushing into the studio and hop on the reformer with their body in full flight or fight mode (sympathetic nervous system activated) Just by switching to the full Pilates breath, we can turn our parasympathetic nervous system on. That’s our rest and recover mode. It’s why you leave Pilates feeling more relaxed. And secondly, when executed properly you must use muscle all through your torso for the Pilates breath. That’s a lot of muscles working together and needing calories. So if you can leave a workout feeling rejuvenation and still having worked out hard all by breathing properly that’s a win in my book!
Q: Is Surprise Pilates a franchise?
A: NO! I am an independant business and this is very important to me. I don’t answer to an investor or a corporate office - I answer to myself and to you! What I find in franchise situations is often times decisions are made that are about the bottom line not the quality of the experience or product. While I do have to pay the bills, I never went in to owning a studio with the desire to make it big. I wanted to help people and I wanted to share all the ways Pilates had helped me with you! I love being able to be flexible and make changes that feel right for the students and the business. Businesses ebb and flow - schedules need to be able to be changed for what the students need. Rules are put in place but when I know you and I know the circumstance I can flex and bend when it seems appropriate. Not everything becomes about the bottom line. It’s important to me that we don’t sell more memberships than I can accommodate. The gym model used by most franchises will keep selling memberships hoping you won’t continue to show. If you are paying Surprise Pilates - I want you there and I want there to be a spot for you. That doesn’t mean you can always get the exact spot you want but that means there are options available. I always say plan ahead if you need a specific time.
Q: Why don’t you offer free classes for new students?
A: Putting a bunch of ‘new to Pilates’ people together in a class with varying abilities and limitations and expecting them to really learn about Pilates is really a no win for all. New folks when grouped together often don’t ask the questions they have for fear of sounding ‘dumb’ and if one student isn’t getting it all have to wait until they do. I love offering intro Privates and Duets. It’s one on one time at your pace in a safe space to ask all the questions, and focus on the areas that you need the most help with. Some times we have students who have a weak core and can’t hold tabletop without tension - we work on that or find an alternative. If I had another student who was fairly strong - they would spend their time patiently waiting while we address this with the other student. Neither student would be super happy about that! And secondly, we as certified instructors work hard with new students to explain, teach, modify and give you the best experience with Pilates we can. We want you to fall in love with it and see all it can do for you. That shouldn’t be free! I would never ask my hair dresser to really impress me and then not pay her for her work.
Q: Why do we start with footwork?
A: As a beginner student, I mistakenly thought footwork was just a warm up. It’s really a lot more than that. It’s a great way to ground you once you get to class. It’s also a safe starting point, a great place to check your form and how you are feeling and to get that Pilates breath going. Being a bit less complex, footwork also allows our minds to start connecting to the work. While doing footwork we should be breathing fully, connecting to our center and using the muscles in our legs and feet. That’s really a lot! I find footwork a good place to assess how students are doing on a particular day as well. I love footwork as a starting point to bring us all into our bodies and away from whatever we left behind.
Have a question I didn’t address? Feel free to send it to me or ask me in the studio!