For the past five years I’ve taught Pilates at the student rec center at Mizzou. It’s been a wonderful experience. I’ve gained self-confidence and body image, I feel more toned and I’ve made incredible friends.
This past winter, I added to my schedule of a couple of Pilates classes at the rec. Once a week I taught at the hospital to a group of employees and community members. I’m no longer teaching there, but they taught me so much.
It started out a little rocky.
I was used to teaching 20-30 women (usually) in their 20’s (usually). Granted, sometimes men came and sometimes older people showed up to those classes. But for the most part, it was a lot of young, (reasonably) fit ladies.
My hospital class, not so much. There was a little bit of everything. A handful of middle-aged people, some heavier people, some older people, some have a wide range of motion and some have none at all. Others have bad shoulders or knees or wrists. One had multiple open-heart surgeries.
About five minutes into our first session doing Pilates in a conference room, I realized the style that I developed over the past five years was not going to fly.
I slowed down my class to teach all sorts of modifications. People who take time out of their busy day to come workout with me, should be able to workout. If I taught everything at the college fitness level, most of my participants would do more stretching and resting than moving.
That was frustrating at first, but I learned to enjoy thinking more deeply about each move. I like working one on one with participants more, trying to find a way to help each one feel their best. I figured out that I need to talk more slowly and move more slowly.
It made me a better, more thorough instructor when I taught the college ladies too. Sometimes we all need a reminder to slow down and do as much as we can, no matter what that is today. And I need to find a new place to teach around here:)
