Are there exercises you learned during your teacher training that you haven’t done or tried to teach since? Do you find it difficult to imagine your clients performing Snake or Star on the Reformer? This instructor workshop is built for those of us who want to build the skills needed to teach our clients the entire repertoire of Reformer exercises created by Joseph Pilates, even Russian Squats!
Join Hayley and Keirsten of Long + Lean Pilates in an exploration of what keeps us from teaching the advanced Classical Pilates Reformer exercises. The workshop will break down 7 advanced exercises from the classical Reformer repertoire and flesh out:
Obstacles that make the exercise challenging
Elements of each exercise
How to teach each element
Preparatory exercises
Step-by-step progressions into each exercise
Modifications
How to build a class that works up to the exercise
You will leave this workshop with the ability to progress your clients through the entire Reformer repertoire, including advanced exercises, and find variety and challenging content for your classes within the original work. The workshop will take place on Sunday April 28th, 2019 from 1:00-4:00 p.m. at Long + Lean Pilates. Reserve your spot here.
March is upon us and for Pilates lovers, that means another round of March Matness! March Matness is an international event created to educate the world about Joseph Pilates’ original mat work. The goal of March Matness is to have you perform one classical Pilates mat exercise each day during the month of March. This year, we are joining in on the March Matness celebration with a Classical Pilates Mat Class Pop-up event at Revolution Buffalo.
In the Long + Lean March Matness celebration class you will execute the 34 Classical Pilates Mat exercises, with no breaks in between, just as Joe intended. The classical mat work is rarely presented in its pure, unadulterated form, and we are SO excited to share it with you so you can feel how amazing (and challenging) Pilates mat classes can be. Check out the event details below and reserve your spot here.
https://idpilates.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/longnadlean0320-e1451430233786-300x218.jpg218300longleanhttps://idpilates.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/idpilates-logo-square-padding.pnglonglean2019-02-28 12:44:142019-03-17 11:59:35Classical Pilates Mat Class: Pop-up at Revolution
Introducing our first ever intensive Pilates Instructor Certification program: The Long + Lean Pilates Mat + Reformer Intensive Teacher Training!! This intensive training will take place over two weeks in the Spring of 2019 and provide you with your Pilates Fundamentals, Mat and Reformer training including over 60 hours of in-studio instruction, practice teaching, studio observation, and mentorship with a senior instructor. Taking part in this intensive training gives you all of the knowledge and skills you need to become a well-informed instructor who can provide safe, fun, and effective Pilates sessions and classes.
The Long + Lean Mat + Reformer Intensive Teacher Training Includes:
60+ hours of in-studio instruction with owner Hayley Sullivan
In-depth anatomy text and workbooks
Manuals for Fundamentals, Pilates Mat, and Pilates Reformer
Detailed descriptions of how to teach both classical and contemporary Pilates repertory
How to work with people with injuries and pathologies
Training in movement and postural analysis
Assistance in cueing style and how to be an efficient and dynamic instructor
Mentorship with a senior Long + Lean Pilates instructor
50% off all classes and private sessions at Long + Lean Pilates
“The certification program at Long + Lean truly goes above and beyond in teaching the Pilates repertory. Throughout my training there, I gained so much knowledge in proper biomechanics and healthy movement patterns that prepared me to teach in numerous settings since moving to New York City. Hayley’s attention to detail and focus on the anatomy within Pilates really sets this program apart. I could not recommend it enough!” – Sydney Hale, Instructor at Erika Bloom Pilates
Our first intensive training beings Sunday May 19th and will run through Sunday June 2nd. Over these two weeks, there will be 3-5 hours of required studio instruction every day (excluding Memorial Day) as well as opportunities to take and observe classes at the studio.
The cost of the workshop is $2,300, with payment plans available for qualifying students. Spots are limited. To apply for a place in the training, send your resumé and a brief description of why you would like to become a Pilates instructor to hayley@longandleanpilates.com.
https://idpilates.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/LLPrivate.jpg500533longleanhttps://idpilates.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/idpilates-logo-square-padding.pnglonglean2019-02-11 20:58:272019-02-11 21:43:48Intensive Pilates Mat + Reformer Teacher Training Begins in May!
It seems these days that people are no longer shying away from the concept of the “pelvic floor.” Some of you may still be surprised to learn that not only do we have muscles down there, but they actually play a vital role in our health! And although it is wonderful that this is becoming a more mainstream topic, it is important that our understanding of when and how to use the pelvic floor muscles is clear.
To start, what is the pelvic floor? If you think of the pelvis like a bowl, the muscles that line the sides and bottom of that bowl to form a supportive hammock would be what we call the pelvic floor. This sling of muscles has two openings for male and female anatomy of the urethra and anus, with female anatomy having the additional opening of the vagina. It is primarily responsible for maintaining the integrity of these openings and the organ systems associated.
Normally we take our pelvic floor for granted until something goes wrong. Whether it’s an episode of incontinence, pain during sex, or in severe cases prolapse for women, there are a myriad of ways our pelvic floor can become unhealthy. It is a common misconception that the reason we have these issues is solely because of a weak pelvic floor. As a result, the term “kegels” has become overutilized and misconstrued. Kegels are the exercise where we attempt to isolate and lift the pelvic floor muscles. Even when this exercise is indicated, it is often not performed correctly.
So what can we do? First, we need to understand that the pelvic floor muscles are like any other muscle in our body. We want them long and lean! So while it is not wrong to perform kegels to strengthen the pelvic floor, we need to balance that with equal time dedicated to relaxation of the pelvic floor. Our favorite way to practice this is with deep breathing. As you inhale, feel the belly fill with breath and imagine the pelvic floor dropping down. As you exhale, imagine sending that breath out the pelvic floor to continue the lengthening and release.
We also need to bring attention to things we do everyday that can be affecting our pelvic floor. A recent study performed by Priya Kannan at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University revealed that there is decreased resting activity of the muscles of the pelvic floor when the ankle is in a plantar flexed position. This is the position our ankle is in when we wear heeled shoes. Limiting our frequency of using footwear with heels has the potential to help prevent future pelvic floor dysfunction: so save those heels for just special occasions!
How can Pilates help? When cued correctly, Pilates provides a great opportunity to focus on both engaging and releasing the pelvic floor. Pilates has a heavy focus on bringing awareness to the pelvis and lower abdomen. These areas work with and directly affect the pelvic floor. Next time you are in class, see if you can find the slight lift in your pelvic floor muscles when you are cued to engage the core. In moments of deep breathing, see if you can relax it. Though the coordination may be tricky at first, you will find over time that these muscles actually work together and reinforce you to have a stronger practice overall. Pilates also helps to strengthen other key hip and pelvis stabilizers such as the three different glute muscles (yes there are three). Strengthening those external stabilizers can help reduce the load on the the internal stabilizers like your pelvic floor so they don’t have to do all the work all the time. It’s all about balance!
As with anything, if you ever experience pain in either engagement or relaxation of the pelvic floor muscles, do not continue that exercise. Be sure to reach out to your doctor or a physical therapist who specializes in pelvic floor therapy in order to receive the appropriate medical attention. When you feel ready both physically and mentally, try Pilates! Your pelvic floor will thank you for it.
We’ve been hearing all of your requests for a relaxing class full of stretching, so here it is! Starting November 6th, you’ll see Release + Restore on the schedule a couple times a week. We are so excited to bring you this class full of self massage work, restorative exercises, all of your favorite stretches from L+L Reformer classes, and more. The 55 minute class will help you release excessive tension, stretch your tight and shortened muscles, restore mobility throughout your body, and improve your posture.
Release + Restore is scheduled for 4:30 PM on Tuesdays and 11:00 AM on Thursdays. Reserve your spot here and keep an eye out for more times being scheduled soon!
Introducing our first ever intensive Pilates Instructor Certification program: The Long + Lean Pilates Mat + Reformer Intensive Teacher Training!! This intensive training will take place over two weeks in the Spring of 2019 and provide you with your Pilates Fundamentals, Mat and Reformer training including over 60 hours of in-studio instruction, practice teaching, studio observation, and mentorship with a senior instructor. Taking part in this intensive training gives you all of the knowledge and skills you need to become a well-informed instructor who can provide safe, fun, and effective Pilates sessions and classes.
