What everyone ought to know about levels in a Pilates class

What everyone ought to know about levels in a Pilates class.

Movement is movement, right, and these moves are pretty easy looking anyway…

You’re already strong, great at yoga, cycling and running, so why not just start with the interesting stuff?

Some of the many reasons why Pilates should be taught in levels.

1. Safety

These exercises often look easy, especially when shown by a Teacher who has been doing them for many years.  Most healthy people can create roughly the same sort of pose they see demonstrated, but there is a huge difference between ‘roughly the same pose’ and moving correctly, using the right muscles at the right time.

I see many people who claim to have been injured by Pilates elsewhere, and it turns out they were doing something their bodies simply weren’t ready for.

Starting at the basics, even if you are fit in other ways is going to make your Pilates Journey much safer.

2. Effectiveness

If you’re a new to Pilates and your mat is next to a veteran, the exercises suited to each of your levels of experience will not be the best use of time for the other person.  At best you’ll be waiting around for something which pertains to you, at worst you’ll push yourself too fare and slip back to point 1. above.

3. Value for money

If everyone in the class is at a similar same stage of Pilates awareness, then every word from your expensive Pilates Teacher will resonate.  The more variations the Teacher gives to people on other levels in your class, the less time they are spending perfecting your technique.

4. Quality of experience

It is often easier to demonstrate mixed level classes than to guide everyone through all the different variations.  As soon as your Teacher starts to demonstrate their mind travels into their own body.  Your Teacher should be teaching Pilates at the level where you are, not showing where they are at themselves.  At best you don’t get the quality of experience you came for.  At worst the teacher is the limiting factor themselves.

Does Serena Williams’ tennis coach only teach her by demonstrating their own game?