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Pilates for the Personal Trainer - Concentration
By Christina | August 3, 2008
This is continued from August 2, 2008 blog…
What creates movement in the body? Bones? Muscles? Yes those are correct, but where does the movement originate? Joseph Pilates stated that “it is the mind that moves the body.” Talk to anyone who regularly attends yoga or Pilates, and they will tell you that there is a connection developed between mind and body by participating in these disciplines.
As a yoga and Pilates instructor as well as a Personal Trainer, I know that many people lack adequate body awareness, which may lead to improper body mechanics during their training session and during group exercise classes. Instructing verbally is not easy but it is important. Using visualization techniques and cueing improves body awareness because the participant has to listen to what you are saying and act upon it without seeing what you mean but by interpreting it. This can be extremely difficult for many, but as they progress in this learning process they will begin to move more consciously.
This component of mind-body exercise is what often causes new clients to drop out. They want it to be easy and see results immediately. They are not necessarily interested in “learning” their body. At first, they may find that their mind understands the exercise, but they are unable to translate the movement into their body. Simple body awareness skills, like keeping the shoulders down, can be challenging to maintain throughout an entire exercise session.
Go out of your way as trainer to incorporate concentration as part of the training sessions. That means once you know your client is safely exercising, give them verbal cues and allow them to experiment with what that means to them.
Topics: General, Personal Training, Pilates |
