Photo credit: PilatesAnytime Do you consider yourself a Pilates teacher or a Pilates instructor? Both terms are very similar in their meaning and some Pilates professionals are very vigilant in making sure that they are called one and not the other. But does it really matter? I know I promised to talk about Pilates cueing […]
View PostMyofascial Trigger Point Release Techniques for a Pilates Professional: Practical Guide with Video Demonstrations

What are Trigger Points? Simply speaking they are tight knots in the muscles that hurt when you touch them. Trigger Points are a result of contractions that can not release in microscopic muscle units – sarcomeres. This muscle “congestion” points limit blood flow in the tissue and can refer pain or numbness to other areas of the body.
Trigger Points are present in virtually anyone especially in some of the most used and abused muscles of the body: back muscles, trapezius, hamstrings, quads etc. They can be aggravated by an injury, overuse during exercise, habitual poor posture and repetitive daily tasks. These tight knots can be painful (or refer pain to a different location) but even more often they will cause tightness and weakness in the nearby area.
Knowing the location and release techniques for most common Trigger Points is an utterly useful tool for any Pilates Professional. While most of the Pilates teachers are familiar with foam rolling, Trigger Point Release using simple tools (small massage balls or even tennis balls) is far more effective in releasing tightness and helping clients reach their fitness goals.
The new addition to the PilatesBridge PRO Library is the Myofascial Trigger Point Release Guide. Here is what is included:
- Practical techniques to release trigger points in all accessible muscles of the body
- Over 200 minutes of video demonstrations available for streaming on any device
- Muscles Charts that include Trigger Point location and pain referral patterns
- Detailed instructions on how to locate and release Trigger Points in different positions (standing, lying down, sitting etc.)
- Instructions on how to choose the best size and hardness to successfully reach Trigger Points in different muscles
Prenatal Pilates: Create a Well Balanced Program for Any Client

Prenatal Pilates is a topic that consistently stays popular. Pregnancy is a wonderful time in the life of a woman but it often raises a lot of questions and red flags for movement specialists.
- What exercises are safe?
- When should we stop doing Pilates?
- How late in the pregnancy can a woman start a new movement modality?
- How can we deal with pregnancy discomforts?
- And when can a woman safely return to her Pilates practice?
Today we are talking to Leah Stewart about Pilates programming for pre/postnatal clients. Leah first started teaching prenatal teacher training courses as a faculty member of BASI. In 2015 she made a decision to take her teaching courses online and she launched her first interactive online course Prenatal Pilates Doula Program.
In this interview we will talk about the building blocks of creating a well-balanced prenatal Pilates program and will address most common teacher concerns about teaching prenatal clients.
Questions covered in the interview:
- Advice for the expecting mothers on how to stay calm.
- How Pilates teachers can provide support for their clients during pregnancy.
- Beneficial breathing patterns during different stages of pregnancy.
- How to create a well-balanced prenatal Pilates program for a client.
- When is it too late during pregnancy to start a Pilates program?
- What are the benefits of taking a prenatal teacher training course online?
A Complete Guide to Teaching Pilates from Home with PROFIT

Would you like to have the flexibility of setting your own work hours, working from home and doing what you are passionate about – teaching Pilates? Then you have probably considered setting up a complete Pilates studio … right in your house.
This guide was created to answer all of your questions on how to set up, market and run a Pilates home studio. It includes 90 pages of practical materials including best tips on how to find clients, protect your business legally and make more money teaching.
A Complete Guide to Teaching Pilates from Home with PROFIT is not just the experience of one person, it combines advice of 12 experienced Pilates teachers. Some of them have transitioned from renting a commercial space to being home studio owners, some got tired of working at other studios for nothing, and yet others just fell straight into the home studio ownership. While most of the teachers interviewed are located in the US we also have several home studio owners from the UK and Canada who shared country-specific advice. Basically, we have every possible scenario that you can imagine and all the necessary resources for you to succeed.
Here is what you will find in the Complete Guide to Running a Pilates Home Studio with PROFIT
- Home Studio Setup – how to choose your space and equipment.
- Where to find good deals on Pilates equipment.
- Essential Business Setup – Legal and Liability questions.
- How to Price your Pilates sessions.
- What you should (and should NOT!)spend your money on.
- How to MAKE more MONEY without teaching more.
- Proven Marketing Strategies to Grow Your Business.
- How to get Your First Client.
- How to establish successful studio policies.
- How to handle last minute cancellations.
- How to raise your rates without offending your clients.
- How to keep your Pilates Edge when working from home.
- Essential strategies for a work/life balance.
- Attachments to use for your business: Liability Waiver, Studio Policies, Client Screening Form.
Clinically-Proven Techniques to Treat and Prevent Diastasis Recti (stop the “mommy tummy” blues)

Diastasis Recti is not one of the glamorous or popular “side effects” of pregnancy.
In fact, many women don’t know that this condition even exists until they have a baby and then realize that no matter how many sit-ups they do they still can’t get their flat stomach back.
While statistics are still being collected as to how many women are actually affected by DRA, some of the older studies show that about 36% of women will have separation of the abdominal muscles 6-8 months postpartum. Another research shows that DRA is also linked with pelvic floor dysfunction, incontinence, pubic symphysis discomfort and lower back pain.
As Pilates instructors we work with women before, during and after pregnancy. We have an opportunity to establish a strong foundation to prevent or at least minimize abdominal wall dysfunction in the postpartum period. We are their first line of defense and their hope to restore their function after delivery.
Today I’m talking to Diane Lee, a physical therapist from Canada. She is well known for her clinical work on thoracic, lumbar and pelvic floor as well as pelvic disorders and pain symptoms. She is one of the pioneers in the diastasis recti research as well as the author of several books and publications including The Pelvic Girdle: An integration of clinical expertise and research(aff) and The Thorax: An Integrated Approach (aff).
Questions Discussed in this Interview
- What muscles should you actually train to close Diastasis Recti? (Hint – it’s not Transversus Abdominis.)
- How does DRA affect overall function of the body?
- How can DRA be prevented before and during pregnancy?
- Who is at a higher risk of developing DRA?
- What are some of the practical cues that are designed to help women find their core connection and regain abdominal wall function?
- An exercise protocol to prevent diastasis from happening.
- Safe ways to teach twists during the pregnancy.
- Beneficial breathing patterns to treat and prevent DRA.
- Practical tips for Pilates instructors who work with DRA clients.
- At what point can one say that plastic surgery is the only way to restore abdominal wall function?
- Is it a good idea to use binders or braces to treat DRA?
- Additional resources to learn about DRA and pelvic girdle rehabilitation in postpartum women.
The Step-by-Step Guide to Successful Online Marketing for your Pilates Business

Did you know that 94% of consumers research products online before buying? Or that three out of five people use search engines as a go-to shopping and service resource? (official Google statistics)
We live in the tech world where information is available at our fingertips. While word of mouth is still one of the best advertising strategies in the Pilates world it’s not the only one anymore. People are searching for Pilates studios on Google, they are checking out Facebook and Twitter for deals or friend recommendations, they are using directories to find real reviews.
You can’t be sitting on the offline sidelines anymore. Online marketing is the reality of the modern life and it can be quite enjoyable if you have fun with it.
Your clients are more likely to hear about you or find you ONLINE than through any other channel of promotion or advertising.
Online marketing might be another thing that you don’t have the time for, I get it, but you can’t ignore it if you want your business to succeed. Bring more clients through your Pilates doors with these simple tactics.
10 Essential Steps to Create a Steady Flow of Customers to Your Pilates Business in the Web 2.0 World
To make things practical for YOU you will download a Practical Worksheet that will
- help you convert website visitors into customers,
- identify “weak Points” that make you lose potential clients,
- engage your current social media followers and turn them into your clients,
- explain WHY you need a newsletter and HOW to set it up,
- guide you to make your first video (and figure out WHY you need it),
- discover new ways to expose your business to new clients
- and much more