In 2019 and 2020 (aka the COVID years) we were all delighted to continue exercise in any form we could: seeing the major rise of online classes and exercise apps. These really improve the accessibility of exercise: no need to travel somewhere specific, or necessarily stick to a particular time. But have you ever considered the trade off? - what are you losing to gain this convenience? I think there's a lot to be said for doing Pilates in person (i.e. the same room as your instructor), so I don't routinely teach online. Here's why:
Visibility
Can your instructor really see what you are doing over Zoom? Most people can't set up a laptop/phone position that both allows them to see the instructor well and for the instructor to have a good view of their whole body. Even when you have achieved this, the instructor is seeing you in a small box and only a single angle of your body. Is it easier for an instructor to see you when you're in the same room - absolutely. I spend most of my classes walking around to check on each individual.
Response
Can you talk to your instructor in your online class? Can you tell them you don't understand or ask a question? Generally clients are muted and only the instructor can speak, making it hard (practically and psychologically) to ask for help if you're struggling with an exercise. If you're finding an exercise uncomfortable and you're looking for an alternative, can you tell them what you need? And what about a good chat with the whole class? - it is difficult to have a real chat among a big group online, something which always helps my groups to bond and create a feeling of community.
Space
Most people struggle to find enough floor space for most Pilates exercises - the taller you are, the harder it is. You might be squeezed between the sofa and the coffee table or the bed and the wall. This does affect how well you perform your exercises if you feel restricted. If you then add to this, that you may be bending over or twisting round to see the screen as your instructor demonstrates, it can be hard to perform well. You soon lose much feeling of length and Pilates posture, as well as most of the relaxation benefits you might get from the class.
Correction
A key part of the instructor's role is to make sure that you are doing the exercises correctly. This may be a question of safety and risking injury, or just making movements effective. If you follow an app, this obviously won't be on offer. Instructors in online classes can tell you what to change, but sometimes that's not enough to put it right. You may feel like you're following the exercise and instructions you've been given, then you hear a correction and you may not know how to implement it or to be sure it's for you. You can only see one angle of what the instructor is doing, so it can be hard to change and improve what you're doing.
One of the most effective ways to improve an exercise is "hands-on correction" - the instructor physically helps you to move your body into a different position. (I should emphasise this is done with consent). You won't need this for every exercise, but it can make an enormous difference when it's needed.
I think this is especially true for Pilates because in my experience it's often the most subtle movements where you can struggle to feel the impact of the exercise, where a brief hands on correction can turn a movement you thought was too easy (you might be feeling it's pointless) into a movement that you find challenging and effective.
Correction becomes even more important when you're tackling joint problems, injury rehab, or pregnancy and postnatal recovery. At times like these it's essential to have an expert look at your movement, to ensure that you are in the right position and using the correct muscles, for example to avoid excessive lower back curvature when you're pregnant or to ensure that your abdominal muscles are engaging correctly after having a baby. Pilates (in my classes at least) is primarily based on functional movements, i.e. movements your muscles have to perform daily, so if you are creating unhelpful movement patterns in your Pilates class you'll likely be doing them all day.
Movement is Essential
I'm not suggesting that at home exercise doesn't help, we all need to move to stay healthy, and sometimes we just can't get to a physical class whether through lack of time, childcare or transport. But I strongly believe that the best and most effective classes will always be in person: the ones you will enjoy most and benefit the most from.
So if you're thinking of trying Pilates, or changing your class, take a look at the instructors in your area and try out a class in-person. You can find my class timetable here, I'd love to meet you.
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