My Pilates Mentor Questions

Thank you for taking the time to complete the questions below, and for contributing to My Pilates Mentor!

Below are the questions. We also ask for some very basic information about you, but you will see that not all the information is a required field, so if you do not want to answer then please do not.

Please also remember that you do not have to answer all the questions; if you prefer you can just answer the ones that you want to. This should not take you more than about 15 minutes, and please remember that your best answer is usually the first one that comes to mind.

Ready? So let’s get your contribution to My Pilates Mentor started!

Title

Name

First

Last

Name of Pilates Qualification *

Please note that only qualified teachers can contribute

Email *

Studio Name (if applicable)

City and Country *

Most common age group of your clients *

Under 30
30 to 60
Over 60

1) Why did you become a Pilates teacher, and what does Pilates mean to you?

The first part of this question is probably quite simple to answer but is very relevant to the readers of this book to understand our motivations. The second part of this questions is perhaps not so easy to answer, as Pilates can mean many different things to different people. To understand what Pilates means to different teachers in different countries gives us all a sense of why we do Pilates, and what drives us to unroll our mat or climb onto a machine every day.

2) Your favourite mat and/or large or small equipment exercise, and favourite piece of equipment, and why?

We all have at least one favourite exercise or piece of equipment, but it will be interesting to learn why. Is it because of the results you have seen it gives, or because your clients just enjoy doing it?

3) Best advice for a new teacher and best advice for someone who is thinking of starting Pilates.

What single piece of advice would you give yourself if you were starting out in a career of Pilates, or starting to practise Pilates? We can all learn from our own hard lessons.

4) The most common mistake you see students making and how you correct it.

We all know how difficult it can be to control a full class of students especially if we are working at a club that insists on packing people in, but in group or one-to-one sessions, what is the most common mistake that you have to correct? To know this will give us all new things to look out for and to avoid, and how to correct them.

5) What are bad recommendations you hear about Pilates.

No one and nothing are immune to critical comments. Constructive criticism can be a very good thing as it can help us to improve. What is the thing you hear said about Pilates that annoys you the most? And how would you answer this criticism?

6) The funniest thing that has happened to you in a Pilates class.

Whilst trying to please avoid stories about unintended escapes of wind, Pilates teaching should at times be fun and full of laughter. Please share your funny stories because life should not always be serious.

7) What marketing do you find is most successful for your Pilates business?

Everyone likes to think that word-of-mouth is the best form of advertising as it shows that we are doing a good job, and often it is. But the teachers who can rely solely on word-of-mouth are few and far between, and every teacher could benefit for new and interesting methods of marketing themselves, however busy they are. This question is not about giving up your secrets, after all we do not live in the same neighbourhood, but it is about sharing any lessons you have learnt that will help our community to succeed.

8) What mistake have you made that helped you in your career?

Another question to help others avoid the mistakes that you might have made. Mistakes are a part of life and everyone makes mistakes. They are how we learn and improve. What is he single biggest mistake you made, and how did it help to shape you into the Pilates teacher you are today?

9) The main reasons why your clients come to you for Pilates?

It is a common conception that the majority of people come to Pilates to rehabilitate as a result of injury, an operation or some other physical issue. But is this your experience? To understand why our clients present is to understand their motives and ultimately their driving forces and goals.

10) The biggest changes you have seen in yourself and in your clients due to regular Pilates practise

I am sure you have witnessed some amazing transformations during your time as a teacher. Please share how Pilates has changed you and your clients so we can all be inspired by each other’s achievements.

11) Is there an unusual or unique thing about your classes or the way you teach?

Do you add a special ingredient to your classes? Whilst again you may feel hesitant to give up your secret methods (and remember that you do not have to answer this or any other question if you prefer not to), as a community it is a healthy thing to share with each other tips that perhaps no one else has thought of. We are not in competition with each other, as our goal is to help our clients as much as possible.

12) How do you structure your classes, for example what type of warmup and cool down do you find to be most effective?

We have all seen exercise classes that launch straight into full-on exercise with scant attention for any meaningful warm up. Similarly, for some a cool-down is unimportant and is squeezed onto the end if there is still any time left. Pilates is different, and whilst it might not always reach the intensity of other exercise systems, it still requires careful thought about how to start and how to end a session.

13) In the last 5 years which new habit including exercise has most improved your life? What new or enhanced skill do you think would improve you most? E.g. anything from communicating with clients, marketing, knowledge of a different wellness system etc.

The last questions are more focused on you personally. How have you improved your life outside of Pilates? And which new or enhanced skill do you think would benefit you the most? We should always be learning. No one is perfect and no one can not improve themselves. Sometimes when we understand how others seek improvement, we can realise that those same things apply to us.

14) When you feel stressed what do you do to regain your focus?

We all have bad days. Everyone does. Despite what our pictures on Instagram might suggest, our lives are not always cute puppies, beautiful sunsets and perfect food! When the pressures of life get on top of you, how do you deal with them? What methods do you use to regain your focus?

Thank you! We really appreciate you time and every single one of your answers. All answers will be collated so we can include in My Pilates Mentor the overall results. We will contact you again soon if we will use one of your specific answers in the book to see if you want your name included or not.

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