Group Fitness Reformer Classes are good for the Pilates Industry
With 35 years of experience as an educator, instructor and business owner, Anita Delbridge Goswell shares her response to the recent news reports of a rise in Pilates injuries and calls for greater regulation for the industry.
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It’s an exciting time to be an instructor in the Pilates industry. According to AusPlay, Pilates is the fifth most popular non-sport physical activity for adults. Between 2021 and 2022 the number of Australians participating in Pilates classes increased by over 145,000. This information suggests that not only is the popularity of Pilates exponentially increasing, but it is here to stay. Which is reassuring, considering how threatened our industry was during the Covid lockdowns.
In my opinion, the rise in participation is due to the increase in fitness Reformer Pilates facilities in conjunction with the inclusion of Pilates as a membership category with AUSactive.
Prior to the growth of Fitness Reformer facilities in Australia, we had two small professional registers representing the Pilates industry. The introduction and increase of Fitness Reformer facilities benefitted our industry by increasing consumer awareness that Pilates exists and can be affordable. Keeping in mind that these classes are for healthy populations. My studio has never been busier, and in my opinion, is largely to do with Pilates gaining exposure with the fitness Reformer facilities.
My studio is a traditional Pilates studio, with an emphasis on injury rehabilitation. I regularly take on new clients who have tried Fitness Reformer Pilates and love it. They either want to enhance their Pilates experience in a traditional studio or they have been referred to me by staff at a fitness Reformer facility for a personalised program for injury rehabilitation. They refer on as they are aware that their target audience is healthy populations.
The introduction of Pilates memberships within AUSactive has also been beneficial in ensuring the longevity of Pilates in Australia. During the Covid lockdowns Pilates was deemed to be part of the Fitness Industry and not an essential service by the Government.
Emerging out of lockdown and realising how important exercise was for people’s mental, social and physical health, AUSactive is making it part of their role to see that exercise and the services of exercise professionals are seen as an essential service by the government. With over 18,000 members in AUSactive, it now has extended memberships to include Pilates and Yoga professionals. These benefits I believe include being part of a much broader association of fitness professionals and one that focuses on standards and education as an essential part of the organisation.
Short Reformer Courses vs Certificate IV in Reformer
Now to the news reports of a rise in Pilates injuries and calls for greater regulation.
The ABC news article made a few critical observations: ‘People can do a weekend course and become an instructor, and that’s really concerning’ and ‘Anyone with a Certificate III in fitness can come in and teach’.
The criteria for an instructor to undertake a short course in Reformer Pilates is a minimum of a Certificate III in Fitness, yes. I have taught the Certificate III and IV in Fitness and Certificate IV, Diploma and Reformer short courses in Pilates.
The course content in the Certificate (Cert) III in Fitness covers anatomy and physiology, training principles and programming. Therefore, a weekend course in Reformer Pilates, for Cert III qualified fitness instructors is no different to the weekend courses approved by the Pilates Alliance Australasia (PAA) for fitness instructors and allied health professionals. In my opinion, I have found that Cert III and IV Fitness instructors who do Pilates short courses, understand and implement training principles and programming better than many allied health professionals. This is because fitness instructors have learnt how to design and instruct various exercise programs, commonly, excluding exercise physiologists, allied health professionals’ main role isn’t focused on exercise prescription. In my opinion, the concepts of program design are not covered in the same depth in comprehensive Pilates courses as it is in the Cert III and IV in Fitness.
Injuries
‘Pilates injuries are on the rise…’ read the ABC news headline. This article refers to the PAA having two reports of people injuring themselves at Reformer Pilates classes. Approximately 584,500 or 2.9% of the Australian population 15 years and over participate in Pilates (AusPlay 2023). I am curious as to the number of injuries sustained in traditional Pilates Studios. I certainly can name more than two from Pilates studios that are operated by diploma-qualified instructors in my area.
How we can help
A lot of fitness Reformer instructors are not aware that there are other comprehensive Pilates training courses available. I believe the associations have an important role to play in promoting these courses and with a coordinated approach with AUSActive we could reach more people.
In my opinion, there is a place for all kinds of Pilates. We have fitness Reformer Pilates for healthy populations, traditional studio Pilates for individualised programs, especially injury rehabilitation. We also need allied health professionals to diagnose conditions and who specialise in exercise prescription for chronic health conditions. Not one modality is better than the other, it depends on the needs of the individual using the services.
What articles like this raise for us is the need to develop a united direction for all participants in the industry. Not only would it be more beneficial but more productive and potentially lucrative for the Pilates industry. It is all our responsibility to embrace change and use our knowledge and experience to continue to educate and grow the Pilates community.
The ABC article ends on a positive note
The article ends with the story of a 72 year old woman who does Pilates at her gym four times a week. She quotes, ‘I thought I was pretty fit…..but this has taken me to a whole new level…..I hope it’s not a fad…..I feel fitter and stronger, my balance is also better’ (ABC News)
Pilates has been in Australia since the 1980s, however, this woman only tried it because her gym offered it. This explosion of fitness Pilates classes offered in the gym setting is reaching far more of the Australian population than traditional studios have ever achieved.
Working with these changes in the industry as opposed to against them, can only help to give the Pilates Method the exposure and longevity it deserves.
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Anita Delbridge Goswell has been in the fitness industry for 35 years. She’s Pilates Studio Owner at Lifestyle Pilates & Rehabilitation Studio and has been an Instructor for over 23 years. She is also an Exercise Physiologist, and is on the AUSactive Health & Fitness Industry Standards Council and the ESSA Educational Review Committee.
Qualifications:
· Ba. Ed (PDHPE)
· Grad Dip Ex Sci (Rehabilitation)
· Grad Cert Pilates Method
· Dip Contemporary Pilates & Teaching Methodology
· Cert IV Training & Assessment
Industry Experience:
· Pilates studio owner/Instructor 23 years Lifestyle Pilates & Rehabilitation Studio Pty Ltd
· Accredited Exercise Physiologist 14 years
· Fitness Industry 35 years
· Educator: Cert III, IV, Diploma Fitness and Cert IV, Diploma in Pilates, Short Courses Reformer, Cadillac, Wunda Chair, Barrels, Pre & Post natal Pilates
· AUSactive Pilates Business of the Year 2022
Committees:
· AUSactive Health & Fitness Industry Standards Council (current)
· ESSA Educational Review Committee (current)
· Council member APMA(ordinary member, Treasurer, Vice President (2010 to 2014)