Keep your clients safe and your studio sound
It is a truly exciting time in the pilates business. Pilates has experienced steady growth over the past three years. While female celebrities, like my client Jennifer Aniston, have always turned to pilates, it has finally gotten the attention of men like Harry Styles and Sylvester Stallone. Athletes like LeBron James and Serena Williams have also made pilates part of their training regime and Pilates is trending on social media. For those of us in the business a very long time, who have seen things change so quickly, we often have to ask ourselves “What is Pilates?” As a contemporary teacher, I embrace new exercises and ideas, particularly when they fill a void in the traditional repertoire. Sometimes we need to be reminded that pilates is not perfect and no singular modality can do everything for the human body.
These days the majority of a pilates workout is performed on a reformer. Unlike traditional pilates studios of the past that worked on a variety of apparatus, the huge expansion of group reformer classes and hybrid studios all offer workouts on reformer-based machines. The traditional repertoire was designed within the scope of the limitations of the machine. Now exercises are created to garner buzz on social media and teachers are pushing, pulling, standing and balancing on parts of the equipment that were not intended to support that much weight or maintain stability against that much force. The pilates method was handed down first by the Pilates Elders who always emphasized safety first. Accidents don’t happen that often on a reformer, but when they do they can be serious. That is why it is important to have a proper education, understand the limitations of the equipment you are using and where the potential dangers lie. I have been training clients for 30 years, certifying teachers for 25 years and working as an expert witness on legal cases relating to Pilates for the past five. Here are some things you need to know about protecting clients on a reformer.
Springs Break
But not that often! Over 30 years in a busy studio we have had a spring break less than a handful of times. Your equipment manufacturer will give you guidelines for how often you should maintain and replace your springs but if you know what to look for, you can catch most breaks before they happen. When the coils in your spring no longer look stacked in perfect symmetry it is time to replace it. This bend in the spring is usually the result of snapping the spring. When teachers or clients change springs they need to guide it back into place. They often just release it creating a sling shot effect. In general keeping all equipment changes quiet and smooth is a good practice for maintaining focus for your clients and will also protect your equipment.
Reformers are Unstable
The instability of the reformer is how we are able to integrate so much core work into our practice. But lift the carriage up some time and take a look underneath. The reformer is essentially a skate board on a track with springs attached. The lighter the tension, the more unstable the machine is. The problem is at first glance the reformer looks stable. It is large and appears heavy. Clients often move too quickly getting on and off or when placed on their knees. This is how most accidents happen. Clients lose their balance and fall forward particularly when facing the back of the reformer. Despite its’ size, the entire machine can slide depending on the surface and spring tension when a client is using the jumpboard. If the resistance is high and your client is standing on one side of the reformer using the pulleys the whole machine can move. The carriage on some models can lift completely out of the frame. Again this only becomes an issue on a few select exercises but you should know which exercises they are.
Most workouts will include utilizing the box. The box varies in size. It is sometimes higher with a bigger “lid”. It is important when the box is placed onto the reformer that it is stable. If your box hangs over the reformer at all, be aware that it can tip. There are also many hybrid workouts utilizing the box as a stepper, as in step aerobics. It’s important to remember that the bottom of the box is vinyl and not slip-proof.
Know Your Machine
I always take a few minutes to feel any new machine I am teaching on. Even within my own studio where all the reformers match, they do not feel the same. Some reformers and springs get used more than others which makes the springs weaker. Each manufacturer and model (and there are more cropping up every day) has its’ nuances. Some spring bars can roll, some footbars don’t lock into place, some shoulder blocks can pull completely out. None of these things are dangerous if you are aware of them. Be on the lookout as well for ropes that can become tangled, hardware that becomes loose, footbars that are not locked in, springs that slip off. My first rule of teaching is always ‘Check your machine before moving your client.’ Serious injuries happen from the misuse of the reformer, not from failure of the equipment and not from bad form. Yet most training programs will spend most of their time on alignment without going into depth about the intricacies of the equipment. My most upsetting case as an expert witness in legal cases pertaining to the use of pilates equipment involved a client who was left blind in one eye from performing a traditional pilates exercise in a group class. The exercise was an archival version of an exercise that was inappropriate for the senior. I believe the spring came off the spring bar which could roll on the model in use. In addition, the owner of the studio had made changes to the equipment which added to the unsafety of the machine. The golden rule here is never train at a studio that manufactures its’ own equipment! Yes believe it or not this happens. Equipment is big business stuff. They spend lots of money on design and testing. The result is high-quality material that has been tested and has a warranty. Small businesses are tempted to save money by making their own reformers. Take a pass and find a place with a recognized brand of equipment.
Know Your Contraindications- Keep Yourself Educated
I was an expert witness in a case where a client suffered a fracture to her vertebra because her teacher had her perform short spine stretch during her first session. The client was trying out pilates specifically because of a recent osteoporosis diagnosis and to our surprise it was explained that the ‘master’ teacher knew this! Despite filling out a form and listing osteoporosis, the teacher had her perform one of the most dangerous things when it comes to bone density in the pilates repertoire. As a faculty member for Balanced Body, contraindications for osteoporosis are taught in one of the very first modules. Even if you are new to our industry, you can keep people safe simply by knowing what you should not teach them. I often feel my expertise lies in what I do not teach, rather than what I do teach.
Pilates was designed to be for every body. I am thrilled that the word has spread and the benefits of pilates is reaching a whole new audience. Always consider my next mantra “Risk vs. Benefit”. The beauty of the equipment is that there are many ways to achieve the same goal. We can level exercises up and down minimizing risk for clients. Just because you see something on Instagram it does not mean it is meant to be taught in your studio. I often post tricks just to get attention. I have a dance, martial arts, pilates and yoga background. I am very comfortable in a headstand on the reformer but I do not teach it to anyone in my studio. Why would I? And why should you? Keep your clients safe and protect yourself from any liability.
Owner of Bodyline in Beverly Hills, Maria Leone has been training teachers and clients for 30 years. As part of Balanced Body faculty she livestreams education all over the world and is available to train on demand via Pilates Anytime. A former dancer, she has developed her career to train people of all ages, sizes and shapes and from injured to athlete.