Propping up your classes
Let’s face it during the pandemic zoom frenzy, so many teachers became creative. We used the contents of our client’s households and that included towels, sticks, pillows, cans even toilet rolls to provide variety, challenge and engagement of our clients. Now moving back into the studio or a hybrid, it’s important to reflect on what we have learned and to take this knowledge back into the studio.
Your prop intentions
How often do you stop and think about the intention behind using a prop?
You can use it to:
// Reduce the challenge for a client who is not yet strong enough to do an exercise without an assistive prop. Pilates springs are fantastic for this, but a swiss ball under the person’s feet can be amazing or having their feet propped up on the wall.
// Reduce the opportunity to cheat for a client to have feedback about alignment and organisation. I like the use of a wall in these cases so a person can use that for support, or a towel to encourage good neck support.
// Increase the challenge to promote strength and endurance. Our Pilates equipment offers all sorts of resistance challenges. These days a reformer is considered a fun prop for increasing challenge. It is important though to understand the resistance provided by the springs and how to use them effectively.
// Increase the pattern challenge. I like to make sure people are constantly crossing their midline and moving their upper and lower bodies differently. The series of five is a great way to do this in Pilates, but after some time you need to vary it up a bit to make people slow down and focus. This is when I like a person to use a ball to roll that up their leg when they rotate or to hold in both hands and then move it to one hand, or in between their legs, as they move from one exercise to another.
// Vary a vestibular or proprioceptive response. I will admit this is a personal obsession of mine and I make it my personal mission to include at least 15 minutes of balance focus in any class.
// Add variety and fun and
// Change the client’s relationship to gravity either to assist or challenge them.
It is also important that the prop can be easily cleaned and stay hygienic. It is for this reason I have worked with studio clients to have some of their own props that they bring to their mat classes and at times studio classes.
So what is your client’s goal?
This is our most essential starting point for any of our clients. Understanding their goals helps us not only to develop and adapt appropriate programs, it also helps us to motivate our clients to participate in class and any homework.
What is it that you are trying to achieve?
— Strength
— Endurance
— Tolerance
— Flexibility
— Patterning
— Release
— Calming of the parasympathetic nervous system
— Alignment
What system are you needing to affect?
— Muscular
— Fascial
— Skeletal
— Nervous
— Lymphatic
What sensory system do you want to affect?
— Visual
— Proprioceptive
— Vestibular
— Tactile
— Introceptors
Questions to challenge your prop thinking.
There are 3 questions I ask when deciding whether the prop I have in mind is suitable for my client.
1. Can I flow with this prop for at least four exercises/activities
in a row.
Clients get frustrated if you are running around changing props and things constantly on them. Make the class flow and give options to consistently work with that one prop.
2. Is the prop applicable to the person in the studio setting and can be used or adapted at home.
3. Safety: no sharp edges, no Volatile Organic Chemical, latex-free and easy to clean.
My favourite props for clients include
My personal confession as to my favourite props in a studio and mat class are below. Why I have chose them is for their versatility and adaptability, and in the table below I have highlighted the five basic purposes for which I would use that prop.
These props are also great to use because you also encourage clients to purchase them. Next month we’ll look at our prop-selling strategy, to understand how you can offer the right props to clients, helping them and supporting your studio revenue.
Strategic Prop Useage
Carla is the co-director and co-owner of Body Organics and Body Organics Education. She is also an educator, creator and designer of the Australian-made Markarlu. You can find out more bodyorganics.com.au/education/