Pilates Class Planning: 101 Tips On How To Plan A Pilates Class

Pilates Class Planning: 101 Tips On How To Plan A Pilates Class

If you’re a new Pilates teacher and you’ve been “winging” your Pilates class planning responsibilities, let me guess.

It didn’t work!

Of course, it didn’t work.

How can I be so certain?

Well, that’s easy.

Because there isn’t a single professional person, in any field, on the entire planet that has ever succeeded with the “I’m gonna wing it” strategy. I kid you not. The greats (e.g. Churchill making a speech during WWII to the House of Commons) make it look like they are winging it, but that’s only because they’ve prepared like crazy beforehand.

If arguably the greatest speaker of all time, Churchill, spent days and weeks preparing his speeches, there is a message there for all wannabe “wingers”. Don’t wing it!

Okay, now that I’ve got that off my chest, here are the first tip on how to plan a Pilates class.

How To Plan A Pilates Class Tip 1: Don’t Wing It

Don’t wing it!

Yep. I know.

I’ve already covered this point in the intro.

But it’s such a vital point, that I figured it also belongs as tip number one.

If you didn’t read the intro, I’m on my hands and knees here begging you to read it, because it’s essentially the only tip you need to read.

If you take action on all the other tips but feel you’re the one-in-a-million who is born with a God-given talent to “wing it”, your days as a Pilates teacher are almost certainly numbered.

How To Plan A Pilates Class Tip 2:  Plan & Visualise

Plan it.

And then visualise the plan.

Be professional by showing up to your class with a prepared Pilates class plan that you’ve practised at least once, and visualised several times.

And by incorporating visualization techniques, Pilates goes beyond just physical exercise and becomes a mindful practice.

Whether it’s imagining pulling your navel towards your spine or envisioning each vertebra in your spine lengthening, visualization helps to create a mind-body connection that can increase the effectiveness of each movement.

This focus on visualization also allows for a deeper understanding of your body and its movements. By honing in on specific muscle groups and imagining them working in tandem, Pilates practitioners can develop a better sense of control and awareness over their bodies. This can lead to improved posture, reduced pain, and increased flexibility.

The visualization aspect of Pilates is part of what sets it apart from traditional workouts and makes it a great complement to other forms of exercise.

Here is the visualisation technique I use when preparing to teach a Pilates class: 

“ I fold my Pilates class plan, that I created using the online Pilates Lesson Planner, and stick it in my back pocket, like a secret cheat sheet for my brain. Throughout the day I’ll look at the plan and imagine myself teaching the class.“

I copied this visualisation technique from Olympic athletes.

Every single successful Olympic athlete mentally rehearses their event. I think every single Pilates teacher could benefit from whipping out their Pilates class plan, closing their eyes and visualising how they are going to teach.

Here’s a real-life example of how I visualise my Pilates class plan: 

“I’ll gaze at my Pilates class plan like it’s a script for an Oscar-worthy performance. I’ll mentally rehearse The Hundred (if it’s in my plan) like a method actor, reciting the teaching directions in my head. I’ll read the benefits, precautions, and modifications…and then visualize myself letting my students know about the benefits and precautions. I’ll then see myself walking from my mat to a student to give a modification.“

If there’s a student I know who shouldn’t go into a standing forward bend, I’ll read one of the modifications on the Pilates class plan and visualise myself adjusting the student (e.g. The Hundred with legs bent instead of extended).

If you visualise teaching your class for a few short minutes, I promise your students will notice the difference, and so will you.

“FYI: The online Pilates Lesson Planner does all the hard work for you, like a personal assistant who’s also an experienced Pilates teacher. Just drag and drop exercises like you’re playing Tetris, and voila! You’ll have a Pilates lesson plan that’s more polished than a pair of Pilates-toned abs.”

How To Plan A Pilates Class: Tips 3 To 95

If you take action on tip number one and two, then you’re good to go. If, however, you’re eager to find out the other 98 tips, here they are.

• Start with a clear intention for the class.
• Determine the level of your class (beginner, intermediate or advanced).
• Consider the time of day and location of the class.
• Create a warm-up that prepares the body for movement.
• Use props to support your clients and vary the exercises.
• Keep a consistent pace throughout the class.
• Focus on core stability and alignment.
• Include exercises that challenge balance and coordination.
• Offer modifications and variations for different fitness levels.
• Use imagery and visualization to help clients connect with their bodies.
• Consider sequencing exercises in a logical order.
• Incorporate both standing and mat exercises.
• Use cues that encourage mindful movement.
• Incorporate exercises that promote flexibility and mobility.
• Choose exercises that target specific muscle groups.
• Use transitions between exercises that flow smoothly.
• Incorporate exercises that promote postural alignment.
• Use breathwork to enhance the movement experience.
• Encourage students to listen to their bodies.
• Make modifications as needed.
• Consider using music to set the tone of the class.
• Include exercises that challenge the upper body.
• Use verbal cues and tactile feedback to improve alignment.
• Incorporate exercises that promote lower body strength.
• Use variations of the exercises to keep the class interesting.
• End with a cool-down that helps the body return to a resting state.
• Consider the time of the class when planning.
• Include exercises that challenge the entire body.
• Consider using themes to tie the class together.
• Use props to challenge clients in new ways.
• Incorporate exercises that promote spinal mobility.
• Use different types of breathwork throughout the class.
• Add exercises that challenge the core in different planes of movement.
• Encourage clients to maintain proper form throughout the class.
• Incorporate exercises that target specific muscle imbalances.
• Consider the needs and abilities of students when planning the class.
• Use cues that encourage clients to engage their muscles.
• Incorporate exercises that promote hip mobility.
• Use visual aids to help clients understand proper alignment.
• Use positive reinforcement to motivate clients.
• Incorporate exercises that challenge balance and stability.
• Consider using props to modify the exercises for different levels.
• Use modifications that allow clients to progress as they improve.
• Include exercises that promote overall body awareness.
• Use cues that encourage clients to work within their limits.
• Incorporate exercises that challenge the entire body.
• Use variations of the exercises to keep the class interesting.
• Include exercises that promote upper back strength and mobility.
• Use tactile feedback to help clients understand proper alignment.
• Encourage clients to maintain a regular Pilates practice.
• Use music that matches the pace of the class.
• Incorporate exercises that challenge the legs and glutes.
• Use verbal cues that are clear and concise.
• Consider using different types of props to challenge clients.
• Include exercises that promote relaxation and stress relief.
• Use progressions to help clients advance their practice.
• Incorporate exercises that promote shoulder stability.
• Use cues that encourage clients to breathe deeply.
• Encourage clients to take breaks when needed.
• Incorporate exercises that challenge the hamstrings and calves.
• Use variations of the exercises to challenge clients.
• Include exercises that promote overall body strength.
• Use cues that encourage clients to stay present and focused.
• Consider the needs and goals of your clients when planning the class.
• Incorporate exercises that promote ankle and foot mobility.
• Use variations of the exercises to challenge clients.
• Incorporate exercises that promote overall body strength.
• Use cues that encourage clients to stay present and focused.
• Consider the needs and goals of your clients when planning the class.
• Incorporate exercises that promote ankle and foot mobility.
• Use visual aids to help clients understand the movement.
• Include exercises that promote spinal extension.
• Use progressions to help clients advance their practice.
• Incorporate exercises that challenge the hips and pelvis.
• Use variations of the exercises to keep the class interesting.
• Use tactile feedback to help clients understand proper alignment.
• Encourage clients to maintain proper form throughout the class.
• Incorporate exercises that promote overall flexibility.
• Use verbal cues that are clear and concise.
• Use different props to modify the exercises for different levels.
• Use modifications that allow clients to progress as they improve.
• Include exercises that promote overall body awareness.
• Use cues that encourage clients to engage their muscles.
• Incorporate exercises that challenge balance and stability.
• Use modifications to accommodate clients with injuries or limitations.
• Include exercises that promote side body strength and mobility.
• Use cues that encourage clients to move with control.
• Incorporate exercises that challenge the lower back.
• Use variations of the exercises to target different muscle groups.
• Include exercises that promote neck and shoulder mobility.
• Use music to create a calming and relaxing atmosphere.
• Incorporate exercises that promote lateral flexion.
• Use visual aids to help clients understand the movement.
• Include exercises that promote overall body coordination.
• Use modifications to make the exercises more challenging.
• Encourage clients to maintain proper breathing throughout the class.
• Incorporate exercises that promote overall body balance.
• Use cues that encourage clients to work at their own pace.
• Include exercises that challenge the abdominals.
• End with relaxation to help students leave feeling relaxed and centred.

Tip 96: Transform your Pilates lesson planning from ‘Meh’ to ‘OMG

Okay. I’ve you’ve read this far…it’s time to transform your Pilates lesson planning from ‘meh’ to ‘OMG’ with the online Pilates Lesson Planner – it’s like a Pilates revolution, but without all the tea-tossing and powdered wigs!

I have a quick question for you…

Are you tired of walking into Pilates class feeling unprepared and disorganized?

I know I was.

As a Pilates instructor, it can be challenging to stay on top of your lesson plan while also tracking your student’s progress.

But what if there was a tool that could help you streamline your workflow and take your Pilates teaching to the next level?

That tool is called the online Pilates Lesson Planner.

Next, let’s take a look at how the online Pilates Lesson Planner can help you stay organized with your Pilates lesson plans.

Tip 97: Keep Your Cool & Stay On Track With The Pilates Lesson Planner

Don’t let your Pilates plans turn into a Pilates-palooza!

Keep your cool and stay on track with the online Pilates Lesson Planner – your key to Pilates planning domination!

One of the biggest advantages of using an online Pilates Lesson Planner is that it helps you stay organized. With everything in one place, you’ll no longer have to worry about losing track of your lesson plans or student progress.

Plus, the online Pilates Lesson Planner makes it easy to adjust your lessons on the fly, ensuring that you’re always prepared for class.

When you use the online Pilates Lesson Planner to create your lesson plans, you’ll get three versions: a detailed “Pilates teacher version” with teaching instructions, a concise “student practice sheet” for both you and your students to use in class, and a “stream version” which is a video stream of the lesson plan. To see an example of this, you can download a free Joseph Pilates matwork class plan with all 34 Joseph Pilates exercises.

Next, let’s take a look at how the online Pilates Lesson Planner can help you track progress and achieve better results for your students.

Tip 98: Get Ready to be the Sherlock Holmes of Pilates Lesson Planning

Get ready to be the Sherlock Holmes of Pilates lesson planning with our Student Progress Tracking System – it’s so easy, even Watson could do it! (No deerstalker hat required).

The online Pilates Lesson Planner offers a Student Progress Tracking System that enables you to monitor all the lesson plans you’ve created for your students in one convenient location. Plus, you can easily develop courses (e.g. a sequence of 6 classes) by duplicating lesson plans with just one click. After clicking a button to copy a Pilates lesson plan, you can easily modify it to suit your needs.

In addition to keeping your lesson plans organized, the online Pilates Lesson Planner can also help you track your student’s progress. By recording their achievements and goals, you can tailor your future lessons to their specific needs and help them achieve better results.

You can use this data to set new goals and challenges for your students, ultimately leading to better results and more satisfied one-to-one clients.

Tracking progress also helps you to celebrate your student’s achievements.

Recognizing their accomplishments can inspire them to continue pushing themselves and help increase their motivation to continue with Pilates.

With the ability to track progress right within the online Pilates Lesson Planner, you’ll no longer have to rely on separate spreadsheets or paper records. Everything will be in one convenient location, making it easier to make informed decisions and adjustments for your students.

Now that we’ve looked at how the online Pilates Lesson Planner can help you stay organized and track progress, let’s explore the possibilities of customizing your lessons to fit your student’s unique needs.

Tip 99: Make your Pilates Sessions as Customizable as a Build-your-own Burrito!

Make your Pilates sessions as customizable as a build-your-own burrito!

With the online Pilates Lesson Planner, customization is the name of the game. You can tailor each lesson to your student’s individual needs and preferences, giving them a truly personalized experience.

For example, if you have a student who is struggling with a certain exercise, you can easily adjust the lesson plan to focus on that area of weakness. The online Pilates Lesson Planner has 1000+ Pilates exercises that you can choose from.

Or, if you have a group of students who love a particular type of Pilates, you can incorporate more of those exercises into your lessons.

The online Pilates Lesson Planner has a whopping 83 ways to search for the perfect exercise.

You can search exercises by the following 16 categories: 

1. Arc Exercises
2. Cadillac Exercises
3. Chair Pilates Exercises
4. Dumbbell Exercises
5. Foam Roller Exercises
6. Jump Board Reformer Exercises
7. Magic Circle Exercises
8. Matwork Pilates Exercises
9. Miniball Exercises
10. Reformer Exercises
11. Resistant Band Exercises
12. Springboard Exercises
13. Swiss Ball Exercises
14. TRX Exercises
15. Wobble Cushion Exercises
16. Wunda Chair Exercises

You can search exercises by type: Arm Balance, Back Bend, Balance, Chest Opener, Forward Bend, Hip Opener, Inversion, Prone, Restorative, Seated, Seated & Floor, Side Bend, Standing, Strengthen, Stretch, Supine and Twist.

You can search exercises by anatomy: Arms & Shoulders, Biceps & Triceps, Core, Hamstrings, Hips, Knees, Lower Back, Middle Back, Neck, Psoas, Wrists & Arms, and Upper Back.

You can search exercises by therapy: Anxiety, Arthritis, Asthma, Back Pain, Bronchitis, Cancer, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, Confidence Building, Constipation, Depression, Diabetes, Elderly People, Enlarged Prostate, Eye fatigue, Fatigue, Fever, High Blood Pressure, HIV positive, Headaches, Herniated Spinal Disc, Hypertension, Immune Support, Indigestion, Insomnia, Jet Lag, Leg Congestion, Menopause, Menstrual Disorders, Neck Pain, Obesity, Osteoporosis, Poor Posture, Prostate Disorders, Sexual Debility, Sinusitis, Stress, and Varicose Veins.

You can search exercises by chakra: Base, Sacral Centre, Solar Plexus Centre, Heart Centre, Throat Centre, Third Eye, and Crown Centre.

Not bad, heh.

Not only does customization make your lessons more effective, but it also keeps your students engaged and motivated. When they feel like their needs are being met and their preferences are being taken into account, they’re more likely to keep coming to your Pilates classes for the long haul.

Customization also lets you stay on top of your student’s progress in real-time. As you make adjustments to their lessons, you can see how they’re responding and adjust accordingly.

This means you can maximize results and minimize the risk of injury.

So, now that you know how customization can benefit your students, let’s take a look at how the online Pilates lesson planner can help you streamline your workflow and make your life easier.

Tip 100: Make your Pilates Class Run Smoother than a Freshly Shaved Head!”

Make your Pilates class run smoother than a freshly shaved head!

Managing a Pilates class can be a daunting task, from designing customized lesson plans to tracking your student’s progress. Fortunately, the online Pilates Lesson Planner can help streamline your workflow and make your life much easier.

With this online Pilates Lesson Planner, you can easily create customized lesson plans for each of your students. Once you have created the Pilates lesson plan, you don’t need to worry about losing it as it saves all your plans in one location. You no longer need to keep printed copies of each lesson plan, eliminating the need for paper and saving you money.

Additionally, with the online Pilates Lesson Planner, you can copy any of the 10,000+ Pilates lesson plans created by Pilates teachers, and then easily edit them with a click of a button.

That is not only an amazing time-saver, but you get to learn from experienced Pilates teachers on how they construct their lesson plans.

Thanks to the online Pilates Lesson Planner, you can take your Pilates lesson planning task online, saving you time and effort. With this tool, you can create a more efficient and streamlined workflow, which means you can focus on what you do best – teaching Pilates.

Tip 101: Get the Online Pilates Lesson Planner and start Organizing your Classes like a boss…a Pilates boss!

Get the online Pilates lesson planner and start organizing your workouts like a boss…a Pilates boss!

Start creating your own Pilates lesson plans with the online Pilates Lesson Planner and access 10,000+ pre-filled, editable and downloadable Pilates lesson plans.

Conclusion

Hey, I hope you found my 101 tips on how to plan a Pilates class useful.

As I begged so inelegantly in the first tip, the main tip is never, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever to wing it.

And you can achieve that goal by using the online Pilates Lesson Planner because it is a game-changer for Pilates instructors looking to enhance their teaching experience.

Hmmm, though, admittedly I might be a bit biased as I am the creator of the online Pilates Lesson Planner.

By staying organized, tracking progress, customizing lessons, and streamlining workflows, this tool can revolutionize your classes and take your teaching to new heights.

Say goodbye to manual planning and tracking, and hello to more efficient and effective teaching. Join us today and see the difference for yourself.

And just in case you missed my top tip…

Don’t wing it…plan it!