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2022 Power Within Virtual Pilates Conference Recap

By Insights Team

The 2022 Power Pilates Power Within Virtual Pilates Conference was held on May 19-22, 2022 on Pilates Live. The event featured workshops presented by anatomical and movement specialists.

The workshops were designed to enhance the teaching expertise of instructors of all levels; and to help clients and Pilates lovers deepen their understanding of the moving body and Classical Pilates. The conference featured all new workshops from Amie Cunha, Anne Marie Schultz, Anmarie Touloumis, Alexis Dugdale, Kira Lamb, Julie Cordier, Cheryl Turnquist, Avigail Fitoussi, Carrie Campbell, Pedro Grey, Dr. Sarah McKay, Jenny Powell, Bethanie Buckingham, Meaghan Maxwell, Sara Vincent, Jordana Herman, and Katherine and Kimberley Corp.

If you'd like more information about any of the workshops that were presented, or would like to have a workshop event at your studio, contact us for more information. For all those in attendance, if you have any questions about earned credits and certificates please let us know.

Check out the workshops that were presented and their descriptions here:

Pelvic Floor Dysfunction & Pilates Solutions w/ Cheryl Turnquist
Pelvic floor dysfunction is one of the most common and least talked about issues affecting women. Pregnancy, childbirth, and aging all take a toll on the pelvic floor that can lead to discomfort, pain, and incontinence. In this workshop, we'll discuss common issues and how Pilates can help support clients experiencing pelvic floor disfunction.

Special Cases: Scoliosis w/ Anmarie Touloumis
Learn how to create a safe, effective program for clients with scoliosis. Understand the variations of scoliosis and their health risk to the client. Design a program that allows for a balance between stability and mobility of the spine while helping your client gain strength and functionality. We'll discuss how best to use breath and cuing to support a client with scoliosis on the mat and apparatus.

Spotlight on Breathing w/ Avigail Fitoussi
All movement flows from the breath. In this workshop, we'll learn how to center the Pilates practice on the breath to improve strength and flexibility. You know that exhaling facilitates core support and intensifies movement. Now learn how to utilize breath control to deepen your client's connection to his/her powerhouse, enhance flow, and bring energy and awareness to specific areas of the body. We'll review briefly the biology of breathing - what happens to your body when you inhale and why is it so important? Bring a mindfulness to your classes through guided breathing that will keep clients coming back.

Mat Workout Design for Lower Back Issues w/ Meaghan Maxwell
Lower back issues are very common in today's world where many people spend 40+ hours seated at a desk. In this workshop, we'll learn how to design a safe and effective mat workout to accommodate lower back issues. We'll discuss what issues to modifiy and avoid and incorporate props to expand our options for clients.

Osteoporosis and the Hip Joint w/ Katherine and Kimberley Corp
Osteoporosis affects more than 200 million women worldwide. This workshop highlights classical Pilates exercises on the Mat and all equipment that are inherently sound in training clients with low bone mass or osteoporosis, focusing specifically on the hip joint. This workshop will cover variations and modifications of the classical repertoire as well as a more "contemporary" approach that incorporates physical therapy and modern exercise science. Attendees will leave the workshop with both in-studio exercises to help their clients as well as at-home exercises that they can give as "homework" to augment and enhance their in-studio work. This workshop will give you the competence and confidence to work with any client along the osteoporotic spectrum.

All Bodies Welcome: Inclusive Teaching for Gender Identity w/ Sara Vincent
Make your studio welcoming for all gender identities, including trans and non-binary individuals. We'll discuss how to create a safe environment that supports the unique needs for trans and non-binary clients, both during sessions and in your studio culture. What are pronouns and why do they matter? How does hormone therapy affect your client's needs during sessions? How can you make facilities (dressing rooms, bathrooms, etc) welcoming for everyone? What is your staff policy for creating a safe environment for transgender and non-binary clients?

Postpartum Pilates w/ Carrie Campbell
Pilates is one of the best things you can do postpartum to get back your pre-pregnancy body, but this population of clients have very different needs than other clients. In addition to all of the changes that happen to a woman's body during pregnancy, taking care of a newborn and breastfeeding are extremely physically demanding. In this workshop, we will explore common conditions associated with postnatal moms, look at what it takes to recover from 9 months of pregnancy and learn how to restore the core safely. Many postpartum women have Diastasis Recti (an abdominal split) and no matter how many Teasers they do or how much baby weight they loose, they will still have a belly bulge or "mummy tummy". In fact, many traditional core and Pilates exercises can make this condition worse! It is important to know if your client has Diastasis Recti and if so, how to train them properly. We will learn how to check for Diastasis Recti, what core exercises can help heal the separation and which exercises are contraindicated. Another topic in this workshop is the pelvic floor, after all it is the ground floor of the core. Many women have pelvic floor dysfunction postpartum but feel too embarrassed to talk about it. You will learn to teach Kegels properly and incorporate them as part of a postnatal Pilates routine. Finally, we will decipher what is within the Pilates vocabulary to help improve postnatal posture, learn proper lifting techniques and relieve some of the compression that new moms experience while taking care of their baby.

Expanding Beginner Mat w/ Anne Marie Schultz
Go beyond a review of Beginner Mat with this workshop designed to expand your teaching repertoire for beginner level mat clients. First, we'll discuss modifications to onboard beginner clients and accommodate bodily limitations. Then, we'll dive into variations, including a few intermediate exercises, as well as how to challenge your clients while still working at the beginner level by drawing their focus to one area of the practice.

2022 Strategies for Teaching Online Classes w/ Amie Cunha
Love it or hate it, remote teaching is here to stay. Let's discuss how to plan fun, safe, and effective workouts over videoconferencing platforms. We'll discuss hybrid classes, prop substitutions, and tips to make you appear and sound your best on camera.

Special Cases: Countering and Strengthening Hyperextension w/ Alexis Dugdale
Hyperextension (when a joint moves past its normal range of motion) is a "special case" that you will come across as a teacher. Hyperextension is common amongst athletes and requires special considerations when designing your client's session. We'll discuss the most common joints for hyperextension and which exercises to choose and avoid.

Classical Exercises Uncovered w/ Bethanie Buckingham
Let's talk about "how Joe did it." We'll review the how and why of how contrology developed. This workshop will focus on the little-known historical exercises that we rarely see today, as well as differences in the historical and modern classical studio.

Pilates for Stress Relief w/ Julie Hegge Cordier
The physical results of Pilates speak for themselves, but did you know that Pilates can also improve your mental health? In this workshop, we will delve into the mental benefits of Pilates and how to bring mindfulness into the Pilates practice. We'll discuss the importance of breath and how to bring focus to the breath throughout a session.

Challenging & Keeping the First Time Client w/ Jenny Powell
You got a new client in the door - now what? Learn how to design a session that allows you to assess your client's needs while providing a workout that has them wanting to come back. We'll also discuss the business side of things - introductory offers, sales tips, and follow up to build a relationship with your new clients.

When the Body Changes the Mind Follows w/ Dr. Sarah McKay
Hormonal changes bring about many physical and emotional transformations. Join neuroscientist Dr. Sarah McKay in a lecture and discussion about the way hormonal changes affect our physical bodies as well as our emotions. From puberty to menopause, this workshop dives into the details of the neuroscience of these hormonal transitions and practical applications of dealing with the resulting physical changes in our Pilates practices.

Put a Ring On It! w/ Kira Lamb
Wanna upgrade your relationship with your Pilates Mat practice and help your clients do the same? Put a ring on it! We'll first use the Magic Circle to explore Pilates Fundamentals and establish meaningful connections to our deep stabilizers. The fundamentals teach us that "quality time" is the love language of the Magic Circle. And through them, we discover where to invest our energy in this relationship and how much. We'll next infuse those fundamentals into each Intermediate Pilates Mat exercise and finish with seated and standing Magic Circle exercises. This relationship doesn't have to feel like torture anymore; but the "magic" that leads to greater strength, stability, stamina, and control!