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If you're a small business owner like me, you are probably glad that 2009 is almost over.  Like most small businesses, many Pilates studios have seen a decrease in revenue and have had to be creative when it comes to advertising and marketing. Thankfully, the internet has a multitude of resources to help you promote your business, and many of them are free!  Here are a few ways that my studio has gained more clients without spending a dime:
 

Google Local Business Center - This is a complimentary service by the forward-thinking folks at Google that includes a business listing...

Pilates is one of the best ways to get your body ready for pregnancy, to keep it fit during pregnancy and to get it back afterward. In fact, we believe it is the BEST choice for women simply because of the focus on strengthening the core musculature. Like any exercise regimen, it is recommended to begin Pilates before pregnancy. This allows you to develop a relationship with an instructor who knows your body and can make informed adjustments to your sessions as your pregnancy progresses, and it also begins to strengthen the stomach, back and pelvic floor muscles that are crucial to supporting your expanding...

Not only does Pilates give you a rockin' core and lean muscles, it's also a great activity for people with injuries and the focus on the abdominals really helped improve my core awareness in yoga.
However, it took me awhile to warm up to...

The newest generation of Pilates execise equipment, MultiToner has been developed as the perfect tool to give you the most effective Pilates workout available today. Technically superior to anything else on the market, and functionally simple, the Multitoner is the result of years of input from fitness guru Daniel Loigerot. MultiToner is truly unique.
Two different resistance levels are built-in to the...

http://www.pilatesmultitoner.com
MULTITONER® will shape, tone, and add beautiful definition to your body in just minutes a day.
Two different resistance levels are built-in to the product, indicated by colored pads. A...

By Christine Romani-Ruby, MPT, ATC - from IDEA Magazine - May, 2009
 
"It is the spirit that builds the body."  This quote from the 18th century German poet Friedrich Schiller was displayed - in its original language - in Joseph Pilates' New York studio for more than 50 years.  Many first generation teachers who trained with Joe Pilates refer to his studio as a school.  They say, "You were there to study movement:  to perfect your movement."  In his classroom, Joe was the professor and the subject was the road to happiness (his word for wellness).  He taught that mind, body and spirit were one, that all three were needed for happiness - and that when they united and worked together, the result could be euphoria.   A Pilates Mat workout is practice for life movement.  Yes, it builds strength and flexibility, but what makes it Pilates is how these movements connect with the mind and spirit.  As a teacher of the method, your job is both a science and an art.  You want to plan your class scientifically, with a warm-up, a workout and a cool-down, but you also want to develop the art of engaging your students.  If you can teach them to focus, to do more than just go through the motions, they will leave with a newfound connection.  It might be as small as a new deep breath or a slight shift in posture, but that in itself will be profound.
For the most part, this article addresses the science of instructing a Mat class - the four steps to follow when teaching an exercise and the factors to consider when sequencing moves.  It also hints at ways to help students make the mind-body-spirit connection.  For new teachers, integrating this element is the most difficult task.  It comes only with practice, persistence and mentorship.  Like Joe, aim to engage your students as though you were in a classroom.  For you - and for them - practice will make perfect, and as Joe said, perfect practice will make happiness.
Teaching a Pilates Move:  The Four Steps
When teaching any Pilates Mat move, it is logical to follow these four simple steps:

Lay the foundation.
Find the center.
Hold still and move.
Flow.

Lay the Foundation.  Think of this as building the basement.  Begin with alignment.  I recommend employing verbal visual cues that stimulate the mind, rather than using your body.  You want your clients to take in the information and process it - not just to mimic you.  Be specific, be precise and expect perfect practice.  Proceed quickly into the movement so that your students' minds don't wander.  Keep talking to hold their attention.  Avoid counting; instead keep the pace with your voice and your cues.
Find the Center.  Using the breath, bring attention to the powerhouse (the rectangular area of the torso).  Discuss its position and the engagement of the abdominal area as well as the expansion of the rib cage with the breath.  It is essential to involve the powerhouse in each exercise.
Hold Still and Move.  Think of a few familiar Pilates Mat exercises.  In each of them, certain segments of the body move, while others hold still.  At times the parts even alternate in their movement.  This is the most important concept to focus on in a class of...

 
At the 2008 Beijing Olympics there was a 41 year old competitor in swimming named Dara Torres.  She was the oldest Olympic swimming medalist in history, winning a total of 3 silver medals.  She said what enabled her to train without injury (which is why most older competitors drop out) was massage and Resistive Stretching.  Resistive Stretching is a method of stretching in which the muscle is contracted while it stretches.   This creates length for more flexibility while supporting the alignment of the joints....

Spring is coming and exercising outside becomes more pleasant.  As you head into training for your spring and summer activities, a part of the body we often forget about is the ankle.  We forget until we injure them, that is.  An ankle injury can really put a crimp in your training schedule.  Common foot and ankle injuries include strain, an injury to the tendon that connects the muscle to the bone, sprain, an injury to the ligament which holds two bones together, tendonitis, which is inflammation of the tendon that connects the muscle to the bone and stress fractures which are tiny cracks in the bone due to repeated stress to the weight bearing bones.  The soft tissue injuries like strain, sprain and...

Many of us will take to the mountains for a once a year skiing trip this winter.  And many will return with injuries from falling or from repetitive stress.  If you already do pilates, you have the advantage of a strong core to help counteract the stresses of skiing.  Most people are very sore in the legs and hips after skiing because of overuse and this can be due in part to a lack of core strength, which facilitates the overuse of legs and hips.  This is not to say that you won't use your legs and hips, but if the core isn't working enough, they have to work harder to stabilize you.   Another injury prevention tool is to warm up before skiing, like you would in any sport as well...

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month and a good time to remind ourselves and those women we love to get early diagnosis testing.  It's amazing to say the words, "for those recovering from breast cancer" and for many women this is the case because of the research that has been done due to the fundraising and building of awareness of Breast Cancer Awareness month.  If you know a woman who is recovering, pilates can be a great part of the rehabilitation plan and pilates actually has some history with breast cancer rehabilitation.  In the 1950's Eve Gentry, one of Joseph Pilates' protégés, had a mastectomy for breast cancer and Joseph helped her rehabilitate with his method.  She went on to create her...