Although the new client on the other end of the phone may not say this out loud, we can often times hear this question enter their mind after explaining we highly recommend starting with an introductory, one-on-one private session.
This isn’t a sales pitch or upsell, in fact, it can sometimes be a financial deterrent and stop some people from even entering our studios doors…so why do we do it? Over a decade of experience teaching the philosophies of Joseph Pilates has taught us that brand new Pilates students who jump into a class setting often don’t stick with it!
The reasons vary. For some, it is a lack of a decent connection between their brain and their bodies…something Mr. Pilates called the Mind-Body connection. These clients feel uncoordinated, get lost, or even embarrassed causing them to “throw in the towel” and quit before they even grasp what Pilates can do for their lives.
Other clients don’t feel much at all…in fact they feel it wasn’t difficult and a waste of time. Usually, this is a result of having dominant global muscles and an inability to control their positioning which means they are, basically, not doing it right. Ask anyone who has been coming to Reformer Pilates classes for a while and they will tell you, the more they understand and actually feel how they are being asked to move, the harder the exercise becomes!
The primary reason we start new students in private sessions is to assess the current level of physical health, which includes weaknesses caused by inflexibility, muscle imbalances, poor muscle recruitment, poor movement patterns and other potential issues. This is to avoid potential injury. There is nothing worse than having a new client jump into class and have them leave in pain. Often times, we identify what should be reduced or avoided to allow the body time to improve, without being overloaded. It’s extremely sad when this happens, as this is the exact person who needs Pilates in their life more than anyone else. Pilates is the best way for them to rehabilitate and correct years of dysfunction!
The hundreds of amazing transformations we have watched over the years has taught us that a strong foundation is crucial for most people. Some people require private instruction for months before classes are suitable, most are genuinely grateful they took the opportunity to work one on one with an instructor to learn about the philosophy of Pilates, become familiarised with the Reformer equipment and to gain an awareness of their particular challenges. They feel less intimidated, more confident and perform better when joining the class setting.
If you truly want to experience Pilates and what it can do for you, then you need to do it right.
We offer a new-student, introductory discounted private session for $65. What else would be a better investment than your overall health and vitality?
