Mastering your Pilates cues

Scoop out your abdominals!  Make that 'C' curve with your spine!  Feel like you're tightening up a belt!  Imagine a fire under your belly and you have to pull your abs away from it!

Do you ever struggle to find a cue that resonates with your client?  I think we have all discovered that a cue that makes perfect sense to one client means nothing to another, or even seems confusing or ridiculous!  Imagery is extremely effective for many people in finding the right connection in their body, but how do we find the right cue for the right person?  I actually had one student in a course ask if there were any books completely made up of cues for different exercises in Pilates.  I did some research on the internet and found some great articles and even an online group where we can share our favorite cues with each other to try out on our clients or in group classes.

I also suggest making note of what cues work really well with your private clients.  I always try to keep a record when a client says something like, "Wow, that really helped when you said that", or if they suggest something on their own that they like to think about during a particular exercise.  If you're teaching a group class, think about writing down specific cues that you'd like to try out with certain exercises.  Consider asking your group class clients if that/those cue(s) helped them or made sense to them.

Many clients don't like to hear all the technical jargon involved in the exercises, which is why having a cache of cues is so helpful and important.  Then, practice using them!  Try these articles for more ideas about how to cue and why it is so important.  If you have any cues that you have found particularly effective, be sure to leave them for us in the comments.

http://www.pilatesdigest.com/the-art-of-cueing-oh-those-words/

http://pilates.about.com/b/2011/02/25/cues-and-images-that-lift-our-pilates-practice.htm

http://www.ideafit.com/fitness-library/successful-cuing-for-pilates

http://www.pilates-pro.com/pilates-pro/2008/5/15/the-art-of-pilates-cueing.html