Pilates Technique Thursday: Correct Less by Preparing More
- Michael King
- May 21
- 2 min read
Teaching a group class is not only about giving good cues. It is about deciding when the cue should happen. Recently I observed a teacher working with a small group. The individual corrections being given were actually very good. The information was clear and appropriate, but the same correction was repeated to each person one by one around the room. This raised an interesting question.
If everybody required the same correction, was the correction needed because of the movement itself, or because more information was needed before the movement began?
Whilst teaching group Pilates classes we often find ourselves correcting what could perhaps have been prepared. For example, if several people lift their shoulders during arm work, perhaps the setup could have included: "As you prepare, allow the shoulders to settle away from the ears. Keep the chest open and maintain width across the collarbones as the arms move."
If clients lose pelvic alignment during footwork: "Before we start, find where your pelvis feels balanced and stable and keep that relationship as the carriage moves."
Rather than waiting for the problem to appear and then correcting it six times, the teacher can often guide the body before the movement starts.
This does not mean every issue can be predicted. Clients will still compensate, move differently and surprise us. Humans are remarkably inventive at finding ways around muscular work. Give them one movement and some will create three extra ones without permission.
But effective group teaching often involves thinking one step ahead.
Can I see what is likely to happen?
Can I prepare them before it happens?
Can I create clarity before movement begins?
The goal is not to eliminate correction completely. The goal is to reduce unnecessary correction through better preparation and more efficient cueing.
Sometimes the best correction is the one you never have to give.
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