Pilates Technique Thursday: Cue overload. When too many words switch clients off.

Teacher speaking calmly while clients listen, demonstrating how fewer cues support clearer movement.

Teaching often fails through generosity. Too much information. Too many corrections. Too many clever thoughts spoken out loud. You think you help. You drown the client instead.

Your Pilates client lies on the mat. You speak about ribs, pelvis, breath, shoulders, jaw, neck, feet, intention, imagery, history, and three principles before the movement even starts. Their body freezes. Their face tells you everything. Processing stops. Movement quality drops.

The nervous system prioritises survival, not education. When input overload hits, the brain chooses one of two paths. Tune out. Or tense up. Neither helps technique.

Good cueing follows a hierarchy.

1. First, give direction.Where to move. How far. What stays still.

2. Second, give purpose.Why this matters for their body.

3. Third, add refinement.One detail. Not five.

One cue often changes everything. Five cues usually change nothing.

Listen to your own voice. Count your words. If you speak nonstop, the client stops learning.

Silence is not lazy teaching. Silence allows integration.

Watch experienced teachers. They pause. They observe. They wait for the body to respond before adding more.

Better cues share common traits.

They are short.They target one outcome.They relate to what the client feels, not what you know.They stop once the movement improves.

If the movement does not improve, adding more words rarely fixes it. Change the task.

Adjust the setup. Reduce the range. Alter the load.

Technique improves through clarity, not commentary.

Say less. See more.Your clients will move better. And they will thank you without saying a word.