Pilates Thoughtful Tuesday: How Much is Too Much Help?

Pilates teacher offers support, allowing the client space to explore and refine their movement.

As Pilates teachers, our natural instinct is to help. We want our clients to feel successful, safe, and seen. But how much help is too much?

There’s a delicate balance between guiding a client and over-directing them. When we offer too much help, too many cues, too many corrections, or too much demonstration, we can unintentionally rob them of the very thing we’re trying to build: self-awareness.

We often say Pilates is about mindful movement. But mindful doesn’t mean doing it perfectly with constant instruction. It means being present enough to notice, to sense when the pelvis has shifted, when the shoulders are creeping up, when the breath has gone shallow. And for that awareness to develop, we sometimes need to step back and allow the client to explore.

Of course, we need to cue. We need to correct. But not every movement needs to be micro-managed. A good teacher knows when to speak and when to observe. When to offer a verbal cue, and when to let the silence speak. Sometimes the most powerful learning moment happens when a client gets it wrong, realises it, and self-corrects.

We can also reflect on the type of help we’re giving. Is it support, or is it control? Helping a client find their spine in neutral with a prop or imagery is supportive. But constantly stepping in, moving their body for them, or feeding them every answer can feel more like control, especially if it becomes habitual.

And what about touch? Hands-on correction can be transformative when used thoughtfully. But again, if it becomes too frequent, the client may not learn to trust their own proprioception. That subtle difference between guiding with your hand and doing the work for them is something we can all reflect on.

This week, I invite you to observe your teaching. Do you tend to over-help? Are you filling every second with cues? Could you trust your client to find their own path just a little more?Because ultimately, the goal is independence, not dependency.

Let’s keep helping, yes but let’s also help wisely.