Reforming Foundations School of Pilates

This online learning module is to be completed prior to the start of Intro to Pilates and Movement Foundations.

What you will learn: Key anatomical terms and concepts related to human movement. This course includes your own personal access to the Visible Body anatomy app during your course enrollment.

This course focuses on key concepts for success in teaching Pilates exercises, with a wide variety of goals, interests, and physical abilities. You will learn Reforming Foundations movement foundations, including preparing to move, stable foundations, and controlled spinal mobility. These precise exercises emphasize quality of movement in each body region and serve as building blocks to the most challenging of Pilates exercises. These foundational exercises assist with proper movement in day-to-day life and recreational activities.

Learn to help people find controlled spinal mobility and improved muscle flexibility in this course. It emphasizes injury prevention and protection of the spinal joints and associated nerves. You will also learn essential building blocks such as the Reforming Foundations Method for designing classes, the art of cueing, how to use physical touch to correct movement dysfunction, and how to build community in your classes. This results in Pilates classes and sessions that are safe, successful, and fun.

At Reforming Foundations, we believe core strength and stability is the foundation to every exercise. You will learn the classical mat Pilates repertoire and standing/bodyweight exercises necessary for strength training, bone density, and mobility. Learn Pilates exercises on the Spine Corrector®, the West Coast Arc® and the Pilates Arc®. All three of these Pilates barrels have different degrees of the arc. You will see how these barrels help provide feedback to the spine to improve mobility while developing strength. In addition, we incorporate various Pilates props (Ultra-Fit Circle®, bands, free weights, foam rollers, balls, etc.) to both assist and challenge the exercises.

Our training continues by learning how to program small group classes. You will learn the classical Pilates order and our why and how Reforming Foundations is revolutionizing Pilates for the 21st century. We designed a very specific framework to help take all the confusion out of class programming. In this Pilates course, you will learn how to program your classes to teach Pilates at all levels, from a first-time student to an elite athlete.

In this module you will learn classical trapeze exercises, along with therapeutic strength and balance exercises. This modern piece of exercise equipment is a long raised table with various springs. It is like a Pilates playground, designed to rig up every sort of spring configuration to assist a movement or to challenge balance and stability. The original design was invented from rigging up springs to a hospital bed to help assist movement. You will also learn how to adapt the trapeze table exercises to the Springboard® for group class programming. This springboard was designed by Ellie Herman. It is attached to the wall to save space and allow for Trapeze exercise training in groups.

You will also learn the Ladder Barrel. It is a wonderful apparatus for strength and mobility. It is also designed to provide feedback for improved spinal mobility. It’s a standalone piece of equipment with a large barrel and has a system of ladder rungs to provide stability and support. In this module, you will learn Ladder Barrel exercises along with therapeutic mobility stretches. You will also learn how to make use of the ladder barrel in individual session programming.

Individual session programming and instructional strategies to promote movement success for an individual client. We’ve covered class programming, flow, and what should be included in every Pilates session - those items all apply to individual sessions, but today we begin to talk about focusing 1:1 sessions to the needs of an individual client and using tactile/verbal cues (in a 1:1 or small group setting) to promote success for an individual client.

You will learn foundational and neutral spine exercises on the reformer, taught the Reforming Foundations way. This includes the classical Pilates repertoire with the addition of Reforming Foundations movement foundations applied in order to execute precise movement patterns during every exercise. Exercises are broken up into five sections: abdominals, lower body, upper body, full body, and mobility. Learning these exercises teaches you to start thinking about effective programming for your client sessions. This is the Reforming Foundations method of movement. You will learn how to use reformers designed by Balanced Body, including the Clinical Reformer® which is designed for both rehabilitation and an athletic challenge.

In the second weekend of reformer training you will learn to program classes using multiple pieces of Pilates equipment. You will learn to use the cardio jumpboard, a fun apparatus added to the reformer for an athletic challenge in plyometrics. This is good for cardio, strength, and endurance training. We will also cover reformer progressions and advanced movement skills.

You will learn Pilates Chair exercise on the EXO Chair®, which is more commonly used in the class environment, and the split pedal Combo Chair® with handles. The chair exercises provide an athletic challenge, support longevity and balance in our aging population, and support a Pilates program for prenatal moms-to-be. We will teach you to program classes with chair equipment and mat exercises.

At this point in the curriculum you are now ready to to learn how to use biomechanical keys listed in every exercise to unlock the greatest human movement potential.  You will learn to design programs that build strength, produce endurance, improve mobility, and challenge balance. This will empower you to deliver an amazing experience every session or class you teach!​

This weekend is dedicated to your certification process to ensure you are prepared to excel! You have worked so hard and made it to this important milestone! You will review, practice, and take your final written and practical exams. Congratulations, we can’t wait to watch you blossom in your new career!