Client Dependence vs Client Indepedence
As a Pilates Instructor, our jobs are fun, interactive, vary day to day and even hour to hour. However, there are times that our jobs can be frustrating. I know I have had my fair share of frustrations. However, the one frustration I experienced the most was having to repeat myself week after week to clients about exercises, corrections, and cues. Anyone else with me?
When I was a newer Pilates Instructor, I used the curriculum and cues that I was taught in my training program. Some of these cues were more generic than others, however I could see my clients improving. Or so I thought.
When I took a step back and noticed that my clients were getting to a fairly advanced level doing the Intermediate/Advanced reformer it dawned on me that they would not be able to do any exercise without my cueing or prompting. They were 100% dependent on me. How could this have happened?
Well, I will tell you how.
In many of our programs, we are taught either a script, specific cues to use, phrases, and words like “scoop”, “C-curve” to help us teach people the exercises and the movements. Well, what I soon realized after many hours over a computer reading and studying research study after research study is that this form of teaching is going to promote a dependent relationship between the client and the Pilates instructor.
Now, this may seem like a good thing right? We want our clients to come back to us and see us week after week year after year. However, this dependence is stifling to the growth of a client.
When clients are dependent on us a few things occur.
The client will not be able to advance as quickly
How can we expect a client to advance when they have to be told EVERY time how to set up for footwork? How to initiate the movement, as well as how to correct their form? The answer is we can’t. If a client is dependent on you they are not learning the movement for themselves and are not experiencing the “feeling” of the exercise. It is going to be very hard to connect exercises to one another if the client never “feels” what is right on their own.
The client will not be able to easily bring their Pilates outside of the studio
We can’t be miniaturized and put in our clients pockets to tell them how their movement form should be outside of the studio. If they are unable to retrieve the correct form or muscle activation on their own in the studio with you watching there is no way they will do this in their everyday life. This is think is HUGE because this is one of the MAIN reasons people come to Pilates. To change their bodies. They want these changes to facilitate other aspects of their life outside the studio.
The client’s body will not change...
Now I might get some backlash on this one. Yes, any exercise someone does can change someone’s physique and there are health benefits of course to moving even if you are following instructions. What I mean by body change is that all of the imbalances in their body and postural dysfunctions will not improve if the clients is dependent on you. There are many mechanisms in the brain that occurs to create neural change. However, the client has to be an active participant in this and become independent to see these benefits and create neural change. This neural change is what is going to impact the imbalances in your client’s body not just the exercises themselves.
Client independence is key for success. This is what Joseph Pilates intended in the first place, so why has our industry changed so much and we innodate people with feedback?
As a teacher it is hard to just change the way you teach tomorrow. It is a process to learn HOW to help your clients go from being dependent to independent. This is what I specialize in and can help you with!
The Kinexology Method Course, What You Say Matters uses Motor Learning Research topics to support the system I have created for giving feedback (cues) to clients that will promote learning and lasting change in your clients’ performance of the exercises. The exercises that you teach your clients will not change just the way you approach communicating the exercise to the client. This is a proven method and will turn your clients from being dependent to independent.
That doesn’t mean that your clients won’t want to come in for sessions anymore because they “know it all”. It is actually the opposite. My clients come in more frequently because they understand the work better and see it being even more valuable to them!
Are your clients dependent on you? Do you want to create a change and promote growth and independence for your clients?
If you answered yes to any of these questions you need to check out the Kinexology Method Course: What you Say Matters. This course is the solution to your problem that is rooted in science and is being used by other Pilates teachers in the industry today. Click HERE for more INFO!
If you have any questions, feel free to shoot me a message at chelsea@kinexology.com