The Fitness Pilates Blog

Instructing Pilates clients after a long break

People are back from the summer holidays, maybe got out of practice in the pandemic, have struggled with the cost of living crisis… so you may have some pilates clients who have had a long break and are now returning… but can they really expect to return to the same from after what may be months of inactivity.

The same can be true for someone returning after a long break due to injury or illness. Before getting completely up to speed, there are some things to keep in mind to avoid overtraining and injury.

As trainers, it is up to us to monitor our clients, outlining a program that will get them back to moving slowly, ensuring a safe and measured increase in performance level. Here are some things to keep in mind when seeing clients again after a long break:

Know Your Baseline

You may have a good idea of where your client was before a pause in his or her Pilates exercise… it is now necessary to gather your baseline data again as this will now have changed.

Slow and Steady

It’s natural to want to improve your fitness level as quickly as possible, but starting slowly is key. It will take the neuromyofascial system some time to come back online. Start with some basic moves to strengthen the core and periphery, explore range of motion and balance, and don’t forget to focus on breathing.

Too Much of a Good Thing

Many of our clients are excited to be active again and want to go all out right at the beginning. Be aware that doing too much too soon is a recipe for injury. One of the greatest assets in ensuring a safe return to activity, is increasing mindfulness and controlled practice.

Leave it to the Pro

Clients who return to a trainer after a long break are looking for guidance. As a movement professional, it is your job to give them the best program possible, while keeping in mind any limitations.

They may be discouraged by the decrease in their fitness level, or the time it will take to get them back to where they were before the break. Remind them that returning to previous levels of strength and mobility will take considerably less time than it did to achieve them in the first place.

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