Reformation Pilates Teacher Training
 

Teaching Pilates is a rewarding career, and who better to learn from than Katy Roelle, a teacher with 20 years experience. RSVP by calling 770-401-0203. In order to reserve your place for Mat Level I & II, send $100 deposit to Reformation Pilates at 3980 Shallowford Rd., Marietta, GA 30062. Registration deadline is  May 11, 2007.For more information, contact us today and take the first step towards becoming a certified Pilates professional.

 
 
Reformation Pilates Teacher Profile: Debbie Flanagan
 
 

By Shannon Brickey
Trained as a physical therapist, Debbie Flanagan has been teaching Pilates since 2001.
“I needed to take continuing education courses for physical therapy,” said Debbie. “Therapists have to maintain a certain amount of CEU's to keep their license active. Many therapeutic exercises are related to Pilates techniques.  I wasn't actively searching out a new extension to my career.”

 
Debbie demos Roll up
 

Pilates has allowed Debbie to combine previous knowledge of body mechanics and post-rehabilitation skills. “I believe my background provides a great foundation to safely and effectively teach Pilates,” said Debbie. 

When asked about the connection between Pilates and physical therapy, Debbie responded, “The most rewarding part of practicing physical therapy was reducing or eliminating someone's pain and restoring their ability to walk and move. Pilates, is based on much of the same understanding of the body’s mechanics, with the flexibility to adapt movements based on a client’s present physical state.

Debbie went through Katy Roelle's teacher training seminars. “Even as a teacher, I continue to learn from Katy. I don't believe completion of a seminar is the end of learning about Pilates,” said Debbie.

An avid runner, Debbie enjoys training for short and long distance races. “I fundraised and trained with Team in Training and completed the Marine Corp Marathon in DC,” said Debbie. “I also ran in the Disney World and ING Atlanta half-marathons. If cleaning is an exercise, than that's another form I do.” 

Debbie is married with two daughters, ages 10 and 5. Debbie is a PTA vice-president and room-mom at Chalker Elementary School. She has taught religious education at Transfiguration Catholic church for the past 4 years. 

 
     
 
Exercise of the month: Roll up
  By Katy Roelle
Roll up: Precise articulation of the spine and origination from the scoop/core are essential in this exercise. The roll up is a compound stretch of the back muscles and hamstrings.
 
 
Internal Obliques  
External Obliques  
Iliopsoas
Rectus Abdominus
Transversus Abdominus
     
  1.

Start lying on your back with arms stretched over your head and legs straight.

  2.
Inhale through your nose to prepare.
  3.

Exhale as you bring chin to chest, arms straight above your chest. Begin to roll up making sure to scoop abs in.  (If you are unable to roll up in a smooth, single motion, bend your knees and use your hands behind your knees for assistance).

  4.

Inhale as you continue to lengthen your spine up over your thighs, top of head and arms towards toes while flexing your feet (keep arms in line with your ears).

  5.

Return by pulling ab muscles in (navel to spine) and rolling back one vertebra at a time with pointed feet (eccentrically contracting your abs and rolling away from thighs).

 
  6.
End in a lengthened position from finger tips to toes. 
 
Pilates Principal : Precision
By Katy Roelle
To fully understand the relationship of Pilates and precision, the process of learning and practicing Pilates needs to be addressed. Pilates is taught by a combination of example, verbal cues, and tactile cues. It may take weeks or months to link an exercise from the mind into a correct experience in the body.

Each Pilates exercise has a specific form, order of muscle recruitment and release, breath pattern, rhythm, and flow. A well-trained Pilates instructor can guide you towards what an idealized version of an exercise should feel like in your body – the breathe pattern, the stabilizers, the prime-movers, secondary movers, and line of energy flow through the body. Retraining movement, especially in athletes, requires practice and focus to release the stronger, external muscles in order to train and strengthen the muscles that connect movement to the core.

Knowledge of your body’s strengths, weaknesses, and honesty with yourself should direct the level at which you work. Modifications may be necessary in general or on a particular day. The competitive spirit can be a great challenger, but keep in mind when to push, and when to back off.

One of the many benefits of regular Pilates training is observation from a Reformation Pilates-trained teacher. Precision needs to be taught slowly and mindfully so the body can adapt to the new neuromuscular patterns. Attention and feedback from an instructor will help you focus on the details of each movement.

The principal of precision is a clear image in the mind of focus in the body. The mind and the body have to work in tandem to achieve precision in Pilates. Please ask your precision trained Reformation Pilates instructors if you need more help implementing this Pilates principal.

 
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