Mix up your ab routine for your clients
We often get stuck in ruts. Our clients know us so well they can almost cue themselves through their sessions! As instructors we tend to have block of exercises that we know work great, keep our clients safe, and are relatively easy to teach. They are our “go-to” sets and we maybe overuse them a bit. Here’s some thoughts to spark some creativity.
Ditch Order. Yes, most of us have been taught to teach exercises in a certain order. But if we’ve had clients that have been with us for months, or even years, shake things up a little bit. Maybe teach the order backwards, or just toss the repertoire into a hat and pull out different moves to wake up your clients a bit. They’ll be more engaged and have more fun and so will you!
Add a prop. Do the usual routine but mix it up by adding a prop. Hundreds on the roller is very challenging! Adding a dyna-disk to a half rollback series will get your clients shaking like a leaf, try the Pilates Five with the Magic Circle as a prop for added intensity. Your clients will be huffing and puffing and loving what you’re doing for them!
Add Standing Exercises. Recent studies suggest that abdominals contract more strongly from a standing position. Take your clients to the Cadillac or Tower and have them do some standing work. You can do oblique twists, variations of the elephant, work with the roll down bar. Lots of options to keep your clients interested and engaged.
Ask Your Clients. Ask your clients if there is any ab work they’d like to do. Maybe they like the Hundreds more on the Reformer than the mat. Maybe they remembered a cool series you did recently that you forgot about. They can tell you when they’re ready to be more challenged and can help you keep things fresh.
Share your tips to keep things fresh and interesting with your clients here. We hope this gives you some ideas to play with on your clients! Let us know how it goes.
Cheers,
Lisa