Our Mentor Program enables current Fletcher Pilates® Students and Licensed Providers to stay in touch and get advice from our Fletcher Faculty and Facilitators from around the world. Please ask any questions that pertain to your Fletcher Pilates® teaching and study.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Adaptations and Modifications
Each person has special physical needs and may require adaptations and/or modifications to the classic Fletcher Pilates® choreography. Need advice on how to work with your special needs client? Ask your questions here.
Our Comprehensive Program group in San Antonio, TX just completed sesion V during which we studied the High Barrel syllabus, Wunda Chair 21 - 24 and reviewed Spine Corrector. As we worked through each piece, we were constantly reminded how much one needs to take into consideration different body lengths in relation to the equipment. Though this is the case on all apparatus, it seems to be even more so for High Barrel, Spine Corrector and Wunda Chair.
Lots of questions came up when we looked at Climb-a-Tree on the High Barrel. The San Antonio/Houston group welcomes your advise on how you have set up the body in relation to the HB for this piece for different client.
I have a new reformer and i have a tall guy who needs more room for his long legs as we work on leg and foot work . I know that on the older reformer we are able to add wooden blocks to add this extra length for the client's body. My reformer doen't allowed me to use the wooden blocks. i'm looking for another solution even though i know that we have to try our best to fit our body on the equipment.
Has anyone with a new reformer had eperience that case ? how do you manage with tall people ? i'll appreciate your comments and advice. Corinne Martinez
I have worked with taller men before and sometimes you have to look at how to offer the body the experience of the exercise without the equipment - I usually will work at the barre or at the ped-i-pul or even with a clients back against a wall to allow them to feel the length of the spine while bending and extending the legs.
Think about what the piece is calling for and get creative with how to teach the important elements of the piece. I think that sometimes we feel as teachers that we're cheating the student if they don't get to experience all of the equipment work when in truth, it sounds like leg and footwork on your particular reformer may offer more discomfort to this client, rather than offer a tool for developing the awareness of the legs and feet.
My advice would be to get creative with your barrework and if you have a ped-i-pul use that as well. If all else fails and you feel there is a need for this client to feel the work supine, a stability ball placed under the feet may offer a means of experiencing the piece - but remember, we don't want to stray too far outside of the piece itself, otherwise it becomes something different all together.
Lastly, you may find that it is more of a tight hip flexor issue than that of height. After working for a while on the articulation of the leg at the hip joint and the "pencil break" you may find he fits on the machine after all!
Our Comprehensive Program group in San Antonio, TX just completed sesion V during which we studied the High Barrel syllabus, Wunda Chair 21 - 24 and reviewed Spine Corrector. As we worked through each piece, we were constantly reminded how much one needs to take into consideration different body lengths in relation to the equipment. Though this is the case on all apparatus, it seems to be even more so for High Barrel, Spine Corrector and Wunda Chair.
ReplyDeleteLots of questions came up when we looked at Climb-a-Tree on the High Barrel. The San Antonio/Houston group welcomes your advise on how you have set up the body in relation to the HB for this piece for different client.
I have a new reformer and i have a tall guy who needs more room for his long legs as we work on leg and foot work . I know that on the older reformer we are able to add wooden blocks to add this extra length for the client's body. My reformer doen't allowed me to use the wooden blocks. i'm looking for another solution even though i know that we have to try our best to fit our body on the equipment.
ReplyDeleteHas anyone with a new reformer had eperience that case ? how do you manage with tall people ? i'll appreciate your comments and advice.
Corinne Martinez
Hi Corinne,
ReplyDeleteI have worked with taller men before and sometimes you have to look at how to offer the body the experience of the exercise without the equipment - I usually will work at the barre or at the ped-i-pul or even with a clients back against a wall to allow them to feel the length of the spine while bending and extending the legs.
Think about what the piece is calling for and get creative with how to teach the important elements of the piece. I think that sometimes we feel as teachers that we're cheating the student if they don't get to experience all of the equipment work when in truth, it sounds like leg and footwork on your particular reformer may offer more discomfort to this client, rather than offer a tool for developing the awareness of the legs and feet.
My advice would be to get creative with your barrework and if you have a ped-i-pul use that as well. If all else fails and you feel there is a need for this client to feel the work supine, a stability ball placed under the feet may offer a means of experiencing the piece - but remember, we don't want to stray too far outside of the piece itself, otherwise it becomes something different all together.
Lastly, you may find that it is more of a tight hip flexor issue than that of height. After working for a while on the articulation of the leg at the hip joint and the "pencil break" you may find he fits on the machine after all!
Good luck and keep posting!