IHRSA - Aug 2006 CBI

The Next Big Thing is Still Pilates

One of the trendiest exercise disciplines gets even more interesting

There's no question that business is booming for Pilates. Since 2001, participation has virtually exploded, rising by more than 500%, according to the Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association (SGMA). And, last year, 16% of all IHRSA facilities reported that they were now offering Pilates programming.

Not surprisingly, the phenomenal growth has spawned numerous variations, including fusion regimens incorporating other exercise approaches, as well as modifications and adaptations designed to attract both specific and broader audiences. Cardiolates, Pilates Circuit Training, Plus Size Pilates, Poolates, and Yogilates are just a few of the proliferating innovations that promise to make a good thing even better . . . and bigger.

Cardiolates:
Heart-Pumping Pilates

Twin sisters Katherine and Kimberly Corp, the owners of Pilates on Fifth in New York City, were in search of an enjoyable cardiovascular routine that wouldn't derail their Pilates work. Because many cardio activities involve hip flexion, they can be counterproductive to the alignment that Pilates produces, they explain. 'When you step off a traditional cardio machine, you're not aligned,' notes Katherine.

For the Corp sisters, rebounding'exercising on a mini-trampoline'seemed the perfect complement to Pilates, which led to the birth of Cardiolates. The 60-minute workout utilizes rebounding'which combines forces of acceleration, deceleration, and gravity to work every cell in the body'to obtain cardiovascular benefits, but also focuses on maintaining alignment and developing core strength. It can be performed either high- or low-impact, and may also include a stabilizing bar.

'It's translating Pilates principles to a vertical plane,' adds Kimberly.

Cardiolates has become popular at a growing number of Pilates studios, as well as at the Corps' own facility, which recently underwent a 1,088-square-foot expansion and renovation. In its first six months, Cardiolates participation at Pilates on Fifth has increased by 106.5%.

The Corps introduced their new concept to the club industry at IHRSA25 in Las Vegas in March, and have developed a Cardiolates certification program for instructors.

Nancy Hodari, the owner and education director at Equilibrium Pilates Studio, Michigan's only licensed STOTT Pilates training and certification center, has been offering Cardiolates for several months. 'Clients love it,' she enthuses. 'They're delighted that they're burning calories and working their abs, and they also enjoy the music and dancing part of it.'

Pilates Circuit Training:
All-Around Discipline

Acknowledging the popularity of both Pilates and circuit training, STOTT Pilates, based in Toronto, has developed a Pilates Circuit Training class that remains true to the teachings of Joseph Pilates, the founder of the discipline. The classes involve both private and small-group sessions, take place in fully equipped studios, and make use of nearly every piece of Pilates equipment available, explains Beth Evans, the program director of education for STOTT.

A one-hour class may incorporate mat work, as well as a circuit encompassing a variety of equipment, including the Reformer, Cadillac and Stability Chair. 'It really allows you to leverage the best aspect of each piece of equipment,' says Evans.

Pilates Circuit Training can also be offered by fitness facilities, even if they don't have a full a complement of Pilates equipment. They can incorporate pieces like the BOSU Balance Trainer and chair, as well as STOTT's Group XPX Reformer or Rack Roll Reformer, points out Evans. Instructors, however, need to be certified on all of the pieces of equipment in order to configure them together in a circuit, she cautions.

Jill Winegar, a STOTT-certified instructor trainer who owns Sweatshop Fitness, in St. Paul, Minnesota, offered Pilates Circuit Training at her club for about six months last year. She discovered that it was an excellent add-on for more advanced students, but, understandably, was challenging for some beginners. 'This class offers great variety, as well as an opportunity to try out new equipment,' observes Winegar. The best teachers for a circuit class, she suggests, are Pilates staff with a group-fitness background.

Plus Size Pilates:
Pilates for All Shapes and Sizes

As its name suggests, Plus Size Pilates is a modified variation of Pilates designed for heavier individuals. Created four years ago by Mary M. Gordon, a certified personal trainer in Tucson, Arizona, the trademarked program offers plus-sized participants a safe, accessible way to improve their core strength. 'Most people who are 40-or-more pounds overweight can't do traditional Pilates because they can't get into those positions,' explains Gordon. 'But I've altered the exercises so that anyone can do them'even men and women weighing over 400 pounds.'

For example: Gordon's one-hour, mat-based class includes a modified 'One Hundred' core-building exercise, in which beginning students keep their heads on the floor or supported by a pillow (rather than raised), and position their feet on the floor (instead of up in the air).

Gordon teaches her class at several local studios in the Tucson area, including the Sierra Fitness Health Clubs of America, and is currently in the process of formalizing a Plus Size Pilates training curriculum that she intends to market to clubs.

Dan Wirth, the founder, owner, and president of Sierra Fitness, is particularly pleased with the profitability of the Plus Size Pilates program that he stages in a 1,600-square-foot studio at his club. He charges $25 per participant'the same price that he assesses for small-group personal training'and reaps a 25% profit margin. Each class accommodate about five students, and, in one year, the demand has prompted Wirth to expand the offering from just one to 3-4 classes per week. 'From a club owner's perspective, it's a very rewarding program,' he attests.

Poolates:
Pilates Makes a Splash

Rebecca 'Boo' Pfeiffer created Poolates in 2003 after three Pilates clients asked her the same question: 'Why can't we do this in the water?'

In response, Pfeiffer, a personal trainer and Pilates instructor in Key Biscayne, Florida, created and trademarked Poolates, a 60-minute, pool-based workout that integrates the core-strengthening principles of Pilates with the resistance benefits of aquatic exercise.

Since Pfeiffer launched her certification program (which encompasses basic, personal trainer, intensive, and master levels) last year, 28 instructors worldwide have been accredited to teach Poolates. Pfeiffer expects that number to increase to 100 by the end of this year, and to 200 by the end of 2007.

The recommended fee for group classes (not exceeding eight students) is $10-15 per participant, and, for individual training sessions, $65-$95. Pfeiffer calculates that, on average, clubs offering three classes per week can expect to generate about $300 in revenues per week. 'Poolates is really the only water modality that lends itself to personal training, which, obviously, is more lucrative than your typical classes.'

Instructor Michele Morrow runs a prenatal Poolates program in Santa Barbara, California, offering private and semiprivate classes in women's homes. A certified Pilates and master Poolates instructor, Morrow says that the class has attracted the interest of a wide range of people'from young and fit individuals to senior citizens. 'Because Poolates is new to Santa Barbara,' she says, 'my business is just starting to take off.' Morrow reports that she's now averaging one personal session or group class per day.

Yogilates:
Pilates with a Yoga Twist

Jonathan Urla, a yoga- and Pilates-certified instructor based in New York City, created Yogilates in 1997 to take advantage of the inherent symmetry that he observed in the two disciplines. Yogilates is predicated on the fundamental principles of Pilates and hatha yoga, and combines the strength aspects of Pilates with the flexibility and meditative elements of yoga. The one-hour class begins with yoga-style breathing, proceeds to Pilates mat work, and concludes with standing yoga postures. The concept, Urla says, is to master smaller dynamic movements before proceeding on to larger static ones.

Urla, a former professional dancer, has certified some 50-75 Yogilates instructors nationwide, and earns about $40,000 a year from the trainings and other workshops he conducts. He credits the strong growth of his business to these programs and the online sales of instructional videos, a workout book, and clothing; since 2000, those sales have climbed from about $3,000 to $50,000 per year. Urla reports that he's also seen increased participation in the group classes he teaches in New York, as well as in his private-training business.

Whitney Chapman, the group-exercise manager at Reebok Sports Club/NY, where Yogilates is offered twice a week, calls it 'a great fusion class.'

'Yogilates' ability to draw from two disciplines makes it a valuable and cost-effective part of our overall program,' he explains. 'I feel that its principle 'profitability' for us lies in the diversity that it adds to our lineup.'

Whether they're modified with rebounders, a circuit, a pool, or yoga postures'or whatever'Pilates classes of all shapes, sizes, and formats are continuing to make inroads at fitness facilities throughout the world. As fitness programmers become ever more innovative, the only question left to ask is: 'What could conceivably come next?'

Pilates Hybrids: A Mixed Bag

While Pilates enthusiasts flock to clubs to check out the newest incarnations, industry insiders have mixed reactions to some of the innovations that have been introduced.

Kathie Davis, the executive director of the IDEA Health and Fitness Association, based in San Diego, California, isn't surprised by the proliferation of offerings, and considers what's happening in the industry today to be part of a natural progression. 'It strikes me as very similar to what we've seen in the past with other modalities,' she says. Davis cites step aerobics and indoor cycling as other examples of 'taking a good thing and adding to it to address different needs.

'In a lot of ways, I see this as the next step in the evolution of Pilates as an industry,' she continues. 'I think we're making it more accessible to populations that might not have considered doing it before.'

But there's some concern about whether the new variations ensure adequate levels of Pilates training. As things stand now, less than one-third of the 16,000 people in the U.S. who claim to be Pilates teachers are adequately trained, claims Kevin Bowen, the executive director and CEO of the Pilates Method Alliance (PMA), a nonprofit professional organization. To help correct the situation, PMA has launched a national certification exam in an effort to create a national standard and 'really raise the level of professionalism in the Pilates community.'

It's essential that, when Pilates is combined with another modality, instructors are well-trained in Pilates, as well as in the other exercise form, insists Bowen.

Lesley Mahoney is a contributing editor for CBI and can be reached at lamahoney2002@yahoo.com.