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The simple answer is to ask about their training. Ask how many hours of training have they completed? If you are interested in a piece of equipment, ask if your instructor has spent time on the apparatus.

Highway 54 is a Pilates Sports Center training location. We teach the teachers with a robust 450 plus hour program that includes Pilates Mat, Pilates Reformer, Pilates Barrels, Pilates Chair, and Pilates Cadillac apparatus.

Pilates Certification is not enough, you also have to feel comfortable with your instructor. Take a moment to determine if you enjoy their teaching style. Every teacher brings their own unique personality to their teaching, and it’s important to find an instructor that best fits you.

The number one rule as an instructor in a group setting is you must teach to the lowest level of understanding in your class.

Safety is always first!

If you join a group class and don’t understand Pilates fundamentals, it means the instructor must focus their attention on you, which takes their time away from other clients.

When you are new to Pilates, we require starting your efforts with private sessions so we can focus on what you want from your practice. Once you have a basic understanding of Pilates and how the equipment works, you can join a group class or continue with private lessons.

Learning Pilates is a process. The Pilates method continually challenges you to connect to your body and breathe. At Highway 54 Pilates, we guide you through this process at a rate that is right for you.

We suggest starting with 3-6 private sessions. In these private sessions, you learn the basic ideas and principles and become familiar with Pilates fundamentals such as breathing during your exercise, how to engage deep abdominal muscles, and how to stabilize your hips and shoulders.

Private sessions give you a chance to create body awareness without the distractions of a group class. Private sessions offer one-on-one attention from your instructor and allow you to learn at your own pace.

Semi-private sessions are a great way to work out with a friend and still get the individualized attention of a private session.

Small group classes are a fun, effective way to do a Pilates workout. We suggest trying them all so you can find out what you enjoy the most.

As a Pilates teacher, I love it when my students realize you don’t have to be doing the hardest, most grueling exercise for it to be effective. Learning to move and exercise safely is a gift that will change your life. If you keep telling yourself that you need to get in better condition before you start a Pilates class, stop it. Part of what I love about my job is being part of people’s health and wellness journey, no matter where they are on that journey.

Some exercise programs promote “the burn” as a principle behind their system. The Pilates method is original in that you may not “feel the burn” during or after a class. The idea you must be sore from an exercise class for it to be effective is ridiculous.

For example, most of us take a daily walk but would never think we didn’t walk far enough or fast enough because we are not sore after the walk.

If the dread of post exercise soreness is keeping you from trying Pilates, I encourage you to rethink those old exercise myths and schedule your first session.

The quick answer is no, you don’t have to do a plank to practice Pilates.

Pilates is a system of exercises designed to strengthen the body from the center out. As you begin practice, you will find we do most of the exercises lying on your back or belly to focus on your center.

As you engage the core, the Pilates method will challenge you with body movements that engage, strengthen, and increase balance in your musculature. You will gradually progress to more challenging exercises. At Highway 54 Pilates we promise when you get to these more advanced exercises, you will be ready for them, and we’ll teach you how to do them without injury.

As long as the movement you are doing is safe, the answer is almost always yes; you are doing it right!

The simple rule of Pilates is how does the movement feel, rather than how it looks to someone watching you perform the movement. The real “magic” of Pilates is that you are improving your body awareness and your ability to notice how your body functions. You become the teacher.

A Highway 54 Pilates class is full of details about the Pilates exercises. Tuck in your belly in, hold your shoulders down, use the inner thighs. Breathe. These corrections can overwhelm, but don’t worry in time you will be doing the exercises correctly because it feels right, and that is the magic of Pilates.

In the Pilates method, the concept of “flow” is a sequence of exercises linked so you are constantly moving, or flowing, from one set to another. This practice allows you to practice specific movements and fine tune them while getting a great workout. In a “flow” class, the instructor will give suggestions for different variations, but won’t stop the sequence to give detailed instruction of every exercise.

The goal of Pilates practice is not to get to a certain level or achieve a particular exercise routine. The goal is to bring balance and uniform development to your body, so it functions at its best. Find a movement class you enjoy coming to and create an at-home practice that supports your goal.

There is no need to do advanced Pilates exercises to see benefits. If you practice Pilates regularly, you have had an “aha” moment where noticed that moving your body correctly, made the exercise seem harder. That is the genius of the Pilates method. You can do simple Pilates exercises daily, feel amazing, and still progress in your understanding of the exercise!

Pilates will strengthen your core muscles.

Pilates will increase your flexibility.

Pilates will improve your concentration.

Pilates will balance your body and help you prevent injuries.

The Pilates method stresses uniform development, balancing muscles around each joint in the body. When we create balance, we get more flexible, stronger, and move with ease. Pilates exercises both stretch and strength muscle groups to create this balance. So, yes, Pilates will make you more flexible.

Yes, but just stretching more is not the complete answer. In the Pilates Method, we teach your body to move as a unit. By practicing alignment and balance in Pilates practice your muscles naturally lengthen, your spine moves with ease, and you will have more flexibility without having to just sit and stretch for no reason.