Are virtual classes soon to be a thing of the past?
Why I believe online Pilates classes are here to stay
Light at the end of the lockdown tunnel…?
Last month, Boris told us we could be in a position to open all aspects of society and go back to ‘normal’ by 21st June if the roadmap to easing out of lockdown goes according to plan. Whether you think that is highly optimistic or whether you feel the current restrictions should have already been lifted weeks ago, my view is that life as we now know it will never really go back to what it used to be, irrespective of vaccine rollouts and social distancing measures. But whilst that might initially seem like quite a depressing observation to make, I, for one, think there could be some significant changes for the better which emerge from our pandemic experience.
I could take this blog in any number of directions to illustrate this point, but I’m going to keep close to home and talk about what the ‘new normal’ means for the humble Pilates class.
Remember this?
It’s almost hard to recall but just over twelve months ago church halls, fitness centres and any other hirable space up and down the country would, most likely, have had a weekly schedule of social activities for the local community including Pilates classes.
Pilates teachers would have been seen lugging mats and other pieces of equipment into these venues and hurriedly placing everything out ready for the start of the class. Clients would have been seen rushing in a few minutes late, flustered from finding it hard to park or getting stuck in traffic or being kept late at work. Newcomers would have been seen nervously waiting at the sides, not knowing whether the ‘regulars’ had a favourite mat which must be avoided.
During the class itself, you would have heard the teacher bellowing instructions, unusually loud breathing of the in-through-the-nose-out-through-the mouth variety and collective groans when a particularly intense exercise was on the cards.
And then Covid happened.
And the world turned to Zoom for everything.
Including Pilates.
Overnight, Pilates teachers (along with every other kind of teacher) had to become experts in video conferencing software, lighting, sound, microphones, camera angles and pass on their hastily acquired knowledge to their clients.
But somehow we carried on and were able to continue to help clients maintain their Pilates practice as well as keep our businesses afloat at the same time.
As the prospect of a return to physical classes now seems increasingly likely, you could be forgiven for thinking that Zoom Pilates will be a thing of the past in a matter of months. Not so in my opinion! I’m here to fly the flag for online classes as I truly believe they are here to stay. Here are my five top reasons why…
Comfort and convenience
There’s no doubt that online classes save a whole lot of logistical bother for teachers and clients alike. You only have to get up from the desk / sofa / dining table / bed, roll out a mat, log into the class and you’re there. No stress, no need to factor in travel time and after you’re done, you just roll the mat back up and return to homelife.
Added to that, joining a class from your living room floor also means you don’t have to worry about what you’re wearing, whether or not you’ve washed your hair or figure out if you’ve got time to leg it to the loos to have a pee before the class starts. There are endless advantages to this new virtual regime!
Plus running classes online gives platforms like Pilates In Your Home the opportunity to offer on demand classes so, if you can’t make the class live, you can always access pre-recorded content at your leisure. Here at PIYH, we not only offer recordings of the live classes but also offer shorter express classes too so there really is something to fit your lifestyle no matter what you’ve got going on.
2. Keeping connected safely
This is especially important for the older population who, even with vaccinations, may continue to feel very nervous about joining a group class in a confined space. Online classes provide access to familiar classes but in a safe and enjoyable way in the comfort of your own home.
One of the more surprising discoveries of running online classes we have found is that it is much easier to create a community-like feel than you might think even if you aren’t all physically in the same room. We open the class up around 15 minutes before the start time and stay behind afterwards to have a chat with our clients. There’s always a bit of news or something funny that’s happened to provide a bit of humour and a chance to connect. Funnily enough, many of our clients chat to us and each other more now than they ever did in ‘real life’.
3. Beginner fear? Not anymore!
We can all relate to how it feels when you’re the newbie in a class. Breathing out whilst everyone else is breathing in. Leading with the left leg when it should be the right. Getting totally confused as to what part of the body is supposed to be feeling the work.
But join a class on Zoom and that intimidating feeling of thinking everyone is looking at your mistakes disappears. You can always see the teacher, you’re on mute (so no one will ever know if your breathing is wrong!) and you can always turn your video off and have a cup of tea if you find it all too much.
It means classes become much more inviting for curious novices and there’s none of that competitive vibe which can be present when you’re lying on a mat surrounded by people who’ve been going for years. Plus if you watch a recorded class, you can always skip the nasty bits and move onto the more enjoyable exercises (shh, don’t tell anyone I said that!).
4. Take your practice to new heights
When you can access classes whenever and wherever you want, it opens the door to upping the frequency of your practice. This has been highlighted by many of our regular clients who say they are stronger and more flexible now than they ever were. In the ‘old days’, class terms revolved around the school term timetable whereas now there are no breaks, especially now there is a class library that can be accessed at any time.
Additionally, when doing classes online from the comfort of their own home, clients have told us they feel more confident in transitioning from a beginner / general class to an intermediate one because they can try a pre-recorded class first to get the gist of it before joining a live one.
5. Online teaching = dip in quality? Not so!
There can be a tendency to assume that if a class is online then the quality of the teaching is bound to suffer and that you won’t get the same level of guidance or support. On the contrary, clients have repeatedly told us that they find it really reassuring that we can still offer corrections or modifications if we see someone is struggling with an exercise. Furthermore, ironically, seeing all the clients on one screen means it can actually be easier for the teacher to spot if someone needs help as opposed to physical classes when we have to continually scan a crowded room full of bodies to identify anyone requiring assistance.
Obviously a teacher’s ability to offer feedback on someone’s form in the virtual class is dependent on the client positioning their computer in such a way that we can see what they’re doing. However, this has proven to be far less problematic than you might think and clients very rapidly work out the best camera angle for their mat to be visible.
Lastly on the subject of quality, my belief is that taking classes online automatically requires the teacher to be more descriptive and attuned to the potential challenges that clients might have in understanding a move. There is no getting away from the fact that your ability to physically correct someone’s form disappears when you’re only connected by the internet and therefore the teacher has to find new ways to ensure clients truly understand what is being asked of them. Analogies and creative descriptions form a big part of this, as well as taking the time to demonstrate new moves clearly and deliberately. It actually means that teachers have to ‘up their game’ considerably in communicating clearly the cues and the watch-outs but I believe this is very much a positive thing and keeps our teaching fresh.
In summary…
And there you have it. You may feel after a year of living life behind a screen that getting back to physical classes can’t come soon enough. Yes, it’ll be wonderful to catch up with friends and family again without constraint but the convenience which online classes offer will undoubtedly help to remove the barriers which get in the way of many people being able to regularly schedule exercise into their busy lives. Therefore, I’d be amazed if people abandon the ‘Zoom Room’ altogether as, in my humble opinion, the benefits greatly outweigh the negatives. Whoever would have thought?
Ali is co-owner of Pilates In Your Home with her friend and fellow teacher, Sarah. Together, Ali and Sarah are passionate about creating an inclusive, feelgood environment where anyone and everyone can practice Pilates on their own terms and (re)discover the joy of movement. If you would like to find out more, please visit www.pilatesinyourhome.co.uk