[00:00:00] Welcome to Pilates Teachers' Manual, a podcast for Pilates teachers by a Pilates teacher. I'm Olivia, and I'll be your host jumping the conversation on Instagram @pilatesteachersmanual. Today's chapter starts now.

Hello, hello everyone. Welcome back. We are adjusting over here in Chicago to the new normal for fitness employees. So what that looks like in my schedule is I am teaching a few classes online, some on Facebook Live, some on zoom. I am offering private sessions online and it is an adjustment, but it's also offering a lot of cool opportunities.

So what we're going to be talking about today is this transition to remote teaching or teaching [00:01:00] online through video conferencing applications. So that's going to be a party. Like all things in our lives, what appears to be a challenge also offers some unique opportunities or ways to grow. And after the break in today's episode, I do have some tips for you if you're a teacher or if you are a person who is making the shift to online content, because as I've just been working through things, I've got a few suggestions and things that you may want to try as you make that transition as well.

I'm going to cover some main points, some topics of interest in terms of remote teaching and how those things can be a challenge. Definitely how I viewed them as a challenge when I just got started and the flip side of that, the good things that are coming out of it, the silver lining to that challenge. And sometimes even more than a silver lining, just like the silver, everything that it's really provided an opportunity to be successful. 

So one thing that you think about in terms of remote [00:02:00] teaching is the fact that you are remote, right? So challenges to being in a different place than the person who is doing the movement that you're coaching is that you can't give hands on cues. That's huge for me, especially in Pilates, but also in yoga, that being there physically and able to offer that hands on assist, especially if you're working with something where the person needs a hand for support or stability, it's yucky to not be able to do that. 

Also, you don't have the ability to see what's going on in the person's body from a lot of different angles. You can't just like walk around and see what they're doing. Whatever the camera angle is, that's really what you have to go on. So it can be difficult in that way as well. But that being said, there are some great things about being remote. One of which is that you get to use your verbal cues, which you have been working on the entire time you've been teaching.

That's how you get information across, right? So you get to use those amazing verbal cues and get better at verbal cuing because you get [00:03:00] to practice it. Constantly you get to shift the focus to your clients. If you can't physically touch the person's shoulder and see if their lats are engaging to draw the shoulder blades down the back, you can ask your client, can you feel your back muscles or like, what do you feel in your upper back when you perform this movement? And it really gives them a little bit more of awareness in their body instead of you just swooping in and poking them and telling them what to do. So that can be really rewarding and a nice shift of responsibility to the client as an agent in their own movement. 

You can also book a lot more appointments when you are working remotely, because there is no travel time to get to your appointments. So that's nice. I'm also not eating out as much because if I'm, you know, traveling to a studio and teaching three appointments, I might have to grab a snack at Whole Foods or get a sandwich somewhere. And by being in my house, I am saving a lot of money in terms of commuting costs and [00:04:00] also in terms of eating out. So those are blessings in disguise as well. 

Another topic is equipment. So when you're having a private session in a Pilates studio, the studio offers lots of fun equipment for you to play on. There's a Cadillac, there's a ladder barrel. You might have a, you know, with a springboard, the reformer, the chair, there's lots of toys to play with in Pilates and not having them is a bummer. You are limited to what your client has. 

And also from a teaching standpoint, it can be difficult to supervise the safety of the equipment if you are not the person who is responsible for putting the equipment together. So that poses a bit of a challenge. 

Set up can also be difficult because, you know, teachers kind of move seamlessly around in the background, like switching springs and moving equipment so that the session can really flow. The client is now responsible for those transitions. So that can be a little bit of a roadblock. 

But there's opportunities that come with that you get to be really creative and you get to think [00:05:00] outside of the box, when a client sends you all of the equipment that they have, and you know, how can I make this exercise ball move like a reformer, or how can I, you know, use this mat to emulate these reformer exercises?

And we know from March Matness, we know  from the mat Pilates exercises that all you really need is a mat and everything else is just a bonus. So let's get creative with what we have. You also get to fuse a lot of different types of movement, so you can get barre exercises in there. You can do some yoga exercises. You can borrow from personal trainers to make a session that's really interesting and still tailored to your client. 

There is a technical component to all of this remote teaching. Some of the challenges associated with that tech setup are the upfront investment in terms of, if you need a camera, if you need a microphone, if you need lighting, I bought some decorative bins to kind of organize the space that was going to be on [00:06:00] camera. So all of that is an upfront cost. Also like a tripod, the cost of your video conferencing application if you are purchasing that, that's an upfront cost. And then also the challenge of working with your clients, technical expertise. And, you know, I have had sessions where, you know, you have to a little bit fine tune where the camera's going to be, and that's fine. That's part of it, but it can be challenging as well. 

But this is still an opportunity you can invest in that equipment and really invest in your reach and your offerings as a teacher. So I taught a class on Facebook live this week. And as of this recording, it has over 250 views. That is how many people I would see in a week if every single one of my classes was totally full. And so if I can reach 250 people in this one video that took, you know, maybe an hour for me to record maybe a little bit more, if you're talking about setup and planning and stuff like that, like that's really incredible. 

So in a lot of ways, being forced to figure out [00:07:00] how to do video offerings is again, a blessing, especially seeing how many more people are able to take advantage of your services. I do think that video is going to stick around that even when we switched back to in studio offerings, the reach that video has is just so much greater that I do think there will be more chances to teach on video and offer online classes and just reach out to a lot more people. 

In terms of working with your clients, tech savviness, I do try to be really specific in my email instructions on what equipment we're going to use, what props they're going to need for the class that I have planned for them and where to put their camera. And ask them to check, you know, make sure that I can see your whole mat. If we're going to be standing, I'll say, you know, I need the camera to also show you standing. If it's not possible to get both the full mat and you standing, you know, there can be some adjustment of the [00:08:00] camera during the session, but ideally you want to set it and forget it as much as possible. And there's definitely a learning curve to that. Some people have a space that makes it really easy for them to put the camera in one place. Some people don't, but we're working together. And, you know, it's just another adventure. 

A big question is the value added question, right? So when clients are paying for private sessions, the idea is they are getting one on one time with a teacher, they are getting to play on the equipment. So they're playing on the ladder barrel or the reformer or the Cadillac or the chair there's, you know, some fancy equipment component. And you get that dedicated teacher attention. Those are the things that people will pay more for, in a private session. 

So is it worth it for the client to pay more for a private when it is remote? I would say yes. As the teacher, you're still preparing an individualized class session. You [00:09:00] are providing your undivided attention for this person. You are giving them feedback and challenge and offering support. You're encouraging them, holding them accountable to that standard of form and precision. There is a personal interaction, right. And a lot of group classes. You're practicing with your video off and the teacher's just teaching to the ceiling and a lot of cases.

So here there is a personal interaction. You are adapting and interacting with them. You're not just leading a group class and hoping that people are following along. I am charging less for my online privates than I do charge for my in-person privates, because I do recognize that it isn't the same in terms of the equipment and then that hands on and physical presence that you have. But I still think that it's worth charging more for that private session than you would for the group class. And if your client disagrees, that's fine, you know, everyone's entitled to their opinion. You can send them to your group classes and they'll just [00:10:00] know that they're going to get that group class experience instead of that individualized experience, but there's nothing wrong with that. 

Coming up after the break, I've got some tips for you to lead those remote classes successfully. So stay tuned.

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Alright, everybody, my tips for [00:11:00] successful remote teaching are, first of all, investing in that technical set up. Ideally, you have a good camera. You have a space to record that is neat. It doesn't need to be vacant. It doesn't need to look like a studio, but it does need to be tidy and clear having a space that is well lit and that has good sound. 

I do know that like in my living area where I'm recording, it's a little bit echoey, but that kind of comes with it. I don't think I'm going to invest in a boom mic necessarily, but I have tested out the equipment that I have and made sure that the video is clear. The audio is clear and that it looks nice on camera. You know, I don't have a tripod. I put my computer on a stool and that works for me, like that works in my space. 

So try it out before you decide to start posting classes or offering classes so that a) you feel really comfortable with the technology, with the setup and with the applications that you're using and that you [00:12:00] can either invest in other pieces of equipment if that's necessary, but do look and see what you have before you spend a ton of money on stuff.

In terms of using your client's equipment, get inspiration from Instagram. There is almost too much good stuff on Instagram, right? There are teachers doing great things with towels and with socks and with cans for weights. Like I took a class this week that they used wine bottles for weights and like, that's amazing. Fantastic. Like, I love it and your clients will too. 

Talk to your colleagues. In the previous episode, I talked about the importance of having your Pilates support network. Like this is a great time to reach out and say, I'm looking for ways to do this exercise or to do this thing. Like, what do you think, or what have you done in your session? 

So like the wine bottles I thought was great. Things like if you don't have glider disks that your client can use, you know, socks on a smooth floor is fantastic. If you want to add weight to [00:13:00] exercises, I have a friend who's a personal trainer. And she said, you know, if you have a backpack, you can put cans in the backpack. And then suddenly as you're doing these standing lunges or these reverse lunges, you've got as much weight as you want in your backpack. And that's adding challenge for you. So, you know, take advantage of the people, you know, who are already doing amazing things. 

Pilates Anytime has lots of classes and you can filter them by type of equipment. So you can filter by towel, by ball, by glider. So you can really expand your repertoire with the smaller props since we can't use those bigger props. 

Another benefit of working remotely is you can experiment with your schedule because you don't have that travel time. You might be able to offer appointments, either more of them or at different times than when you were traveling to those appointments. So, you know, experiment with that. 

One thing I'm doing is offering these 30 minute sessions instead of an hour long session, [00:14:00] because you know, you kind of get in, do your workout and then get out. And that's another way it kind of breaks up people's day, you know. You could do an appointment at two o'clock if it was only for 30 minutes, and then I have different pricing levels for that.

You can also expand your geography in terms of where you can offer those privates. You know, living in Hyde Park in Chicago, I have only offered in person privates. So if I'm going to the person's house in Hyde Park, it has to be within a certain radius. Otherwise it doesn't make sense for me to travel there to do it. But if I'm offering online, I could see clients anywhere in the world really. There is no limit, which is fantastic. 

And same thing with those 30 minute sessions. It doesn't make sense for me to offer 30 minute sessions if it takes me- even just in Hyde Park- 15 minutes to get there and then do a 30 minute session and then 15 minutes to, you know, go to the next place that doesn't make sense, but remotely that's totally doable and that's kind of neat.

Another thing that I'm doing right now, especially this month, but [00:15:00] always is investing in my professional development and my continuing education. So depending on your schedule, depending on whether you have kids that might look very different for every person, but for me, since I am teaching fewer hours.

I have a lot more time to really do some trainings that I wasn't necessarily dragging my feet on, but when my schedule was full and I'm traveling all over the city and teaching, I wasn't always able to take a three hour block on Thursdays and do a training. But now I have a three hour block on Thursdays when I can.

So there are lots of professional trainings that are being offered right now at a discount that are being offered remotely, which is amazing. TRX is offering a training that's actually free. That's their eight hour training. So this is a great time to take advantage of those things and learn something new.

Just in this month of April, I'm signed up or a prenatal/postpartum Pilates [00:16:00] workshop. I've signed up for a barre training. I've signed up for a yoga summit thing. And those things are all happening remotely, but the cost of those workshops or the time that I'm putting into those workshops is going to benefit me far beyond this kind of weird hiccupping moment where we can't leave our homes. Right. So what I'm doing in that regard is really going to have far reaching benefits. 

Same thing with becoming more well versed in video offerings. Like that's going to be something that I can really benefit from beyond this moment in time. I would also add that if you are a teacher and you've been thinking about whether you should start a website or start branding yourself, if you have the time and the bandwidth to do it, this is a great time to work on that, to just set aside some time to think about that.

I do want to qualify that, that just because you are in quarantine, and if you do have a lot of time, you don't want to feel [00:17:00] pressured to be productive all of the time as well. Like still take care of yourself. Don't push yourself crazily, just because you think you have to show something for your time. These are just options of things that you could be doing with your time, if that makes sense in your body and your life at this moment. 

I hope all those tips really help you as you continue to grow your remote teaching offerings. I will link in the description where my online classes are. So you can check out some of the things I've been talking about in motion and hopefully get yourself moving as well. I have been taking more classes online I think than I have taken in person just because again, that physical proximity, just traveling to that place is difficult. But if it's happening in my living room, like that's a 20 foot commute, I can handle that.

So I hope that you are seeing some silver linings in this kind of challenging time. And I hope this helps you have amazing remote classes and [00:18:00] amazing remote private sessions as well. 

Thank you for listening to this chapter of Pilates Teachers' Manual. Be sure to visit the Instagram link in the description for the post on today's episode. There, you can leave your comments, ask questions, and join the conversation. Also be sure to support the podcast and take advantage of the great affiliate links in the description. The adventure continues. Until next time.