Pilates Tips from the Pros | FusionPilatesEDU.com

Initiation of the Mermaid on the Reformer

The initiation movement of an exercise such as the Mermaid is a coordinated dance of the humerus, scapula, and upper spine. This key movement is essential for the exercise as a whole and it assures that the work is happening in the upper and mid back and not just pushed into the upper traps or […]…

Shoulder Strength & Flexibility: Classical Pilates Exercises

Shoulder strength and flexibility are important in and of themselves, but it is also imperative to have a real coordination and balance of the two in the shoulder girdle because many of the tasks we perform require a flow of mobility and brute strength that we must tap into on a second’s notice. If there […]…

Static vs. Moving Posture Check

Watching clients move when they think no one is looking can tell you so much about why some of their issues remain unresolved. How they stand, sit, get up, or even put on their shoes can give you clues about their habitual movement patterns in a way that not even equipment can tell you. The […]…

FFO Hits the Road! Sylvia Byrd-Leitner Instructor Showcase and Video

One of our biggest missions here at FFO is to foster community. In that spirit, we occasionally load some video gear into the FusionMobile and hit the road to go meet Instructors and Studio Owners in order to get to know them. A few months ago, we did a brief tour of the East Coast […]…

Overball Under the Head

Many of us hold a great amount of tension in our first two cervical vertebrae. The suboccipitals are small deep muscles that connect the occiput, C1, and C2. Watch a simple exercise on the Overball that will help clients to balance these muscles that nod the head forward and back, and rotate the head side […]…

5 Creative Ways to Find Time for Personal Pilates Practice

Please enjoy this guest post by Anastasiya Goers. If you’d like to post your own article or short video on FusionPilatesEDU.com, please let us know! 5 Creative Ways to Find Time for Personal Pilates Practice How many hours a week do you teach Pilates? How many hours a week do you do Pilates yourself? How […]…

We Have a Winner!

When we launched this site 6 months ago, we decided to celebrate by holding a MASSIVE contest with amazing prizes from incredible companies like SmartSpine™, Balanced Body, WAGs, ToeSox, Correct Toes, Be Present, Fusion DVDs, and of course FusionPilatesEDU.com! The lucky winner was drawn on September 1, 2013 using Random.org. And the winner is…. Shari […]…

Standing Splits

Learn to use the spring weight to balance your “Up the Mountain” muscles and your “Down the Mountain” muscles, and everything in between. The Reformer is a phenomenal strength and stability builder if used in the right way. See a very simple standing sequence on the Reformer and how just a change of the spring […]…

Romana Kryzanowska & Julian Littleford

We recently lost two Pilates greats. Legendary first generation teacher Romana Kryzanowska died on August 30, 2013. She is an inspiration to all of us and will be greatly missed. Julian Littleford of J.L. Body Conditioning in Del Mar, CA died on August 31, 2013. He was an amazing, creative teacher and human being. I […]…

Lesley Powell from Movements Afoot Studio in NYC

We had a few minutes to chat with the immensely talented Lesley Powell during a break from shooting her new online Posterial Lateral Hip workshop. Take a moment to get a brief overview of her history and work.…

Romana Kryzanowska

Note: Romana Kryzanowska passed away on August 30, 2013 after the writing of this post. She will be missed, but her influence lives on. When Pilates and Pilates teacher training comes up, one name always in everyone’s minds is Romana Kryzanowska. She is the oldest first-generation teacher and has been one of the biggest forces […]…

Shoulder Flexibility: Pre-Pilates Exercises

As we have seen in a previous post, our shoulder anatomy is somewhat tricky. In many ways, it is a fragile and weak structure that needs to be very strong and very mobile to perform the many tasks we require of it. Performing too many of the wrong movements and not enough of the correct […]…

Anna Alvarez from the Pilates Method Alliance

We were thrilled to get a chance to catch up with Anna Alvarez from the Pilates Method Alliance for a brief discussion about what the PMA does. Please check below for more resources and for links to some of the subjects touched on in the video. Thank you to Anna and the PMA! Check below […]…

FFO Hits the Road! Chris Roberts Instructor Showcase and Video

One of our biggest missions here at FFO is to foster community. In that spirit we occasionally load some video gear into the FusionMobile and hit the road to go meet Instructors and Studio Owners in order to get to know them. A few weeks ago we did a brief tour of the East Coast […]…

Foam Roller Hip Openers

The foam roller has become a must in Pilates studios and gyms all over the country for good reason. It is a versatile tool that not only aids in myofascial release but also in balance. So many clients walk into the studio from hours in a sedentary posture, and it is not in their best […]…

Healthy Boundaries: How to Deal With a Difficult Client

The client is always right. Well, yes and no. In the service industry, we must always strive to please our clientele and go to whatever lengths we possibly can without compromising our integrity, putting them or ourselves in danger, inconveniencing other clients, or losing income flow for ourselves or the studio. There are times that […]…

Prep to Squat in the Doorway

Many people in our culture have a difficult time with a squat position because the closest we get to the floor is a chair. The squat position is essential to creating balance and ease in our hips and legs. It massages the internal organs to create better circulation. The deep squat position is a birthing […]…

Creative Imagery and Visualization

Imagery and visualization are key components in our Pilates practice. It is amazing how much power lies in our metaphysical selves, and it’s extremely beneficial when we are able to connect our bodies with our minds. The general perception is that the mind controls our body, but it’s more of a perfect marriage where each […]…

Interview with Marie-José Blom

Marie-José Blom is an amazing teacher of teachers with a wide scope of experience. She is the creator of the SmartSpine™ line of products as well as the Stability Sling System. Her first online workshop is live at FusionFitnessOnline right now (and now offers 5 PMA CECs!). We had the opportunity to interview her as […]…

Toning the Glutes: Pilates Bridging Exercises

It’s time to firm, tone, and sculpt the gluteal muscles! Most of us have some (or many) complaints about our tush. It seems most of us think our bottoms are too big or not big enough — and no matter what the complaint, most of us are looking for it to be a bit more […]…