The Benefits of Tactile Cues
In addition to depending on auditory signals and verbal cues, individuals who are blind rely on their cane and tactile markers on the street to feel the ground under them, helping them detect a flight of stairs or anticipate a crossing ahead. Ground markers serve as signals prompting them to pay heightened attention to their next steps and overall movement.
Human touch and regular physical contact, such as hugging a friend, getting a massage or holding your partners hand, has been shown to improve relationships, lower blood pressure and reduce stress. Physical touch also communicates the sense of trust, lifts the mood and motivates us to be successful. It is no coincidence that tactile cues are widely used as a part of Pilates teaching among verbal and visual cueing.
Tactile Cueing in Reformer Pilates Teaching
I believe tactile touch has huge potential to enhance your Reformer Pilates Instructing and class delivery. However before applying tactile touch on personal space such as clients body, it is paramount to get consent and explain the benefits of tactile cueing for clients. This can be done for instance during client induction to studio, before the class starts or on the spot before applying tactile cues. Tactile touch can help clients to improve their body awareness, form, reach their full potential, build rapport and trust as well as provide top level customer care and support during the Pilates classes.
When we apply tactile touch we need to be confident and firm with our hands, cues and gestures to ensure they make a difference rather than leave a client feeling puzzled. The best practice is to explain what you are going to do or correct before you go for the gold. It is important to allow enough time after applying tactile cues to gauge if the tactile touch was effective by observing clients movement or asking do they feel the difference in comfort or intensity.
If client shows discomfort by body language or gestures or says they do not want to be touched respect it without questioning it or judging. I will provide you with plenty of examples how we can still apply tactile cues and hands on approach in class environment without touching Pilates clients bodies.
Assist With The Set Up, Springs And Pilates Props
A form of tactile cue could be helping your clients to set up for legs in straps series by helping to pull the straps over the arches of clients feet. I understand this is not something everyone wants to do and that is fine. You can hand your clients the pilates ball or move the foot bars – for me something like this done by the Pilates Instructor is a sign of great client care and service.
You could also tap the parts of the reformer with your hands to show where you want clients to place their head, hands, knees or feet. When you assist a client with the set up or props you also provide the rest of the group a fantastic visual cue (demonstration) on what you want them to do.
Increase Or Decrease Intensity And Load & Ensure Comfort
You can help your clients to keep the carriage still or help to open it further when suitable in order to communicate your client to push a little harder. You can help your clients to get deeper in their squat, shift their body weight on platform or lengthen their leg a little higher with your tactile cues. Alternatively you can also assist and help client to reduce the range by stopping the carriage to ensure the form and safety or bring the pilates box so client could sit instead of kneeling to ensure they are comfortable.
Help Clients To Improve Their Form And Body Awareness
The most commonly known and debated tactile cues are the ones we apply directly to clients body on improve their form and technique. Tactile touch may help clients to improve their body awareness, get a little deeper into position or ease out of some set ups or movements. Tactile touch may help client to relax certain body parts or adjust their form so they can get more out of the exercises in order to build confidence, movement efficiency and progress towards their personal goals.
Praise And Acknowledgement
My favorite type of tactile cues are the ones to praise and acknowledge clients personally. This could be a tap on the shoulder/back or foot bar to show them you see them and their efforts or to tell them they are doing amazing job. This builds trust and motivates clients to keep going and try often harder! At the end of the class tactile touch saying “well done you smashed it” can be a high five or fist pump!
Self Applied Or Prop Assisted Tactile Cues
Lastly but not least you can also encourage a client to use their own hands to apply tactile feedback. Such as hands on hips to see how still we can keep our pelvis. Alternatively we could also ask a client to place a prop on their lower back in 4 point kneeling position to offer a physical touch and feedback how to stabilize the hips/pelvis.
