Not everyone who has studied Pilates can be your Pilates trainer.  I say this based on considerable life experience.  I worked with seven different Pilates instructors before encountering Veronica Guadalupe.  Since then, I have worked with her for years.  Here's a quick summary of reasons why.

 

The big advantage of Pilates, I believe, is that it is endlessly customizable.  It can work toward broad, general goals, or issues specific to some single group of muscles.  Or both.  But you have to work with somebody who knows how to do that.  Some instructors seem to offer a very similar workout to all of their customers.  Some cannot articulate the reasons why they choose the exercises in your routine.

 

I am 76.  I have two legs with very different capabilities, due to injuries and surgeries.  They need different workouts.  But most instructors never asked or offered that.  I'm not sure that they knew how.

 

If you do Pilates for more than a few months, then what you can do will change. You need an instructor who can alter the workout as your body changes.  And it's more than the number of reps that will change.

 

Pilates moves can be complex, and difficult to get right the first time.  It's a whole separate skillset to observe a movement and describe precisely how it has to change to be done correctly.  It turns out that one of the ways to be good at this part of the training is to have studied ballet.  In that craft, people observe and correct movements over and over -- and they get good at that.  They can describe and demonstrate effectively.  Ms. Guadalupe is a prima ballerina and uses her ability to observe and correct quite effectively.  It's a huge time-saver.  She is also quick to get down and demonstrate a movement -- several times if necessary.  Trust me, not everyone will do that.

 

Okay, this next will seem trivial.  I think it is not.  Getting your body in better shape is a slow process.  Unless you're a kid in basic training, you won't get better so fast that your progress provides the necessary reinforcement.  Most of the Pilates pros I worked with were silent most of the time.  Others were praisers, but not very credible.  You need someone who can say, Okay, that time was better.  Did you see how it was different from the time before?"  Ms. Guadalupe has that knack.  Don't undervalue it.

 

One last thing to consider:  mechanical but important.  You lead a busy life.  So do the rest of us.  There will be times when you have to juggle schedules.  Ms. Guadalupe is very good at this appointment swapping.  Anybody can cancel.  The very best can fit you in, most of the time.  Don't abuse it, but be aware that the skill is there.

 

Thank you for your attention.