Issue #431
Wednesday, May 8, 2024
Pilates 101: Teaching Contrology as a College Course
Part 1: Designing the Curriculum
by Cathy Pagani
Photographs courtesy of The University of Alabama
It began with a casual comment.
I had recently retired after nearly thirty years as a professor of Asian art history and an administrator at The University of Alabama when I found myself in the office of my supervisor for my “side gig” of teaching a course in indoor cycling for the department of kinesiology. As she and I chatted about the upcoming semester, I mentioned off-handedly that I was a Pilates teacher with experience teaching both mat- and equipment-based classes.
“You teach Pilates?! We need someone to teach our Pilates course! It meets once a week for one hour and forty-five minutes. Would you be willing to take it on?”
I agreed. And so the adventure began.
“Pilates 101” is one of about two dozen activity classes offered for credit at the university that are open to all students, regardless of academic major. They are part of a long tradition where physical health and well-being have been integrated into the curriculum as far back as the late nineteenth century. In 1892, for example, all students were required to engage in two hours of exercise each week, in addition to attending lectures on physical culture and health. By the early twentieth century, the university began to offer courses dedicated to specific activities. Pilates was added in 2010. Although no longer required, these courses remain popular. Approximately 11% of students enrolled at the university take at least one of these courses during their time on campus; on average, 630 students take these courses per semester.
Designing a Curriculum that Respects Joe’s Legacy
I was fortunate when I agreed to teach this class to have my feet in two worlds: that of a faculty member, who had experience with the university’s requirements for course development and student assessment, and that of a trained Pilates teacher and regular practitioner. The central question for me was how to design a 15-week curriculum that stayed true to Mr. Pilates’ principles while satisfying the university’s complex labyrinth of requirements, including the length of class meeting time, course learning outcomes, and grading policies. What would the assignments look like? How many assignments would there be? Other equally important questions followed: how do you engage a large group of students with varied physical abilities, fitness levels, and exposure to Pilates? Some students already had some familiarity through group Pilates classes, while others knew of Pilates only as the latest buzzword in exercise (“You mean that this isn’t a form of yoga?” “There was an actual person named Mr. Pilates?”). And how do you keep them engaged and focused for more than an hour and a half in this age of TikTok and short attention spans? How do you make a course like this meaningful and impactful for university students?
Although the course presented challenges, it brought with it exciting and rewarding opportunities: after all, I had a captive audience for 15 weeks of 20 to 24 students who were required to come to class as part of their grade. I saw this as a way to build skills, develop a consistency of practice, and explore some topics in greater depth. It also allowed the students to help direct the curriculum, giving them a sense of ownership in the class. We were in this journey together. We were building a community.
Course Content
First and foremost, the course needed to cover the fundamentals of practice and theory. The intermediate classical mat sequence formed the foundation of the course. To that, we would also discuss the history of Pilates, its foundational principles, anatomy as it relates to Pilates exercises, and other topics that they wanted to explore, and these were geared to a particular semester’s students. One class, for example, wanted to read about how current professional sports teams are making use of Pilates to enhance performance. Content for the course came from Mr. Pilates’ writings, books about Pilates, newspaper articles, magazine stories, advertisements, and even archival photographs. Content was posted on the university’s course management system that was password protected so only students enrolled in the course could access it.
Each class meeting followed the same basic structure: we began with a “Quote of the Day” by Mr. Pilates. This was followed by warm-up exercises; skill drills, which included breaking down mat exercises and doing focused strength work; and lecture. Each session concluded with the intermediate classical mat flow. The semester was structured so that each week built on what had come before it: pre-Pilates work was followed by beginning exercises; the basic history of Pilates formed the foundation for a deeper discussion on the Pilates Elders, for example.
Assessments
Because this course receives university credit, students had to be graded on more than just their attendance. The approved learning outcomes for this course meant that at the conclusion of the course, students should be able to demonstrate an understanding of basic anatomy and physiology related to Pilates exercises; discuss the history and philosophical principles of Pilates; describe the equipment used for practice; and be able to perform (most of) the intermediate exercises safely and appropriately. The course was required to have mid-term and final exams, which covered history, philosophy, anatomy, and the exercises. In addition, students were asked to write three short essays: their first impressions, their final thoughts, and their own personalized program of exercises that included movements of flexion, extension, rotation, and lateral flexion. Small quizzes throughout the semester helped students prepare for the exams. On the last day of class, students had their final practicum, where they performed the intermediate mat sequence. Students were graded on their understanding of the exercises and any modifications they might require, rather than on a particular standard of performance.
Student Engagement
Throughout the semester, I sought ways in which students could be more directly involved in the class. For example, students were asked to write on a slip of paper a warm-up exercise that they wanted to do. The slips were collected and then used to create the warm-up for that day. They were asked to put a checkmark next to an exercise that they wanted to review in class. Students were also invited to play “Pilates Roulette” on a roulette wheel that was pre-loaded with review questions for the exam. While this was designed to reinforce learning, it was also meant to be fun. After all, how many students could say that their teacher brought a roulette wheel to class?
So, how did it turn out? What were the successes and what needed re-thinking? In Part 2, I will discuss student feedback and the impact that the course had on them.
A triathlete who competed at national and international levels, Catherine began her classical Pilates journey after a running accident resulted in a total hip replacement. During her rehabilitation, she discovered the power of Pilates in helping her get back on her feet. In fact, in many ways, she was stronger than she was before her injury. She realized, “I would have been a much better athlete had I known about Pilates 20 years ago!” It was then that she decided to pursue teacher training so that she could work with others to help them achieve optimum strength, awareness of movement, and flexibility. She is passionate about spreading the word on how developing a regular practice in classical Pilates is a life-changing and life-long pursuit — and it can be embraced by everyone.
Catherine recently retired as a professor of Asian art history and associate dean of the Graduate School at The University of Alabama and now teaches part-time for the university’s department of kinesiology, where she offers classes in indoor cycling and Pilates for university credit. She is a graduate of Streamline Pilates’ 450-hour intermediate-level teacher training program. She has been a certified Spinning® instructor for 24 years and a certified Personal Trainer for the past 20 years. In addition, she holds a Ph.D. in East Asian Studies from the University of Toronto.