Issue #414 – Wednesday, November 8, 2023
What does a slow sloth have to do with teaching Pilates?
by Charlotte Marsh
I took a “Pilates for kids and teens” qualification years ago. The course was great and as a mum of two, I found it very interesting.
Around the same time, I started volunteering in a school. Back then, there were not many discussions about special educational needs, but over time, this started to change.
References to growth mindset, emotional check-ins, ADHD and anxiety became more frequent; additional educational needs & mental health awareness were on the increase.
My experience in school was shifting, and so was my Pilates focus. As someone who had dealt with a chronic pain condition, I had investigated alternative body treatments. I discovered that they all centred around the diaphragm and prioritised breathing. I became a breathing geek and dived deeper!
This period also coincided with noticing a breathing dysfunction in my daughter. She had started paradoxical breathing (where you see the tummy expanding on an exhale instead of on an inhale). She had also started to worry – as did I. So, I embarked upon further studies and became a Buteyko breath coach and with help, we corrected her breathing.
Fast forward to the COVID era. I had to pivot from my usual Pilates business and decided to teach “Petit Pilates” to children and families online. I made up little stories each week. I remembered being told years ago – “there are no Pilates books for kids, use yoga stories for ideas” and that got me thinking…
If you can’t see what you want in this world, sometimes you must create it yourself!
Shortly thereafter, my book “Susie Sloth and her Secret Superpower” was born! This is the first professionally illustrated Pilates activity picture book, which also features breathwork for children.
Susie Sloth makes friends with animals who each have a special skill, but can anyone guess her secret superpower? It’s a sweet and interactive tale introducing kids to Pilates movements. Her superpower – controlling her breath – leads to her top 5 breathwork practices for wellbeing.
We meet a new animal on each page who introduces Pilates along with diagrams to model how to do each movement. Children have fun guessing which animal will be next; lots of page-turnability!
We find out about her superpower as she shares her favourite breathwork exercises. These are pitched in a child-friendly way but are based on neuroscience, Buteyko biochemistry, nervous system regulation etc.
It also includes a better breathing lesson, to help children tap into this superpower. As a Buteyko breathing coach, I’ve seen how often children with a dysfunctional breathing pattern suffer with anxiety – because their nervous system doesn’t feel safe due to their breathing.
It’s widely accepted that the pandemic caused a significant effect on children’s mental health, resulting in increased rates of anxiety, depression, and other mental health conditions — 1 in 8 kids in the UK, 1 in 5 in US and 1 in 3 kids in Japan are suffering.
Anxiety is now affecting over 30% of adolescents and kids are struggling to focus; attention span has dropped down to 47 seconds! (NIMH & Dr Gloria Mark, University of California). The two most successful interventions for anxiety, even more so than talk therapy, are connecting with nature and moving your body! (Dr Vanessa LaPointe).
Up to 75% of the anxiety and panic disorder population have dysfunctional breathing. The breathing exercises we do in the book help to stimulate the vagus nerve, which secretes a neurotransmitter called acetylcholine that causes the heart rate to slow down and the brain then interprets that the body is safe.
Educating children about the physiology of their body and how they can interpret those signals, and even alter the signals, is simple to do and vitally important, even life changing.
My favourite feedback from this book was when a young girl recognised she was upset and about to lose her temper, and said “Mummy, help me find my breath. I just need to count my breath.”
I’m finding teaching kids so much fun! They don’t tend to bring the weight of the world into class. One Pilates teacher said, “The kids are so genuinely happy to see me, it’s the fun part of their day.” Plus, kids say the funniest of things, like a pupil asking; “Why am I leaking?” and the teacher had to explain that bodies sweat!
If you’ve not studied childhood development, one of the biggest discoveries is how the 5 pillars of their progress are all interdependent. So, if a child works on their core strength, it directly correlates to their speech & language. If a child improves gross motor skills, it enhances their fine motor skills, such as holding a pencil. If a child learns to play well with others by improving their social skills, this also develops their cognitive abilities. So, doing Pilates doesn’t just improve their ability to do Pilates; it builds ability and skills in every pillar of their development.
To “pin down” a thought, there must be movement. In young kids, moving as they make a playful shape to remember a breathing practice is very effective. If children are encouraged to move more, they learn more.
I love teaching the workshop that accompanies this book because many kids detest the competitive nature of school sport – but we teach instead a personal movement practice and self-regulation techniques. Kids aren’t born being able to self-regulate, we must show them how to co-regulate with others in order for them to build this skill.
Also, in a study of 500 kids in Canada, students who spent an extra hour each day doing a gym class performed better in exams than inactive kids.
Pilates educates children about body awareness, which can boost their self-confidence. In a world where kids are now bombarded by “comparison-itis” via social media, let’s play our part in the messages they hear about body image. Pilates can help to establish an appreciation for the body, a goal of strength, balance and living pain free rather than aesthetics.
Joseph Pilates told us; “First educate the child. In childhood, habits are easily formed.”
It is my hope that Susie Sloth will inspire a whole new Pilates pack and make a positive change in the world, one little set of lungs at a time!
Susie Sloth and her Secret Superpower is now available on Amazon and at other major retailers.
Charlotte’s first introduction to Pilates was due to a serious back injury when 8 months pregnant. Once partially recovered, a physiotherapist suggested Pilates classes.
Over a decade later, Pilates remained her favourite and she became a Pilates instructor herself. Acquiring additional qualifications, with Pilates Pregnancy Impact, she found herself mainly working with private clients who required specialised women’s health coaching, pregnancy, pelvic floor, etc many of which involved improving breathing.
As part of her own healing journey, she sensed her diaphragm was restricted on one side and a physiotherapist concurred. Alternative body workers introduced her to different techniques to release tension and this piqued an even greater interest in breathing.
Noticing that one of her children was breathing in a really strange way – especially when upset – was the catalyst to become a Buteyko Breathwork coach.
She became driven to bust the myth that Pilates breathing is uniquely special, and launched a course for Pilates professionals which had over 100 5* reviews.
Upon entering the teenage parenting era, Charlotte felt drawn to explore parenting courses and embodiment courses to learn about connection. Once again, breathing features strongly.
Adding further APPI qualifications,
she started teaching Pilates for kids. Yoga story books were one source of lesson plan inspiration – as there were no Pilates storybooks for kids.
Hence this passion project came to be! Charlotte believes that teaching these simple techniques to kids will give them tools for life and make them more resilient & better able to recover from stress.
As well as Buteyko coaching and workplace wellness, Charlotte’s focus is offering primary school workshops; using Susie Sloth to teach Pilates and better breathing to little bodies and minds.