To Zoom or not to Zoom, that is the. . . Yep, just definitely yes. ONLINE PILATES CLASSES. Do it.
I was whizzing back through the email archives in search of an elusive something, and came across one of the first emails I sent out to team Lark after I had closed live classes in March, just ahead of the first whisperings of a national lockdown.
Strange to say that as I opened it, I felt I was about to crack into a historical document…
What was I thinking way back then? What on earth did I say? What was the tone?
I have to say I was relieved. It all still sits well with me now.
One chunk that did jump off the virtual page though, amidst my very basic advice and instructions for joining Lark Pilates classes online, was the following:
We are in this for the long haul
Things are very unsettling just now, and quite difficult for lots of us, for lots of different reasons. According to the latest government briefing, restrictions will likely apply, on and off, for the next six months or so.
Looking after our health and fitness during this time could not be more important for our resilience, both mind and body.
This is not just important for us as individuals, but for our families, friends and communities.
So let’s get cracking — and keep fit and connected!
Long haul indeed! Eight months on, and it is the timeframe that leaps off the page here. It seems so naïve. Especially today, as our various governments deliberate and announce new pre-winter restrictions. (Who would be a politician right now…cripes.)
The rest of it though, I reiterate wholeheartedly.
Investing time and effort into building our health and fitness are excellent, urgent and imperative challenges right now. If you are waiting for real life classes to begin again, you will likely (unfortunately) be waiting another long stretch of time.
And therefore, Zoom. Commit to your class online and it will add structure, a change of pace, some familiar smiling faces and a good moment of relaxation to your day. As well as a top notch workout of course!
It’s an ace idea too to take good chunks of time to get outside, no matter what the weather. Take some deep breaths, climb a hill, gallop along the beach, zip off down to the park, and get that heart rate up. Break a sweat! This is more important than an online exercise regime by the way, far more!
But we are super fortunate to live in a time and a place where it is still possible to access our fitness classes — and from the safety and comfort of our own homes. Yes there are for sure some downsides to online classes, but there are certainly a host of big plusses too.
I’ll summarise the pros and cons below.
But for those who don’t have time to read on, here’s the punchline:
Should you Zoom? Yes. Do it. Definitely.
“I joined Lark Pilates two weeks before “lockdown” and it has been a godsend in creating an exercise routine during the current restrictions. Johanna demonstrates throughout the class and talks in an informative and entertaining way. You are left in no doubt as to what muscles should be working! I definitely feel the benefit of Pilates and having a regular chuckle with Johanna is an added bonus!”
Online Pilates Classes: the pros
*It’s super convenient – no time wasting
Click on the link, and boom! You’re in. There’s no faffing around looking for keys, finding your socks, jumping in a cold car, whizzing off somewhere in the cold and dark and rain of an eve. Or a morning for that matter.
*It is inexpensive – and great value
At Lark you pay £11 per week and can attend as many of the six live Zoom classes as you like. Granted some of them run back to back, but for the price of one weekly class, you could be attending three or four.
My goal when experimenting with the online set up, was to enable people to increase their fitness, to do more exercise, and to stay connected, during this time when health and social connections are so very challenged.
The other essential was to provide these extra opportunities with no increase in cost.
I’m pleased to report…hoorahs all round! The experiment has paid off! I would say the majority of Lark Pilates clients now attend at least two or three sessions each week. And they are feeling and seeing the benefits.
*It is actually pretty fun
Thankfully I did not have time to consider all the implications of leaping about in front of a camera daily, wittering into the void for hours on end…
Teaching live and online happened almost overnight. And a good thing too, as had I thought long and hard, I may well have put myself right off.
In short, teaching online should be way out of my comfort zone. You may feel that joining an online Pilates class is way out of yours too.
In actual fact, it is refreshingly fun and energising – not intimidating at all. And that is absolutely down to the brilliance and graciousness of all you ace Pilates people. Team Lark. You lot. Well done. And huge thanks!
For all your super encouraging feedback, your commitment, suggestions, requests and generally sporting approach to Lark online.
If you’re not too sure about Zoom, I say, jump in! And it’s not just me…have a look at the testimonials I’ve popped into this piece at various points.
You can trial Lark Pilates classes online for a week for £15. If you then book a six or ten week block of classes, you can count this toward the cost.
*It is good for your health — body and mind
When I first launched Lark, I came up with the tagline: ‘Small, friendly and upbeat Pilates classes’.
Perhaps not conventional priorities for an exercise class. But for me, these things are essential.
No-one feels uplifted by the awkward eyes of unfriendly class mates, nor cheered on by too much competitiveness. Nor generally encouraged by intimidating amounts of lycra.
My philosophy such as it is, could be summarised as follows:
Laughter is best for health. You do your best exercise when relaxed. Community is essential for wellbeing.
A couple of years since launch, and I am super proud to say that Lark does exactly what it says on the tin. The latter is a little trickier to maintain online – but I am working on some new ways to keep building our sense of community. Watch this space!
At present, classes open online 15 minutes before the hard work begins, so you have a good chunk of time to join early and catch up with pals before you launch into stretch central.
*It’s better for the environment
No petrol required to get yourself to class! : )
Whoop! An unforseen huge plus!
“I really enjoyed the online pilates class the other day, it made me feel a lot better mentally as well as physically. I was feeling all round lacklustre and it really did make me feel so much better, which I wasn't expecting from one session! Looking forward to my next class already!”
Online Pilates Classes: the cons
*Set up can be a bit of a faff – until you get your system sorted
It can take a couple of classes to get your set up set. Unless you can mirror your iPad onto your TV or a large computer monitor (actually pretty easy if you have the tech), you will probably need to move your screen around during the class, or find a good mid-level prop – because we move from standing up to lying down on the mat.
As an online class attendee myself, it took me a couple of goes to get comfy – but now I have it down. And it’s no faff at all.
*There is no individual feedback or correction during the class
I would say this is the main drawback of online classes. The opportunity to offer people advice and suggest adjustments or answer questions is the thing I miss most about teaching in person. And I do understand that my clients miss this too.
To offer the best support that I can, I always encourage people to get in touch after class with any questions, or suggestions or requests for future classes. All my best classes are drawn up in response to client requests!
This goes some way to mitigate the loss of individual attention. In addition, I have recently introduced mini one to ones – 20 minute private sessions to provide tailored instruction. Running through a couple of exercises for feedback, or offering exercise modifications for example.
During class I am not be able to communicate with people individually, but I am very happy to do so after class, on the phone, via email, or however you like. Some classes run back to back, so there may be a slight delay.
*You have to listen to me witter on for 40 odd minutes
Odd being the operative word at times! But it does fly by. Which must mean it’s fun, right?!
“Johanna brings that special magic that only great teachers have, her deep subject knowledge of Pilates is fantastic for overall health and wellbeing, plus the boundless enthusiasm she injects into every single class. Every class is different , she breaks down the exercises into easy achievable steps. I have been attending in person classes as well as online since March and feel a remarkable difference in how I move and my overall flexibility.”
If you would like to find out more about online Pilates classes, how to set up Zoom and so forth, I would be delighted to have a chat.
Call me on 07920 421783, or drop me a note: johanna@larkpilates.com
PS. Keep your peepers peeled for the next blog, where I’ll be sharing my top ten practical tips for getting the most out your online Pilates class from your ‘home studio’. And yes, for me also, this is a corner of my lounge!