Pilates for Men, Part 1

Men’s Health week is celebrated next week, 13- 19 June.

Pilates is often still portrayed by the media as a predominantly female activity; for, and instructed by, women. For Men’s Health Week we wanted to highlight the real life experiences of male instructors and their clients. So, we asked a few of our fellow members to share their unique experience by answering a series of questions.

Read on, as PAA Professional Instructor members Benjamin Rashleigh and Rob Carruthers share their views on the benefits of Pilates for men and describe some of the challenges faced in teaching them. Then watch out for our second instalment featuring Darren Vizer and Warwick Maloney, coming soon!

How has Pilates helped you?
Pilates has helped me in so many ways from addressing chronic back pain, to body awareness, to creating agency over my own physical goals and achievements.

What has Pilates brought to your health and life?
Pilates has brought a way of living and an outlook on how my health should be prioritised, by listening to my body and and working with what it presents on a day to day basis.

What are the key health challenges you see for men in your studio?
Mainly as a general population when they first start seeing us at the studio it is one of neglect… not putting their physicality first and this tends to present n a multitude of ways, from lower back pain to injury from not building the capacity to achieve their goals.

What results or improvements are they looking for? what goals matter most to them?
As a whole, Pilates is not their “everything” so to speak, but is a tool for them to work on and achieve their physical goals outside of the studio. So being able to continue to do something they love doing or to be able to pick up something new or to achieve a certain benchmark in something else tends to be what matters most. Not so much what they can do in the studio.

What do you see as the additional or broader benefits and outcomes of Pilates for men (in areas such as social, health, mental, personal growth, relationships)
As a male, there will always be some sort of masculinity/physicality crisis at some stage in our lives whether it be positive or toxic; I feel like that is irrelevant and I definitely don’t want to take away for other genders either. However what Pilates adds is a feeling of being able to stay relevant physically as well as a positive attitude and relationship to our bodies. Which is very validating to us physically and mentally.

What percentage of your clients are male?
I’d say roughly 35 – 40% of my clients are Male.

What have you found to be the biggest driver to men starting Pilates?
A need for change.

What classes, schedule or studio features are attracting men to your Pilates studio?
We have a fully equipped studio with a large array of spring options to cater for all strengths and levels regardless of gender, paired with our small group sessions that are individually programmed. I feel like that makes it attractive to men, especially when they see and feel that the method has quite a strong masculine side that can be catered for.

What are your key pointers to open the broader conversation of health with men?
The choice to not know and/or not to act is not a successful strategy when it comes to your own health. It’s hard taking the first step to talk, do or seek help but after the first step its all down hill from there.

Any further advice? (for teachers or clients)
Clients – don’t be afraid to share your goals regardless how irrelevant or insignificant you think they maybe.
And Teachers – sometimes it takes the act of listening to what is being said to truly find the solution and goal not just hearing what is being said….. wow that was a real Mr Miyagi moment there.

 

 

About Benjamin: For the better part of a decade Benjamin dedicated himself to his career as a fine dining chef, both here in Australia and in Europe. Years of 60-plus hour weeks being hunched over a bench, caused chronic lower back pain and forced Ben to wear a brace on a daily basis just to accomplish simple tasks. Benjamin’s physiotherapist recommended he take up Pilates to combat the damage. He quickly developed a passion for the discipline, which in turn prompted him to enrol at National Pilates Training and obtain his Diploma in 2012.

Benjamin’s passion for the method is forever evolving. You can usually find him teaching at his studio Aligned for Life Pilates – Melbourne CBD where he is the co-owner with Katrina Edwards, tackling and problem solving with a vast array of clients from the immune compromised to the elite performer/athlete. He has firm plans to further himself as an instructor and quench his lust for knowledge through continued professional development and designing and presenting industry specific workshops.

Currently Benjamin is a faculty educator as well as teaching the Introduction to Anatomy for National Pilates Training where he teaches the basics through to the most practical way possible. On top of this Benjamin is also works with players from the Western Crusaders American Football club, national representatives for the Australian Outback Women’s Gridiron team and the full time dancers and musical theatre at Ministry of Dance to help support their strength and flexibility.

How has Pilates helped you?
It’s given me a platform to explore movement more in-depth, and driven more learning in multiple directions while still enjoying a thorough workout.

What has Pilates brought to your health and life?
Greater awareness of my body, and an ability to interpret signals/sensations in a bit more depth.

What are the key health challenges you see for men in your studio?
Mainly an awareness of themselves and their body. It gives them a safe space to explore what they are capable of, without judgement that often comes from more commercial fitness environments.

What results or improvements are they looking for? what goals matter most to them?
Flexibility, and maintenance of health for longevity of their health.

What do you see as the additional or broader benefits and outcomes of Pilates for men (in areas such as social, health, mental, personal growth, relationships)?
Their awareness flows on to many different aspects of their lives and can bring forward conversations around men’s health with their friends and family, while also developing a strong social network around them of people invested in their wellbeing.

What percentage of your clients are male?
Around 10-15% specifically with me, maybe 10% across the studio.

What have you found to be the biggest driver to men starting Pilates?
Their partners! And working with another man definitely helps, particularly one that is a bit more ‘blokey’ and has experience that’s more similar with the general population, rather than being from a dance or arts background.

What classes, schedule or studio features are attracting men to your Pilates studio?
Working with another man, in a capacity where their partners have built up their expectations of a normal, everyday kind of clientele.

What are your key pointers to open the broader conversation of health with men?
Just start, and don’t be shy to share your own experiences. Men often don’t feel comfortable talking about their health as they feel this expectation to be bullet proof for their loved ones. Showing a bit of vulnerability is the starting point, but don’t smother them as they may shy away.

Any further advice? (for teachers or clients)
It can’t be forced down their throats – they have to come to a realisation on their own that things have to change. And when that happens, keep the conversation gentle and let them drive themselves otherwise it can get overwhelming at times.

 

photo credit: Movementality

 

About Rob: Rob completed his degree in Exercise Science and Physiology in 2011 in New Zealand. After graduation, he moved to France to work a ski season and then onto London. Whilst he had the best intentions of returning to France the following winter, he instead fell into teaching fitness-based Reformer Pilates classes in some of central London’s most popular studios and put his travel plans on hold.

After 12 months, he retrained to focus on injury rehabilitation and began working in several physiotherapy clinics, and supported the medical staff at the Brentford Football Club by delivering Pilates. During this time, he also wandered down the rabbit hole that is the world of Functional Neurology. This has now become his main focus outside of the Pilates, with the two interlinking beautifully to problem solve movement or injuries that won’t seem to go away!

He and his partner Ash have now been running Movementality for 5 years, a fantastic space in North Richmond, Melbourne, that focuses on building confidence to restore movement quality – and then letting the body take care of the rest!