By Dianne Wise

The Foot Corrector is that small, saddle-like piece of equipment you’ve probably seen on the floor in Pilates studios. It was designed by Joseph Pilates himself, just like the rest of the Pilates apparatus, yet it seems not to be used as frequently. After all, how many of our clients ask us to work out…their feet?

Developing a “foot program” for your clients, however, can yield many benefits. A lot of people don’t realize that our bodies’ joint-alignment begins with the feet, which act much like the foundation of a house. If the foundation is not properly laid down, the rest of the structure does not have a stable base of support. To compensate, some parts of the structure might take on more weight than they’re designed to hold and can become damaged, or simply buckle. As the foundation for our bodies, our feet do a lot of work supporting our body weight. They also endure the abuse of walking on hard surfaces all day long. It’s very important to keep them healthy and happy— too often they are ignored.

There are many excellent options for working the feet in Pilates: apparatus exercises such as Footwork on the Reformer or Parakeet on the Cadillac mobilize and strengthen, while props like small hard balls (for tissue release) and Therabands (for spot-strengthening) are excellent for detailed work. The Foot Corrector, however, is the only piece of Pilates apparatus that works the feet in a weight-bearing, and therefore functional, position.

Zobha’s Grace V dressBy Lauren Charlip

The spring 2010 fitness-wear lines are coming in, and we’ve noticed that several companies are showing workout dresses. We’ve always admired women who take their workout get-ups beyond the mere T-shirt or tank top, who go for a real “look.” Now, it seems, fitness brands are making that easier for all of us. In fact, a few companies are taking styles that were successful as tops and adding some extra length, which allows for forgiving coverage of the hips, thighs and behind. And of course, these dresses pair perfectly with leggings for studio-to-street style—great for anyone who spends the bulk of their time in workout gear.

Here are a few of our favorites:

Back in November, when we were working on Pilates Equipment Circuit Classes, we had the chance to talk at length with Margy Verba, who runs FlowMotion Pilates in Bishop, California, and discovered that she had worked with members of the 2006 U.S. Olympic ski team. In the spirit of Vancouver 2010 Olympic fever, we invited her to share a behind-the-scenes look at the Pilates program she designed for skiers training for the 2006 Winter games in Torino.

By Margy Verba

In the spring of 2005,  I was pondering the next step in my Pilates career. I had been working in the mountain resort town of Mammoth Lakes, California, and was in between studios. Then I got a very interesting call. Both the men’s and women’s U.S. ski teams were coming to do some training at Mammoth Mountain: Did I have time to work with them? Could I start the following week? After reflecting for about half a second, I accepted. I had already put together a Pilates program for skiers; when you work in a ski town, most of your clients are skiers, after all.

By Lauren Charlip

Recently, we got word of big new developments at the PhysicalMind Institute. We put in a call to PMI founder Joan Breibart, to find out just what was afoot.

PhysicalMind, which has offices and a learning space in downtown Manhattan, but has never had a large, central working studio space, will be opening a studio headquarters on Manhattan’s Upper East Side in the coming weeks (near 80^th Street and Lexington Avenue). Breibart has also announced a reorganized staff, and is in the process of making changes to the PMI teacher training curriculum.

“It’s a reorientation,” Breibart says. “We are forming this team and opening this new place because we’re looking ahead at the clients we’ll have in the next five to 10 years.” Breibart tells us she’s factored in the explosive growth that Pilates has experienced in the last decade, along with the hard reality that many Americans are more unfit than ever. “You have an overweight, aging population, and that’s very different from when Joe Pilates was around,” she says. “You also have a population with a lot of injuries. You have people who are full-time computer users [with problems from the ergonomics], and kids who spend so much time texting and playing video games.” All of this, she says, indicates a new direction for the Pilates work that PhysicalMind instructors will be doing with clients in the coming years.

By Nicole Rogers

Owning your own business is a tough job. Most Pilates professionals know this because they’ve had some experience going into business for themselves. Freelancers, studio owners, and people who teach from their homes can all share stories about the joys and challenges of being your own boss.

So what happens when your partner in business is also your partner in life? With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, we thought it would be a great time to look into these Pilates-studio romances. We found three couples—the Collets, the Winters and the McCullochs—willing to open up and share the ins and outs of being in the ultimate Pilates partnership.

Amanda Martin

Debra GoodmanFor the fourth installment of our Pilates On Call series, we’re focusing on the topic of pregnancy. We’re sure it will be a busy and popular post, if site traffic for this topic is any indicator.

Pilates On Call is a month-long, open Q&A session with an expert, so this is your opportunity to ask about the finer points of Pilates exercise with this population. Perhaps you’d like advice for working with a newly pregnant client, or information about a particular pregnancy-related condition.

We’re thrilled to welcome Debra Goodman, MSPT, back to the site. She’s written several popular articles on Pilates and pregnancy for us, and has an extensive background treating pregnant and postpartum patients. She is one of few physical therapists trained in internal evaluation and treatment of the pelvic floor muscles. And we’re equally thrilled to introduce Amanda Martin, owner of balance in Athens, Georgia, a Pilates and wellness studio that specializes in working with pregnant and post-natal clientele, among other populations. She has been doing this kind of Pilates work since 2004.

Post your questions in the comments section below or email them to us editor@pilates-pro.com. Debra and Amanda will get to them as quickly as possible, but might need a day or two to respond.

When tragic events like the recent earthquake in Haiti happen, the devastation is incomprehensible. The outpouring of aid that follows is, at least, heartening, and the innovative ways people come up with to raise funds are impressive and inspiring. The Pilates community is no exception. Information about Pilates fundraisers for earthquake relief is starting to come in, so we’re rounding it up to help out and hopefully to encourage more of the same.

After the jump, read on to find out how different Pilates businesses are pitching in to help with the relief effort in Haiti. You just might find some good ideas for a benefit of your own.