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What is Flow?

There are six main principles of Pilates, one of which is flow. But what is flow, and how can you incorporate it into your classes? Simply put, flow refers to smooth, continuous movement from one exercise or position to another. It can also mean moving the body smoothly and gracefully. A straightforward example of this is having clients perform a supine hand-in-strap series, followed by a supine foot-in-strap series, without needing to change springs or adjust the setup.

Why is it Beneficial to Incorporate Flow into Your Classes?

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Incorporating flow into your classes offers many benefits. Firstly, it aids in class planning. By considering which exercises flow well together, you can build your class plan more easily.

Flow also simplifies your instruction, as you can avoid constantly explaining setup changes. By reducing the need for frequent adjustments, your clients benefit too. They’ll spend more time moving their bodies and less time transitioning between positions.

Additionally, keeping clients flowing from one exercise to the next challenges them. For example, on the reformer, you could have clients move from a lunge into a plank, and then into an elephant. This challenges them because there’s no break between exercises.

How Can You Flow Your Classes?

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Here are some simple ways to incorporate flow into your mat or reformer classes:

Tip One:

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On the reformer, try to minimise the number of spring changes. If clients are supine for hand-in-strap work, don’t have them get up to change the springs for foot-in-strap work. Set the springs at the start so they can seamlessly move from one exercise to the next. I try to limit spring changes to two or three per class. Ideally, I keep clients on the same springs for the entire session.

Tip Two:

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Group similar exercises together. Like the previous tip, if you’re teaching exercises with a similar setup, try to do them consecutively. For instance, if you’re teaching Bird-Dog on the mat, flow straight into push-ups. Since clients are already in a four-point kneeling position, maximise this.

Tip Three:

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Using props in your classes is a great way to add variety. However, you should consider how it impacts the flow of the class and how to use the prop in as many exercises as possible. You don’t want your class to feel ‘clunky’ with clients constantly picking up and putting down the prop.

The box is my favourite prop for flow on the reformer. In a recent class, I used the box for every exercise. I began with front-facing rollbacks, then moved into sides-over-box obliques, and finished with seated upper body work. All of this was done using the short box on a light spring. After that, clients placed the long box on the floor for kneeling shoulder presses, followed by step-ups on and off the box, leading into curtsy lunges on the reformer. Clients found the class challenging but easy to follow because there were minimal setup changes.

Tip Four:

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Use one exercise to transition between positions. This is an excellent way to increase the flow of your class and challenge your clients—no movement is wasted. For example, if clients are supine on the mat and you want them to come up to seated, have them do a roll-up.‍

Tip Five:

‍Tell clients what’s coming next. If clients are in the middle of a side-lying bicycle exercise and you’re planning to take them into a straight leg sweep, let them know ahead of time. This keeps them moving, rather than finishing the bicycle, stopping, and then transitioning to the leg sweep. It’s a simple but effective way to maintain flow.

For more amazing insight from our instructors check out How to Keep Growing as a Pilates Instructor or check out our Instructor Training Course to start your own journey as a pilates instructor.