COVID-19 and Pilates
A global pandemic to force us in to the future
2020 - what more needs to be said… Having seen Australia battle some of the worst bush fires in history at the start of the year, to then quickly change gear in to a global pandemic has certainly left many feeling unsettled to say the least. And this pandemic has certainly been an eye opening experience, in many ways. In particular, it’s been an interesting social experiment in seeing what happens as a society when we operate from a place of fear. And by fear, we can mean a number of things - fear of death, fear of illness, fear for our loved ones, fear for our rights in society, and fear for our health at an individual, community, and society level. And this fear has bought out the worst in some people - though to hording resources, through to physical disagreements and intellectual abuse, by which we mean manipulation of the mind whether it be by individuals, or at the other end of the spectrum sits media and government.
On the other hand it has also brought forward incredible humanity and generosity to those in need. From individuals providing support to their neighbours, through to entrepreneurial characters raising funds and awareness for people and areas of the community that have been overlooked by the government support packages. From the perspective of a small-business in a competitive industry, it’s been incredible to witness how quickly we can, as an industry, mobilise to the next platform. As soon as it became clear that training with clients in real life was no longer considered safe by the government, the whole industry quickly put together a new game plan to do their best to maintain income in hope of being financial stable when we do get to open again. And the transition to training online had already been happening, but at a much slower pace - nothing like an emergency to put a rocket under your seat!
Transitioning to online training
So the days of only being able to train someone in the studio are no longer, and people are now actively looking for ways to access their practitioners from anywhere in the globe. Location is less of a commodity, while personality and skill stand out as key factors in determining who one wants to work with. But other factors that are also worth considering are price, accessibility, and novel offerings. Everyone has the capacity to offer pre-recorded online classes, but what makes them stand out? Is there value in following along someone else doing the workout and live streaming it to you, or would you just end up lying on the floor watching? Or perhaps you just want someone to give you real time support, encouragement, and make sure you’re not getting your left and rights confused and doing something completely different to what you thought you were! Most people will sign up to a service if three things work: a) the cost is within their budget or they can see the value, b) they can easily access it, and c) they like the person in front of them, in whatever capacity that may be.
So where does Movementality fit in to this picture?
Having had what many would consider a successful Pilates studio, in real life, how do we then reshape an entire bricks and mortar business online and still maintain the same apparent success? Well, what has become more and more apparent to Ash and Rob over the last three years is how robust and resilient our clientele has become since we first inherited Balance & Control Pilates. Clients’ are not only willing to move between practitioners, but also platforms of communication. This would not have seemed possible to Ash and I even 12 months ago! The continual growth of the technology sector and requirement to keep up with the basics has definitely helped with bringing ideas forward that are a bit different, but a lot of this robustness is also due to our fantastic team of Pilates professionals that move with the times and are always happy to take on new clients or cover where necessary. And ultimately it also reflects how far our client base has come the past few years in terms of their strength and confidence - confidence not only in the studio and our practitioners, but more importantly in their own bodies and understanding their capacity for movement. This is, and has always been the end goal for Movementality - we want you to come to us because you enjoy the experience, not because you’re afraid to move without us!
And in knowing that our respective ancestral homes place us across two countries, we always thought perhaps one day we’d be have to at least in some part become an online business. But we had no idea that it would take a viral pandemic to force our hand so soon. Isn’t it quite incredible how nature goes full steam to try sort out its own health, of which humans are but one of a plethora of living species inhabiting the planet.
Want to do some online Pilates?
If you want to learn more about our online training, follow this link. Sessions are offered over Zoom, and booked in via the normal booking system. They all run for generally about 55 minutes, and can be done privately, in a semi-private, or part of a larger group class - all priced accordingly to how much attention we’re able to give you throughout the session. Having some small props would be really helpful, such as foam rollers and massage balls, although we’ll be able to work with whatever you have.
On a side note, our thoughts are with those who continue to be affected by the virus, and we hope that in time the wounds will heal, and as a society we can learn from our mistakes and remember that we’re all in this together. Now more than ever, is a time to think ‘we’ not ‘me’.