Pilates for Children: Making Pilates Safe and Fun for Kids

Book excerpt: "First Educate the Child!" In his book, YOUR HEALTH, Joe Pilates made it very clear that he wanted children to learn his system of body-mind-spirit development. In fact, there are many Pilates teachers who are making his dream a reality, and yet there is still very limited information on how to maintain the integrity of the Pilates Method while adapting the exercises for young students. PILATES FOR CHILDREN is an unprecedented Pilates book, featuring safety modifications, age appropriate verbal prompts, child friendly imagery, and useful tips for teaching Pilates to elementary school age children on both the Mat and the Pilates equipment. Additionally, teachers will discover that the information provided here can be applied to students far beyond the 6-11 age range. In addition to her detailed descriptions of the exercises, author Christina Maria Gadar personalizes the material with some of the delightful conversations and interactions that have taken place while teaching her young students. And she presents many of the insightful sayings passed on to her from her mentor Romana Kryzanowska, Joseph Pilates' protege. PILATES FOR CHILDREN is a must for any certified Pilates teacher interested in expanding his or her teaching skills. With artwork created by a child artist and Pilates photography featuring children demonstrating all the exercises, PILATES FOR CHILDREN is more than a comprehensive text. It is a beautiful and inspiring look at what children are capable of doing when given the opportunity to rise to the occasion.