instructor of the month

Rhoda Cameron

November 2021

WHERE DO YOU TEACH?

I'm based in the beautiful Scottish Highlands, but all my classes are online at the moment. I've really enjoyed teaching online and I think it has helped not only my verbal cueing skills, but also my technological and marketing skills too!

I'm grateful to have regular clients who attend classes weekly via Zoom and also that through word of mouth, my client base is expanding faster than I could have hoped for. I think more and more people are discovering the convenience of online classes.

I shall hopefully begin community classes within the next few weeks and I'm looking forward to teaching in person and being around people again, although I shall likely continue to offer online classes too.

Your teaching tips

Listen to your clients' needs and feed into their motivation. Be your enthusiastic, happy self and the energy of the room will be positive and relaxed. Keep your clients guessing with your routines and give them something to look forward to each week. 

Favourite Exercise and reason why?

Probably the Front Leg Pull. I found this incredibly difficult at first and it was extremely satisfying to eventually master it. It works so many muscles at once and I felt so powerful the first time I managed it!

tell us a little bit about yourself and your experience in the industry

I first became interested in Pilates around 20 years ago, as it was one of the few exercise disciplines I actually enjoyed. I loved how strong it made me feel and the progress I could noticeably measure each week. I have always been interested in health, fitness and the body and almost trained as a doctor or physiotherapist when I left school. 

However, life got in the way and I spent many years in unispiring financial management roles, until I finally took the plunge and retrained as a Pilates instructor. Now, rather than dread Monday mornings, I wake up with a smile on my face and ready to hit the ground running (which is just as well as my first class is at 7am!).

I love teaching Pilates and seeing the difference it makes to people's lives. It's wonderful to know you are helping someone, whether it's relieving their pain, improving their mobility, or strengthening their body. I have clients who say Pilates has made them so much happier and I can definitely relate to this.

Receiving lovely feedback from clients helps to keep me motivated and I'd like to layer in further training in the health and wellness industry so I can make this my full time career.

Do you have a motto or mission statement?

I believe exercise shouldn't be a chore, as life is too precious to waste time on any activity you don't enjoy. Listen to your body, find what works for you. In short, "Go your own way".

Where do you see yourself in 5 years from now?

It would be nice to think I'd be teaching Pilates from a custom-built studio, overlooking the lake in the grounds of my Highland mansion. However, in reality I'd settle for being happy in my career and still feeling the excitement I have today for the health and wellness business. I'd like to be fully self-employed and thriving physically, mentally and financially.