Jasmina is owner of Pilates Studio JB Care Pilates & more in Germany. Jasmina tells us about her project – The Wrath of the Sport Cannons – which supports women with overweight and/or mobility problems through Pilates. She want these courageous women to get the attention they deserve in a Pilatesclass.
The same day Marjolein van Sonsbeek (Editor-in-Chief of Pilatesglossy) first contacted me on Facebook, was one of the many days, that I spent trying to make my project “The Wrath of the Sport Cannons” known on the World Wide Web. The project is very dear to me, because it relates to women who did not found their path to fitness directly or until later in life. More specifically, women who are overweight or have limited mobility and do not have an easy time finding a Pilates or Aerobic class they feel comfortable going to and have fun with.
Couch potato
When I was 30 years old , I personally was a 220-lb couch potato, hell-bent against any sort of physical activity. There were simply no athletic clothes that fitted me AND made me look good. Beside that, I had intense back pain, arthritis, and herniated discs. That simply takes all the fun out of fitness. I found that most fitness trainers generally are not very empathetic towards overweight clients. No one ever taught them that being overweight is not indefinitely related to being lazy or having a bad diet.
Pains away
My first Pilates class gave me an epiphany. The class was called “Happy Body” and the instructor looked as if she were pregnant….but she wasn’t. And I had no idea what we did was Pilates. I also didn’t really care. It was simply enjoyable. Incredibly, it took all of my pains away within 6 months, to the point where I no longer needed to take strong medication to subdue the pain. Soon thereafter I began my training to become a Mat-Instructor at Essence Pilates in Bremen. My instructor, Ina Hanken, convinced me at that point that I would never pass the exam, simply because I wasn’t yet physically capable of executing a perfect Leg-pull-front or Twister. But it was also so important to be as precise in explaining the exercise….and I still passed the exam!
My own studio
For nearly 6 years I have been working as a Pilates instructor in various sport clubs. For the past two years I had my own small studio. Unfortunately, I had to share the space with the local Wind Symphony of the village fire department. Although I did not really enjoy hearing it, it was an interesting setup, to say the least 😉 In September 2014 I will be moving into my own real studio. Considering that my 12 courses per week allow a maximum of 4 students on the Reformers and a maximum of 6 students on the mats, a full schedule has already been established! My clients feel comfortable during our courses, and even when there is a giant drum kit in the background and rustic pewter plates hanging from the walls. They can be slim or chubby, young or old. With stylish workout clothes from Winshape, or an old washed-out T-shirt and pajama pants. Seriously, none of us care. Through utilizing small groups, each client can be individually mentored through the exercises. We are a bucket full of laughs and everyone has a great time. Every three months we all get together and go out to eat or plan a trip to meet with other Trainers in the area.
Officially healed
Currently, I weigh between 160-165 lbs. Thanks to Pilates, I have gotten my arthritis under control and my herniated discs have officially healed. Now I am completely capable of executing Leg-pull-backs and Twisters. My Pilates training simply works for me and my clients because it always revolves around how it feels.
Gossip about overweight
I constantly experience how other trainers gossip about overweight, undisciplined students when I go to advanced licensing courses. These clients have got up the courage to participate in these courses and become so discouraged through the negative environment, that most of them are usually scared away from it. The demeanor and feelings that these types of trainers give off, by no means helps foster a feeling of well-being in overweight clients. It is our duty as trainers to help and motivate these people, not to judge them. I know for a fact that many of my colleagues see it the same way. But all of us already know the negative examples. And word of this spreads quickly. As it is, Pilates is automatically becoming perceived as THE training of the rich, thin, and beautiful. Pilates has so much more potential than this!!! Pilates strengthens your physical and mental resources and offers every person a way to find their “home” within their own body.
Care—Education
Together with the help of my friend and colleague, Susanne Gerdes, I am planning “Care—Education”. This is an institute for teaching methods of contemporary Pilates. Our goal is to train empathetic and thoughtful instructors, who will be able to work with their clients as individuals, in a competent and caring manner. Care-Pilates is geared toward individual Pilates training in small group, to make exercise feel good. We are also available for workshops in the Netherlands. My area of focus is on “contemporary Pilates for oversized people”.
“Die Rache der Sportkanoninnen” (“The Wrath of the Sport Cannons!”) will be available in September as an E-book. The book includes many faces of women who have had both good and bad experiences. (These are photos of me and several of my colleagues and students). The proceeds from the sales will go directly to a local Preschool in my town.
©Jasmina Berger
JB Care Pilates & more
Fischteichenweg 2
Dohren
Germany
Leave a Reply