My clients have the best ideas. Earlier this year one of them called me and asked if I would be willing to do weekly virtual Pilates sessions during March for her department at work. “Sure!” I enthusiastically replied. I knew what my client did for a living, but I thought her department consisted of 7 people. It turns out that her department had 125 employees. My eyes went wide, but I was determined to make the classes happen.

With a little bit of front-end coordination between the wellness committee, the Human Resources department (which runs the wellness program), and us here at Northwoods Pilates, we were able to schedule the sessions and get information out to employees about how to register for their virtual sessions.

The classes were a HUGE HIT! We did four sessions, once every Tuesday at 1 p.m. during March. Since employees were all working remotely, we used props that they had available to them at home: pillow, pillowcase, and a dining room chair. Employees registered for classes in advance and then either joined us live, or were able to watch the playback for up to one week after the live class.

Today was my first ever Pilates class and I loved it! I am so glad to be part of this opportunity!

Wellness Program Participant

This experience is something we definitely want to bring to other businesses. Here are seven reasons why you should add virtual Pilates to your Corporate Wellness Program.

1. Pilates is age-friendly and fitness-level friendly. Whether your staff is in their 20s or their 70s, Pilates is a method of exercise that is highly adaptable to different fitness levels. We teach beginner-level classes, but offer modifications if clients want to try making an exercise more challenging.
2. Pilates is great for men and women. While Pilates sometimes is thought of as exercise that’s only for women, it was actually created by a man who loved boxing! Professional athletes LeBron James, Dwayne Wade, and Jake Arrieta all use Pilates to stay in peak performance shape.
3. People don’t get bored with Pilates. Joseph Pilates designed 34 classical mat exercises, and there are hundreds of adaptations to those exercises that can be done at home without investing in special equipment. Using props that you have in your home – like pillows or chairs – keeps the workouts fun and varied.
4. The virtual format is adaptable to your employees’ and business’s needs. We will schedule the classes at a time that works for most employees, but there will never be a perfect time. Instead, we’ll encourage employees to sign up for the class in advance and then they will receive the video recording and will have a week to watch the playback if they cannot attend the live event. Depending on the parameters of your wellness program, we can track who watched the video to award points to the employees who completed the workout if your program offers incentives for the number of hours that an employee exercises.
5. Your employees will love it! After each class I heard back from the Wellness Committee just how much the employees loved their Pilates classes.
6. Pilates enhances mindfulness, induces relaxation, and reduces stress according to at least one study. In a fast-paced world where employees are burning out at high rates, practicing mind-body exercises like Pilates has benefits that extend beyond just the physical.
7. If you’re already investing in a Wellness Program, you know that it cuts down on employer costs and leads to happier employees. Pilates is especially great for people who work in sedentary desk jobs because it helps relieve the pain that comes from rounded computer shoulders, tech neck, and too much time seated in an office chair.

As a Nationally Certified Pilates Teacher with over 10 years of teaching experience, I’d love to share the benefits of Pilates with your company and employees. Click the green button to get started.