Movement Science Made Simple

For the first time, we are offering the Advanced Movement Studies Certificate Program as a year-long series. Beginning in September 2026, join a cohort of students studying together all over the world, with support in the form of dedicated chat groups, exclusive classes, and access to the entire MSMS on-demand library! Register for our Town Hall on May 1st for more info (link in bio) and sign up for the program by June 1st for an additional $400 off. #pilates #pilatesteacher #pilateseducation #movementsciencemadesimple #movementstudies

For our newer followers, @cprpilates and @jl_dpt want to take a moment to reintroduce #msms . Check the link in our profile for upcoming courses, on-demand offerings, and mentoring! #pilates #pilatesteacher #pilateseducation #movementstudies

Save the date for Separate But Connected live online November 14-15! In this course, we look at the organization of the legs, pelvis, and low back in whole body movements. Considering the timing or “rhythm” of the hips and spine allows us to move beyond static models of lumbar stabilization (neutral pelvis/spine) and the Classical Pilates view of spinal mobility (“one vertebra at a time”). As teachers, our tools are demonstration, touch, and language. To be effective teachers our demonstration must be fully embodied, our touch supportive, and our language direct or poetic as needed. Movement Science Made Simple joins current concepts in anatomy, kinesiology, and motor learning with time-tested movement training strategies, giving workshop participants new skills to work with diverse client populations. #pilates #pilatesteacher #pilateseducation #movementstudies #movementsciencemadesimple

Join @cprpilates for a 1.5-hour class with a focus on building strength and control around the hands, wrists, elbows and shoulders for successful upper extremity weight bearing on the Reformer. Traditional and non-traditional exercises will be explored, working with progressions towards high- level exercises. Students who attend live online should come ready to practice on a Reformer. This class will be recorded and the recording will be available for 30 days. #pilates #pilatesteacher #reformerpilates #pilatesreformer

FEAR. It’s a constant in my life. I feel like I’ve been fighting it since the day I was born. At some point along the way, though, I started to realize that fear didn’t have to mean not doing things. Maybe if I do things that make me feel afraid I’ll be uncomfortable, but that doesn’t keep them from happening. Fear no longer runs your life if you don’t let it get in the way. This “do it scared” mindset is at the heart of beating anxiety. Pain Reprocessing Therapy taught me that in the same way we seek to expand the window of tolerance for anxiety, chronic pain sufferers can learn to sit with uncomfortable sensations without fear. This completely shifted my perspective as a teacher, as I started to see the versatility of the Pilates equipment in mimicking fear-provoking movement patterns in a safe environment. Instead of shying away from the things that provoked fear or kinesiophobia for my clients, I started to lean into those things (with their permission). It was a game changer. Clients were not only getting stronger but they were taking huge leaps into movement patterns they had previously written off as out of bounds. This is the essence of Cultivating Courage. This isn’t a course about choosing the exact right exercise for each condition. It’s about creating a movement experience with just the right mix of trust, evidence, and exposure to fear so that aspiring movers conquer kinesiophobia and make huge strides in moving with pain. If you’re a PIlates teacher and this sounds exciting to you, I hope you’ll join other like-minded movement educators at an upcoming workshop: ✨1 6th May at @eq.pilates (4 spots leftft)t ✨ 26th October at @mvmt_sci (Early Bird Pricing! #painreprocessingtherapy @painreprocessingtherapy #youremeanttomove #cultivatingcourage

You (or your client) may have been told that “your glutes aren’t firing.” You may have heard the phrases “gluteal amnesia” and “dead butt syndrome.” You may have seen such reputable sources as the New York Times Wellness section reporting on this phenomenon. It would be understandable if you came to believe that there is an epidemic of people’s butt muscles “turning off.” Is this really a thing?  In this 2-hour course with @jl_dpt , we’ll dive down the glute amnesia rabbit hole as a way of exploring how a little bit of research can get turned into a whole lot of nonsense. We’ll explore how traditional media (I’m looking at you, NYTimes!) and social media perpetuate unscientific thinking. And we’ll learn to spot bullshit from a mile away! Link in bio! #pilates #pilatesteacher #thebootydontlie #movementstudies #movementsciencemadesimple

If you missed yesterday's Town Hall, you can watch the recording to get all of the info about our upcoming year-long program (link in bio!) #pilates #pilatesteacher #pilateseducation #movementstudies #movementsciencemadesimple

Last call for Applied Biomechanics with Dr. Bre Dumke Helfrich this Saturday! Join live or register to receive the recording! Link in bio! Have you ever wondered why some Pilates exercises are easier with more weight versus less? Or why box step ups require more hamstring strength than traditional squats? Being able to answer both of these questions requires a sound understanding of biomechanics. Biomechanics is the interdisciplinary field of exercise physiology and mechanical engineering. While that may sound daunting, I promise we’re going to make this fun and help you take your teaching to the next level. We’ll cover the basics of biomechanics so that you can leverage this information in teaching. With a solid biomechanics understanding you can work with any body, any time, and truly tailor this work to all of your clients so that they meet their goals. This course will give you everything you need in order to be able to analyze, cue, and adapt movement effectively, safely, and creatively. This course is composed of a 3 hour lecture followed up by a 2 hour movement class. Can’t make the live class? Or can only join us for half the day? No problem! The recording will be available for everyone who’s registered for the course. Taught by Bre Dumke Helfrich, MSc, PhD, Certified GYROTONIC EXPANSION SYSTEM® Trainer, Certified GYROKINESIS® Trainer, & Certified Comprehensive Pilates Teacher Bre Dumke Helfrich, MSc, PhD, is a passionate movement teacher who enjoys helping others through movement. With years of study in anatomy, physiology, and biomechanics, she transforms the science of movement into practical tools to help clients reduce pain, recover from injuries, and build strength. Bre thrives working with clients who are curious, motivated, and especially those managing chronic pain or navigating post injury rehabilitation. #pilates #pilatesteacher #pilateseducation #biomechanics #movementsciencemadesimple

We are so excited to welcome @movement_remedies DK Ciccone and her excellent course Cultivating Courage to MSMS Presents in October! Registration is open! Link in bio! Research studies put the prevalence of chronic pain at 20 to 30 percent of the world’s adult population. Anywhere from 70 to 90 percent of people will have chronic low back pain at some point in their lives. Chronic pain is defined as pain that persists 3 months or more after an acute injury. It can also occur without an initial offending injury. Pain is a prominent symptom in neurological conditions like Multiple Sclerosis or central sensitization syndromes like Fibromyalgia. As research in these areas grows, the evidence is mounting that movement is the most potent tool for decreasing pain intensity and interference with daily life. The good news is that as a Pilates teacher, you are uniquely poised to ease discomfort while also improving strength and mobility for people with recurring pain. This course will equip you to handle any pain-related client condition with confidence, so that you can plan and lead movement sessions that give them the courage to embrace physical activity. Dana Karen (“DK”) Ciccone is a comprehensively certified Pilates instructor who helps people in pain improve strength, mobility, and well-being in a weight-neutral environment. DK is a graduate of the MSMS Advanced Movement Studies Program and is trained in pain reprocessing therapy through the Pain Psychology Center. Having begun her own journey with chronic back pain as a young teen, she has been exploring ways to help herself and others regain joy of movement for decades. After twenty years in the health sector, DK left a corporate career to follow her passion of teaching Pilates. She later launched Movement Remedies, a Pilates studio and movement coaching business that began in Boston, Massachusetts, and is now based in the Stockbridge neighborhood of Edinburgh, Scotland. Her first book, You’re Meant to Move: A Guide to Conquering Chronic Pain, Increasing Stress Resilience, and Reclaiming an Active Life, was released December 2023. DK is currently completing a master’s in clinical exercise physiology. #pilates

We are so pleased to announce that Lisa Ryan @ponyboys.mom is the latest graduate of the MSMS Advanced Movement Studies Certificate Program! Lisa is a great mover and always brings a thoughtful presence to workshops, so we were prepared to be impressed by her final project. But she really blew us away with her deep and wide-ranging use of the MSMS material in the case study she presented. Great work, Lisa! Lisa began studying with MSMS in 2019. The online workshop offerings became a lifeline for her during the pandemic, and the MSMS community of teachers continues to play a large part in her personal and professional life. She has been an in-demand teacher and valued member of staff at MatWorkz Pilates Studio @matworkz_pilates since 2012.

Join Cara on Saturday, May 30th at 11am Eastern for Arm-standing on the Reformer! Get in your workout, with a lot of takeaways for your own teaching practice. You can participate live online or register to receive the recording! Link in bio #pilates #pilatesteacher #pilatesreformer #practicetime #movementsciencemadesimple

Join us for this invaluable course with Dr, Bre Dumke Helfrich @movement.design.lab ! Applied Biomechanics is full of important concepts you didn't learn in your Pilates teacher training, and it will help refine how you see bodies, movement and the Pilates equipment! It's physics but don't worry--there's no math! Link in bio! #pilates #pilatesteacher #biomechanics #movementstudies #movementsciencemadesimple