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ABOUT

About Michael Holden

 

I am a retired Physical Therapist Assistant, practicing Certified Pilates Instructor, and Certified Massage Therapist. I was licensed in California to provide physical therapy treatments to patients under the supervision of a licensed Physical Therapist (who was not required to be on-site during therapy sessions). I have worked in outpatient physical therapy treating patients with a wide variety of orthopedic problems, and I worked part-time doing Home Health where I primarily worked with seniors. I did therapeutic massage in a doctor’s office for 6 years and I’ve taught Pilates since 2002. I have also trained a number of students to become skilled Pilates instructors. I had my own studio in Los Angeles for 13 years, which I had to permanently close due to Covid-19. That is why I switched to only working online.

 

My Approach to Core Training

 

Because of my extensive training in anatomy, my background in physical therapy and therapeutic massage, my approach to Pilates is admittedly more clinically oriented than fitness oriented. I base a client’s progression solely on their ability to properly engage their core while utilizing the major principles of the Pilates Method (Centering, Concentration, Control, Precision, Breath, and Flow). That is why I place enormous emphasis on stabilization prior to any movements. If a client can’t maintain spinal stability in the most stable positions (e.g., lying on the floor) how could they possibly maintain their stability in a more challenging position, e.g., having their legs in the air or on a ball? It makes absolutely no sense to ever progress someone until they can perform an exercise safely before moving on to more challenging exercises.

 

All my clients acquire a solid understanding of the fundamentals and, after practicing Pilates for a while, many of them can’t believe the things their bodies can do despite many having had serious physical problems. Additionally, we also explore how they can perform their activities of daily living, and their jobs, in ways that reduce or eliminate pain.

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Michael lives in Asheville, North Carolina with his wife, Heather, and their dog, Maggie.

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