Cue less, teach more: why Pilates instructors use silence

The myth: more cues = better teaching.

Most of us were taught to talk through every second of a class. To correct, direct, and fill every pause with instruction. I definetly did that and felt very awkward when I had nothing to say.

But here’s what the science (and my experience) shows: the nervous system doesn’t learn through words. It learns through experience and observation of one’s own movement.

While we preach awareness – do we actually encourage it? And how shall we define it? is it awareness that we bring to movement or the awareness that the client learns/experiences by themselves.

A 2016 study by Wulf and Lewthwaite found that external focus, meaning cueing towards outcomes (“press the mat away”) instead of body parts (“activate your glutes”) — improves motor learning, coordination, and long-term retention.

When we over-cue, we steal that space for discovery.
When we guide with curiosity, we give clients ownership. When we practice silence we build awareness.

The shift: less telling, more asking.

Some things to bounce the ideas off:

Instead of “flatten your ribs,” try:
“What happens if you let your breath move your ribs?” Then keep the pause, don’t jump with the answer. let the client figure it out.
Instead of “keep your pelvis level,” ask:
“What helps you balance your pelvis here?”. then again, stay quite for a moment. Ask another question?

This is where Motivational Interviewing principles meet movement: stop trying to fix, start trying to understand. (I recommend to find the book Motivational interviewing in Nutrition and Fitness on Spotify and listen to it!)

Curiosity builds awareness and awareness brings real change.

The cueing evolution: from anatomy to autonomy.

You don’t need more clever words.
You as an instructor need a deeper knowledge of anatomy, of biomechanics, and of how people learn.

Good cueing isn’t borrowed it’s built from understanding the above.
When you know what’s happening in front of your eyes, you can invent cues that land in the nervous system, not just the ears. You don’t need to copy others’ cues.

Olya,xx