Tag Archives: Online class

For Your Viewing and Listening Pleasure

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To help you get the most from my online Pilates classes, a few tips…

WiFi Signal

First, try and have the device you’re using to access the class as near to the router as possible.  The router should face in towards the centre of the room.  Next, remove/turn off any cordless devices nearby, e.g. phones, baby monitors and any other devices that use a WiFi signal.  This will ensure you have the best WiFi signal you can get.

Better still would be to connect to the router via an ethernet cable.  You can ask your internet provider if they can provide one (Virgin Media sent me one without charge) or alternatively they are readily available to buy from a variety of retailers that stock computer accessories.

Finally, shutdown all the other apps etc that you may have running in the background so that all your device’s resource is concentrated on running Zoom as efficiently as possible. It also stops you being distracted during the class by notifications etc popping up.

Audio

I use an external USB mic during my online Pilates classes.  To optimise the sound quality still further I’d recommend you change the Zoom audio settings on your device.  It’s very easy to do.

If you use the Zoom app on your tablet or phone, simply click the gear icon on the home page to access the ‘Settings’ page…

…then scroll down and make sure the ‘Use Original Sound’ button is switched on…

That’s it.  You’re now all set to hear me without any noise suppression, which can make the audio signal chop in and out.  Noise suppression is helpful in a busy office environment where there is a lot of background noise but not necessary in an online Pilates class at home setting.

If you use a laptop or desktop, the above process is very similar plus you have a few more advanced setting options which will enhance the audio even further. You can make these changes before the class as follows…

First, open up Zoom Client, go to the home page and click on the gear icon top right to access the ‘Settings’ page…

On the ‘Settings’ page, select ‘Audio’ and uncheck the box next to ‘Automatically adjust microphone volume.’  This now allows you to control the volume of your speakers and mic by moving the sliders…

On the same ‘Audio Settings’ page, click the Advanced button bottom right, which brings up this screen…

Check the box next to ‘Show in-meeting option to ‘Enable Original Sound’ from microphone.’  Then in the ‘Audio Processing’ section of this page, disable the ‘Suppress Persistent Background Noise’ and ‘Suppress Intermittent Background Noise’…

You can also make the above changes after you’ve joined the online class in the 5-10 minutes before we begin.  In the bottom left of the screen next to the mic icon is an arrow.  Click it and you can see ‘Audio settings’ at the bottom of the list.  Click this and it brings up the screens shown above so you can make the changes I’ve described.

Speakers

To further enhance the sound quality during my online classes, you might want to use external USB speakers.  Almost any on the market will give you better quality sound than the internal speakers in your device.  I have the Creative Pebble Plus 2.1 Speaker Set –  not too expensive, very good sound quality and nice design.

Video

Finally, I use a webcam instead of the internal camera on my laptop so the quality of the images should be top notch.

Hope that helps.  See you live online in class soon.

 

 

Pre-class Chat

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One of the many benefits of going regularly to a Pilates class is the social aspect – the friends you make and catch up with each week.  This is particularly important for those who live alone or who, due to the pandemic feel they’ve become a bit disconnected from others.

To address this I provide a chance for people to chat before my live online classes.  I open up each session fifteen minutes ahead of the start time.  I use the Zoom gallery view setting so you can see as well as hear each other.  If you’d rather not be seen just leave your video off.  We have been doing this for quite a few years now and it works a treat. It also means those of you who have family and friends from other parts of the UK who attend the live online class with you, have another chance to meet up.

As always the Pilates session itself will start dead on time, microphones and videos will be off and I’ll use the usual Zoom speaker view setting so you can just see me doing the exercises with you and hear my instructions without any background noise from others.

For those who’d prefer not to join the pre-class chat, no problem.  Simply log on five minutes before the start time.

See you soon.

To close, here’s Billie Marten.  Eyes closed, volume up to experience the song in all its glory…

Happy Pilatester!

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Not too late to book into one of the online PILATES X MELISSA classes taking place this Easter.  Join us for a healthy hour-long, non-chocolate treat for your body and mind over the holiday weekend…

  • General Pilates class on Good Friday at 0930
  • Small Equipment Pilates class on Easter Monday at 1800

I’ll be hiding Easter eggs in amongst the exercises for you to find over the course of the session…not really, that would be silly…as well as messy.

To book online for the classes over Easter and next week please visit this page of my website.  I can process bookings up to 15 minutes before the start time of any class in case it suits you best to sign up on the day.

Enjoy your Easter holidays.  Keep moving.

To close, a choice choon from St Vincent’s forthcoming album, Daddy’s Home.  Finally, my green business suit is back in fashion!

Pop-up Pilates Tutorial 4 – How to Improve Your Balance

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As voted by you, the fourth online pop-up PILATES X MELISSA tutorial is on HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR BALANCE.  It will take place on Thursday 14 January at 1900.

This 30-minute session will start with a brief explanation of how the balance mechanism works.  We will then progress through a series of standing balances which will encourage the proper functioning of the systems we use in the body to balance.

Take part or just watch and take notes, whatever suits you best.

Who the tutorial is suitable for

The session is suitable for everyone except those based in the US and Canada who for insurance reasons I’m unable to teach.  Sorry about that. Children under sixteen are very welcome but must attend with a parent or guardian.

The people who will find this tutorial particularly useful are those who:

  • suffer from neck pain/tension
  • are over 50.  Balance is a key skill we tend to lose as we age
  • have had a whiplash injury
  • have hypermobility proprioceptive deficit
  • have osteoporosis or osteopenia for whom a fall would have more negative consequences
  • do sports and find they often get injured.

How will you benefit

Balance training can help:

  • increase the strength of your leg, gluteal and core muscles
  • improve the stability of your ankle, knee, hip, back and neck joints
  • encourage your ability to focus/concentrate
  • reverse age-related loss of balance
  • prevent falls
  • improve your posture and alignment
  • rehabilitate and prevent lower-leg injuries in athletes
  • improve coordination
  • promote a proper gait when walking/hiking or running.  People with poor balance often develop a poor gait to compensate.

How to join the pop-up tutorial

To attend this session, please register here with Zoom. Once you have done so you will automatically receive a confirmation email from Zoom.  Please check your spam folder if it doesn’t arrive straight away in your inbox.  If you didn’t receive this email you may have mistyped your email address so please re-register.

This Zoom confirmation email contains a link that only you can use to attend this tutorial. On the day of the session, 5-10 minutes before the start time just click on this link to join the tutorial.  The passcode for the session is embedded in the link but if for some reason you are asked to enter a passcode this is provided in the Zoom email.

Before the tutorial, if you’re using a tablet or mobile to take part you will need to download the Zoom App from the App store, which is free. If you’re using a laptop and want quick and smooth access to the session on the day, download Zoom Client for Meetings in advance and for free from their website. You don’t need any kind of Zoom account to attend my online classes and pop-up tutorials.

Please help me to help others by sharing details of this pop-up tutorial with any friends, family members and work colleagues you think might be interested in joining us.

The pop-up PILATES X MELISSA tutorials are free.  There is an option after the session to pay what the tutorial was worth to you or what you can afford.  I’m very grateful to all those who contributed something after the last two pop-up tutorials on the neck and meditative breathing. How to make such a contribution, for those interested in doing so is explained in the confirmation email you will receive from Zoom after registering.

Thanks for your continued support.

To close, here’s Elvis…not The King.  The less regal one from Blighty.  Sack the backing dancers…for stealing my moves!