Presented by: Pilates Can, Manuka – Canberra
Title: Pilates Workshop 1: Hip Anatomy, Mobility & Proprioception
Format: 1.5 hours, in-studio, hands-on
Instructor: Claire Gunther, Senior Pilates Can Instructor & Polestar Mentor
Location: Pilates Can Studio, Manuka, Canberra
Cost: Register by 1st May 2025 and get the workshop for just $44
Bonus: Bring a friend for FREE
Secure your place in the first Workshop here
In the world of movement education, few areas are as complex, critical, and rewarding to understand as the hip joint. For Pilates professionals and movement instructors, a deeper knowledge of hip function isn’t just academically interesting, it’s practically essential.
To meet that need, Pilates Can is launching a new Pilates Workshop Series, designed specifically for current and aspiring Pilates instructors, personal trainers, and other movement professionals.
The series begins with a focused 1.5-hour Pilates workshop that will be held at our Manuka studio in Canberra. This hands-on, interactive session is not only packed with valuable content, it also offers a unique opportunity to explore the real-world application of Studio Rehabilitation Pilates principles in a professional teaching environment.
Why Focus on The Hip?
The hip joint serves as a critical hub in the body’s kinetic chain, transferring forces between the upper and lower body while providing support, mobility, and balance. Yet, for many clients, hip dysfunction is common, manifesting in pain, stiffness, or impaired movement patterns that affect everything from walking and running to squatting and sitting.
For instructors working with real clients in studio settings, understanding how to assess and support optimal hip function is vital. This workshop equips instructors with practical knowledge and skills that can be applied immediately, whether working one-on-one or in small group sessions.
About The Workshop
This first session in the three-part series focuses on the functional anatomy of the hip, proprioceptive activation, and the interconnected movement relationships between the hip, knee, ankle, and spine.
Participants will explore:
- The role of fascia and bony rhythms in healthy hip function
- How to use imagery and cueing to improve movement outcomes
- Hands-on assessments for mobility and alignment
- Simple, powerful techniques for releasing restrictions and increasing dynamic alignment
- Proprioception drills using Franklin balls, spiral movement, and foot-to-hip awareness
The workshop is designed to be highly interactive, with each participant engaging in movement explorations and partner-based assessments to help them feel, understand, and observe key patterns and challenges.
Who Should Attend?
This workshop is ideal for:
- Current Reformer or Mat Pilates instructors who want to deepen their understanding of hip biomechanics
- Personal Trainers and movement professionals seeking to enhance their client programming
- Health and fitness professionals curious about Pilates-based rehabilitation
- Prospective students considering the Polestar Studio Rehabilitation Pilates certification
- Any movement professional who works with clients experiencing hip pain, stiffness, or imbalance
Whether you’re already a Polestar graduate or just beginning your Pilates professional development journey, this workshop offers fresh tools and perspectives to enhance your teaching.
Secure your place in the first Workshop here
Meet The Educator: Claire Gunther
This workshop will be led by Claire Gunther, the senior instructor and owner of Pilates Can as well as a qualified mentor with Polestar Pilates Australia. Claire brings decades of experience that has built a deeply intuitive understanding of functional movement, fascia, and motor learning. Claire is passionate about bridging the gap between clinical knowledge and practical application.
Claire’s teaching style is engaging, accessible, and evidence-informed, drawing on her extensive training and real-world work with clients of all ages and abilities.
Claire is also actively involved in delivering the Polestar Studio Rehabilitation Pilates course at the Pilates Can host studio in Canberra. This workshop gives participants a direct opportunity to learn from and connect with one of the region’s leading Pilates practitioners with over 20,000 hours of Professional Pilates delivery experience.
A Pathway into Professional Pilates Education
One of the strategic intentions behind this workshop series is to provide a real-world preview of the Polestar Studio Rehabilitation Pilates course for those considering certification.
Polestar Pilates Australia is the national Registered Training Organisation (RTO) providing the comprehensive, evidence-based education required to become a fully qualified Studio Pilates Teacher. Pilates Can have proudly hosted Polestar’s Canberra-based course delivery for 10 years, providing the physical studio environment, high-quality equipment, mentoring, and practice teaching opportunities with a large cohort of studio clientele.
This instructor workshop serves as a low-commitment, high-value entry point for those curious about whether deeper Pilates education is right for them. Participants gain not only practical tools but also a feel for the Polestar approach and philosophy—before enrolling in the full certification.
Why This Matters for Your Clients
One of the core philosophies behind Pilates Can’s teaching, and the Polestar curriculum, is that better instructor education means better client outcomes. When instructors understand how to assess and modify movement based on what they feel, see, and know about the body, their sessions become safer, more effective, and more empowering.
Clients with hip issues often present with pain, compensation patterns, or reduced confidence in movement. This workshop arms instructors with tools they can use right away to help those clients move better, feel stronger, and stay injury-free.
Workshop Series: What’s Next?
The Hip Pilates Workshop Series will continue after this initial session, with two more practical workshops designed to build on this foundational knowledge:
Workshop 2: Strength, Stability & Dysfunction Patterns
Workshop 3: Dynamic Alignment, Pelvic Balance & Repatterning
Each session complements and expands the previous one, offering progressive layers of skill development, critical thinking, and movement exploration.
Attending all three will provide a comprehensive framework for instructors working with clients who present with common or complex hip conditions.
Secure Your Spot Now
If you’re a Pilates teacher, personal trainer, or movement health professional in the Canberra region, this Pilates workshop on the Hip is an opportunity to grow your professional skill set in a meaningful and enjoyable way. Taught in a supportive studio environment and led by a seasoned practitioner, it’s the perfect blend of practice, theory, and inspiration.
Secure your place in the first Workshop here
Elevate Your Pilates Career with Professional Development
Polestar Pilates Australia is proud to support the professional development of movement educators through our partnership with fantastic host sites like Pilates Can. We believe in raising the standard of care through evidence-informed instruction and collaborative learning.