Should your Pilates instructor workout with you?

I've been asked on several occasions if I think it is acceptable for a Pilates instructor to work out with their class. I suppose this all comes down to opinion, but in mine, the answer is a resounding NO! As an instructor, I expect to watch the clients workout and cue the correct technique when their dominant muscles begin to take on too much of the work, as often happens when the muscles become fatigued. This is a subtle yet important shift that should not be permitted as the dominant muscles will only continue to strengthen if one doesn't strictly adhere to the Pilates technique, recruiting the deep skeletal and often underutilized muscle tissue. Even very advanced clients who may not need to be reminded what the exercise is, often need a watchful eye and gentle reminders that the technique is getting weaker. The neck is the most common zone for poor technique as the upper trapezius can often become too involved in extension work while the latissimus dorsi along with the mid and lower trapezius fibres become fatigued and recruit less and less during the movement.

Now, if the instructor is working out with the class, how can this person see these technical subtleties, without of course, cranking their own neck, thereby displaying poor technique in their own workout. Of course, proper alignment of the joints, especially the neck and head, are a critical component of the Pilates workout and gross misalignments have the potential to lead to injury regardless of the level of fitness or advancement one has achieved.