Want to become a Pilates teacher?
Whether you’re thinking of changing career or just starting out on your career path; you too can learn how to become a Pilates teacher. Pilates trainer is a popular choice within the fitness industry that can suit so many, from dancers to those who found Pilates through injury.
Do your research
The variety in Pilates classes is huge and first of all you need to establish what kind of Pilates you’d like to teach. If you’ve not done so already, I would advise going to as many different style classes as possible; classical, rehabilitation, dynamic, equipment based etc. I would also try classes held in gyms as well as specialist studios and of course online classes. This will give you a well rounded view of what’s out there, what possibilities there are and what you do and don’t like. It’s important to find a style that resonates with you and that you are passionate about.
You can of course come and train at our studios! In the UK visit Power Pilates UK, and in the USA visit Studio Core Pilates (UT).
Here are some studios we like:
Get good at it
Practice makes perfect and if you’re going to teach and be a good teacher, then you should practice your craft so that you fully understand it and you can do it with your eyes shut! Clients want to train with trainers who are inspiring, motivational and who know their sh*t! Pilates can take a while to grasp, I took classes for three years during my dance training before deciding to train to become a teacher. I would say it was only in the last year, training with a teacher I was motivated by, that it actually ‘clicked’ with me.
And if creative burn out happens, there are ways to recover, simply follow burn out guide.
Choose a training program
Choosing a training program really does of course depend on where you’re located and there are so many on offer. Be wary of courses that can be completed over a short space of time, a good teacher training program should take at least several months and sometimes a few years to complete.
Once you have your Pilates qualification, practice teaching the basics for a good few months/years (the longer the better) so you thoroughly understand the fundamentals and how people’s bodies (and brains!) work when you teach them. Learn to spot the common mistakes people make and how to correct them. Then you can take your teaching in which ever direction you chose with those firm basics under your belt.
With regards to teaching ‘dynamic’ style reformer, there are no official qualifications (as far as we know) but a few dynamic studios offer in house training programs, all of which will have their prerequisites prior to signing up.
Above all, find the reason why you want to teach. Ask yourself, what do you get out of it personally? A great teacher must be passionate about their subject and love what they do. And remember, there’s more to being a good teacher than just teaching well. You will be working with the general public, so you need to be good at customer service, compassionate, caring, patient, accommodating, flexible (I’m not talking about being able to do the splits, although in this job it does also help ?!) You will also need to have a good business head, especially if you’re opening your own studio.
I (Korin) trained at Body Control Pilates who offer world wide training courses. You can check them out in their website.
