Have you ever heard the saying, “You don’t know what you don’t know”? It perfectly sums up my experience with Pilates. In the beginning, even after taking classes at my gym for a year and then doing a 40-hour Pilates certification course, I thought I’d learned so much! Looking back, I know now that I had barely scratched the surface of Pilates. Soon, I began to see how much there was to still learn. Here are 5 things I didn’t know when I first started teaching Pilates in 2005:

1. What Pilates truly is.
2. That Pilates studios existed.
3. There are very specific exercises.
4. There are apparatuses like reformers, raised mats, chairs, and more.
5. A man named Joseph Pilates created this system of corrective exercise.

My First Impression of Pilates

I started teaching Pilates simply because I was a fitness instructor who was “elected” to take over teaching the Wednesday class. I’d been regularly attending the class as a student, so they picked me to teach it when the regular instructor moved away. Did I know what Pilates was when I started teaching? Definitely not! 

At the time, Pilates was just starting to enter the mainstream. A lot of people (myself included) described it as being similar to yoga. But again, how would I know? I’d only done maybe three yoga classes at that time, either. I don’t remember the classes that well, but I do recall that we had the lights down low, the music was soft and gentle, and my pants always felt like they were falling down during the roll up.

When I first taught the class, all I had to go by were my predecessor’s notes. I did my best but didn’t feel at home teaching Pilates yet, so I signed up for the BCRPA mat teacher certification. I was just the second group of teachers to take the program, so that gives you an idea of how new Pilates was to the fitness industry. I came out of it with a lot of new knowledge but still had yet to discover all the other layers of Pilates. 

What I Learned In A Pilates Studio

I thought Pilates was just a class you took at the gym, much like spin or aerobics. (Who knew there would soon be spin studios, too!) Then my former boss opened a studio, so I knew it could be a “thing”, though I still had no idea what went on in a Pilates studio until I took my mat training. It was then that I stepped inside and quickly realized that what I’d learned in my previous certification was a tiny morsel of what Pilates was. There were special mats and interesting equipment I’d never seen before, and then my instructor invited me to be a student for her teacher trainees to practice with. My curiosity was piqued and I knew I wanted to learn more. 

The Exercises Aren’t Just “Exercises”

Once I began my Pilates teacher training, I started to learn how and why the exercises worked together. My teacher was classically trained and she talked about how many exercises are the same, how others mirror each other, and how they set you up for the next exercise. It sort of made sense to me, but not completely. This is something that has really come together in my mind and body over the years. Even more so, I’ve learned how one exercise done well will make another exercise possible.  

Before I understood the whole method of Pilates, I’d change up the order of the exercises. Now I know that I don’t need to do that! There is more than enough variety in the classical system to give you a full workout and keep you progressing over time. I love knowing the classical work so that class planning isn’t necessary. Instead, I can use what I know to tweak things for the client or class. 

For example, if I know that my group are all people who work at desks, then I might make a plan to do a reformer workout and include all the chest opening and back strengthening exercises. Or if I had a plan for my client but they come in feeling tight in a certain spot, I can quickly switch things up as needed. I still stick to the order of exercises, but there is variety. 

Discovering the Apparatuses

As I mentioned, I had no idea that the Pilates apparatuses existed until I stepped into a full studio. Even then, I only learned on the mat and the reformer for the longest time. During my comprehensive training, we went over the chair, tower, pedipole, ladder barrel, etc., but didn’t do many workouts on them. It was when I started attending weekly classes with my peers that I started learning more. Then, when I started attending more Joe’s Gym style workouts and teacher collab sessions, I started to be exposed to many of the smaller apparatus. 

Many people know about the reformer these days. I love that it’s becoming so popular, though I find it interesting that many of my clients actually prefer the tower or chair. Personally, I go through phases of liking one better than another. It is a big investment to outfit a studio with all of the apparatus that Joseph Pilates incorporated into the system, which means not all studios will have everything available. If you see something at your studio that you’re interested in, ask your instructor about it – you may just find a new favourite! 

The Importance of Joe

Finally, there is Joe. He was the man who created this system of corrective movement we now call Pilates. I don’t think I even thought about why Pilates was called “Pilates”; it was just a new form of exercise to me. Fortunately, my teacher trainer taught me a bit of the (slightly incorrect) history. Some teachers don’t even teach any! 

I feel that history is very important. Through old photos, people who learned from Joe, or knew him closely have been able to share a good deal about the man and his method. There are also his patents for the apparatuses in which he explains a lot about his system and why he invited each item. Through it all, I’ve been able to understand his method more fully. 

My Knowledge Keeps Growing

There is so much to learn and keep learning about the Pilates method if you seek classical training. I started out teaching aerobics 30 years ago and since then, I’ve continually added to my training. It’s now mostly Pilates, of course! The teacher I was 30 years ago is much different from the teacher I am today and I love sharing all that I’ve learned over all these years.