Why Pilates Teachers Should Have a Pilates Teacher

If you’re considering becoming a Pilates teacher, you’re likely deep in research mode, comparing programs, reviewing time commitments, and weighing the financial investment. Most programs will have some prerequisites to being accepted into the program as well.  Often they want you to have a certain number of hours of experience attending Pilates classes and (if you’re choosing a comprehensive program) that you have familiarity with more than just the mat or reformer work. There may even be a requirement that you’ve done classes at the studio you want to do your training in. 

All of this is because your teacher wants to see that you understand the style of Pilates you’re going to be studying. Occasionally, someone will tell me they want to teach Pilates but have never actually taken a class. My advice is always the same: start by being a student. Your own practice is the foundation of everything that follows.

Immerse Yourself in Pilates

Once you begin teacher training, Pilates becomes your world. You attend lectures. You practice each exercise repeatedly. You analyze, observe, take classes, and teach practice sessions. You study for exams and complete teaching assessments. It’s a lot of work and commitment, and much of the work is self-directed, just like any meaningful education. 

And then, once you are certified, you jump into teaching!

The Reality of Teaching 

When I completed my training, there were very few studios in British Columbia, even in Vancouver. I was lucky that my suburban city had one, and I was able to split my time between that studio and the one where I trained. It meant a lot of driving, but 20 hours a week fit my family life at the time.

Now that there are so many Pilates studios out there, there is a big demand for teachers. You could easily teach 40 hours a week, but may need to drive to a few locations to accomplish that. Personally, 40 hours of teaching a week is too much. It’s a job that could lead to burn out if you aren’t careful. It also makes it hard to fit time in for your own practice. 

Losing Motivation

This happened to me, back when I had three children in elementary school, dance, and sports, and my husband travelled a lot for work. I did go to a trainer for strength training and taught fitness classes, but I rarely did Pilates. After a while I start to feel dry in my teaching. Attending workshops helped revive my motivation, but they also showed me that I wasn’t executing some of the exercises as well as I thought I should be. I needed more practice!

This is when I decided to find a Pilates teacher to go see once a week, who had more experience, knowledge to share, and the eye to help me with my form to push me to the next level with my practice. I also started going to conferences or weekend-long workshops at least twice a year. These things opened up my world of Pilates. I felt motivated after each class or event and I was always excited to share what I’d taken in with my own students. 

Embrace the Learning Journey

It was a couple of years into my Pilates teaching career that I started with my own teacher and began expanding my knowledge of the method. I wish I’d started sooner! I met so many teachers and studio owners in my local area and even worldwide. Attending classes also was a helpful refresher on the more challenging exercises. I strongly believe that you should know how the exercise feels in your own body and have practiced it. This gives you the skills to coach a client through the exercise, to cue them in various ways, and to spot them appropriately.   

With more personal experience and a deeper understanding of the Pilates method, you will be more able to teach exercises, even without physically being able to do the exercise. We see this with dance instructors and sports coaches all the time. But it takes experience and years of knowledge to be able to do this. 

Practicing what you preach also helps clients to see that you truly believe in what you’re teaching. They see that you are always learning and making yourself better to be better for them. 

Yes, we know the work and we can work ourselves out. I am for a couple self-directed sessions each week, but still also do at least one with a more experienced instructor. Being a Pilates teacher doesn’t mean you stop being a student. Rather, staying a student is the very thing that makes you a great teacher.