The Future of Pilates Starts with You

Pilates continues to grow in popularity every year because it works. From Pilates for rehab to effective exercise design for the body, Pilates has become the go-to fitness program for all body types, experience levels, and goals.

Professional athletes have helped popularize Pilates. *Lebron James and Dwayne Wade make Pilates part of their regular exercise regimen. **Cristiano Rinaldo credits Pilates as part of the training routine that has kept him in peak physical condition and at the top of his sport for well over a decade. Many Hollywood stars also seek the services of skilled Pilates teachers, from ***Sylvestor Stallone to Miley Cyrus.

But the future of Pilates teacher training isn’t dependent on celebrities singing its praises. Now, with a curriculum like PEI, more studios will be able to train more teachers, which will lead to more classes, more students, and a wider understanding of the benefits of Joseph Pilates’ methodology.

This hasn’t always been the case. The Pilates Method Alliance, a professional organization dedicated to preserving and expanding the Pilates method, has refined its requirements in a way that will shape the future of Pilates teacher training in years to come. It is no longer necessary to own a Pilates studio for five years to become a teacher training studio. Becoming a teacher training studio is now more attainable than ever.

From Pilates Studio to Pilates Teacher Training Studio

You’ve been a student of Pilates for years. At some point, you decided to take the next step and became a Pilates teacher. Now you own your own studio. What will it take to turn it into a teacher training studio?

First, you need experience. You need to have a Certification of Completion from a skilled training program in Pilates mat and all the apparatus, and you need to have taught Pilates to clients. Second, you need a professional teacher training curriculum like PEI and all the proper equipment your student teachers will train with. 

Technically, that’s all it takes.

But if you’re reading this, you don’t just want to be a teacher training studio. You want to be a teacher training studio with a great program, a great reputation, and a steady stream of incoming students. Your future student teachers will research the value of your program before they sign up. They’ll decide whether or not to join your training program based on:

  • The school director. Students want to learn to teach Pilates from a teacher who loves Pilates as much as they do. They’re looking for someone who isn’t going to collect their tuition fees and step back, but someone who is hands on. Someone who is passionate about teaching Pilates safely and accurately.
  • The training curriculum. Students want an engaging learning experience that challenges them to bring their best selves to the studio every day. Online content must be easy to access, use, and retain.
  • The cost. Students want a good deal, but they know the cheapest option is rarely the best. They’re looking for a program whose price matches its quality.
  • The completion time. Just like with cost, students know that the fastest option isn’t always the best. Students also don’t want to spend so long training that they lose interest or motivation. The course length should keep students constantly excited, engaged, and eager to learn more.
  • The location. No one wants a long commute to school. This works to your advantage; you already have clients coming to your studio for Pilates. One of your own clients or neighbors may finally make the choice to have a rewarding career as a Pilates teacher simple because you made it accessible.

Experience and a curriculum will turn your business into a teacher training studio. The steps that you take to make your program work for all students and select the best curriculum out there will make it great.

450 Hours…and More

The minimum amount of comprehensive training time that meets the eligibility requirements for the National Pilates Certification Program (NPCP) – formerly known as the PMA Pilates Certification Program – is 450 hours as defined here. In Pilates, the NPCP is the only third party, accredited certification program. The NPCP is accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies, (NCCA). The NCCA is an independent, non-governmental agency that sets the standard for professional certification programs via NCCA accreditation and is considered the gold standard for healthcare, fitness, and wellness occupations. 

While the NPCP requires 450 hours of training, continuing education is invaluable. The best way for your student teachers to continue to learn is by teaching. This helps them build their understanding of Joseph Pilates’ philosophy and the Pilates principles, and allows them to grow as both Pilates practitioners and educators.

A Successful Business

There are multiple ways to define what it means to run a successful business. Success can mean a career doing what you love and sharing it with others.

Unfortunately, doing what you love doesn’t always keep the lights on. By growing your business with a teacher training program, you can do what you love while maintaining profits. And that means you can spend time continuing to learn and support others while also creating more time for yourself and your own self-care, which in turn keeps you constantly refreshed as you refine your program over time.

Studio directors are in the best position to shape the future of teacher training on a day-to-day level by opening training studios. They are the ones directly shaping and guiding the next generation of Pilates teachers, the ones who will continue to refine and grow the system. Through what they learn in your training program, they’ll make the future even brighter.

*https://www.tonepilates.ca/blog/20-pro-male-athletes-pilates/

**https://www.studiopilates.com/secrets-make-cristiano-ronaldo-physical-phenomenon/

***https://www.jessifitpilates.com/new-blog/top-10-celebrities-who-do-pilates