As a long time Pilates practitioner and fitness enthusiast, I would like to try to become a Pilates teacher. I live in New York City and I have been engaged myself in some Internet research regarding this field. My question is related to this research. Which program you would recommend the professional instructors? I know about Pilates Studio and so far is the only one I really find classic and thorough. In the midst of the many programs I get a little confused.
Are all the programs giving the same certifications? What are the associations or groups where I can look up these programs?

Thanks for any recommendation, Laura

Laura,
If you haven't seen it yet, the article A Career in Pilates: Are You Ready? takes a look at this issue and offers some guidelines for researching training programs. We also list programs in our Education Directory. You should also talk to as many instructors as you can to get different viewpoints.

Good luck!
Amy Leibrock, Editor

Amy,

Thank you for the info. I checked most of recommended web sites here.Interestingly, Pilates Studio is not listed...I am planning to get classes there, and at reabs as well.In the past, I visited a local yoga room for Pilates, but at the beginning I trained myself from books.

In any way, thank you for the info and your good wishes,
Laura

Laura,

I am going to make a few suggestions before you make the commitment to becoming a teacher. Pat Guyton's article is a great source of information for anyone considering a career. She was my mentor and I credit her for developing my skills as a teacher.

I am going to give you my perspective as a studio owner based on what I want to see before considering to hire anyone to teach in my studio.

As a teacher, I have found no greater reward than what I get from my clients. You have to have not only a love and respect for the Pilates work, but you have to have that same love and respect for the clients you work with.

You should then consider the type of Pilates teacher you want to be before selecting a program or a mentor. There are many levels of teaching standards. Where do you see yourself?

If you are interested in Pilates as a professional career, then I would recommend finding a teacher that you admire and ask if you could observe him/her for a day. Always shoot for the highest level of instruction you think you can handle. I made it a point to study with the teachers that intimidated me the most. They are hard, but you will learn the most from them.

As a employer of Pilates teachers, I have to admit that I am very dissatified with the quality of the teacher's coming from the training programs. They are incredibly overpriced for what they are giving you. I will credit them for teaching the choreography of the exercises and little else. I think finding a mentor along with workshops and college courses gives you a better education. It took me 9 years to find an assistant. She is not a certified Pilates teacher, but she was a student for 4 years before she approached me about teaching.

Most Pilates studio's are multifaceted, so being in a class for an hour is a lot different than being in a studio for a day. She followed me around for hours before deciding if she wanted to teach. When I asked her if she had any questions she said "Yes, when do you pee?"

Lastly, You will only get out of your career as much as you put into. I put a lot of time and money into studying from every lineage. Study from other sources. Take college level courses in anatomy, kinesiology, nutrition, etc.

Most important: If you love what you do, you have a career; if you only like what you do, it's just a job.

I wish you only the best of luck with your future.