By Pat Guyton 

The steps to becoming a Pilates teacher were more arcane in the past, and extremely rigorous. Sixty years ago, students went to Joe’s gym to learn Contrology as a means of recovering from injury or training for another career, such as dance. Many became committed to the technique, but it was only after decades of consistent training that a select few were chosen as teachers. This practice of study, apprenticeship and invitation by a master teacher was a remnant of the guild apprenticeship system of training practiced in Europe.

The education of a Pilates instructor is different today. As Pilates booms, the demand for teachers has morphed Joe’s tradition of serious, lengthy study into an age of instant development. Rather than dedicating years of practice and observation to bettering teaching skills, many programs turn out new instructors in a matter of months. And while the training of these instructors varies in comprehensiveness, an additional issue is at hand: The ease of entering a training program has resulted in many soon-to-be instructors enrolling without fully understanding what it takes to become—and continue to be—a good teacher.

Before investing time and money into a career you may not be suited for, you can take steps to explore all angles of life as a Pilates instructor. Here’s how:

Spend Time in the Studio
The first step toward becoming an instructor is establishing a relationship within a Pilates studio as a student. The studio should provide experience in all of the mat work and equipment work, and study should include personal practice, group classes, private sessions and mentoring. After establishing your role as a dedicated student, inquire about taking on a role as a rudimentary assistant within the studio. You may be asked to clean equipment and the studio, learn safety and maintenance of equipment, answer the phones, relate to clients and learn how to organize a schedule—essentially, all of the daily tasks that are part of the organization of a studio. It’s also good to read about Pilates from the archival materials and the current studies and approaches. If you find studio life and the study of the Pilates is not rewarding, you may want to choose Pilates as a personal practice, rather than a career.

Research Training Programs
If the practice of Pilates has captured your interest and you are called to teach, you will need to investigate teacher training. Comprehensive programs will have a minimum of 400 hours of study and require prerequisite study. Due to tuition and material costs plus fees associated with testing, required private sessions and classes, the expense will be significant and may be a hardship, but this is not a place to cut corners. You are going back to school, and the program you choose will set the groundwork for the rest of your career.

When approached by eager applicants, I suggest they take classes from at least three different programs, read the enrollment material and choose the program that addresses their needs and learning style. The director of the program should have at least ten years of experience teaching Pilates, and in my opinion, they should be a PMA Certified Pilates Teacher™. Most programs will require written and practical tests before awarding a certificate of comprehensive education and those who choose to take the PMA examination for certification will need to commit additional time and money.

Starting a Program of Study
When a student enters a Pilates program it’s important to bring along excitement and enthusiasm. This study is very intense and includes the memorization of a daunting amount of information, the commitment of a significant length of time and testing of one’s physical limitations. Expect to experience joy and insight as well as periods of frustration. You may discover that you love the Reformer and you hate the Chair. Keep reminding yourself that every teacher has experienced this process. Often the material that you dislike will become your favorite teaching experience. The harder the work, the more you will appreciate the gain in knowledge and awareness. The study of Contrology demands that you have grasped each element. Every different piece of equipment and mat work elucidates the understanding of the whole.

From those first sessions of practice-teaching to the clients you help years into your career, each student presents a different challenge. Witnessing in others the changes brought by Pilates practice is rewarding. As an instructor with 23 years of experience, I can assuredly say that the work of becoming a teacher is worth every obstacle on the path. The responsibility to teach another with integrity takes dedication, however, there is a consummate joy in assisting others to find health and vitality. If you discover that this challenge is irresistible, then the Pilates profession has chosen you!

Pat Guyton, owner of Pat Guyton Pilates in Boulder, Colorado, is  Vice President of the Pilates Method Alliance. She has taught Pilates for the past 23 years to students, teachers-in-training and fellow instructors.