How To Become A Pilates Instructor

Getting into Pilates exercise is a great way to practice healthy living. The health benefits of Pilates improve your physical and mental states. Pilates is growing in fashion as the stresses of the modern world take their toll on our health. 

More and more people are turning to Pilates. Follow our guide if you're a lover of Pilates or new to the practice and considering becoming a fitness instructor.

Becoming a Pilates instructor is about more than just appreciating the art, but about wanting to help others. Do you want to teach people to improve their physical and mental wellbeing?

From improving muscle tone to relaxing your mind, Pilates workouts are trending. This widespread practice is an excellent asset if you are interested in starting a personal trainer business. 

We'll share with you how to go about getting certified. Follow our tips to find the proper personal trainer certifications and everything you need to know to start teaching.

What is Pilates?

Before embarking on your instructor training, we need to address "what is Pilates?" Joseph Pilates invented Pilates, a German-born circus performer, amid his internment in England in World War One. 

Pilates has grown immensely in 100 years. It is a practice of physical fitness widespread throughout the Western world. Pilates is a form of exercise that focuses on the mind-body connection and core strengthening. 

Practicing Pilates involves deep breathing and an awareness of the movements your body is making. The principles of Pilates focus on breathing, concentration, control, centering, flow, postural alignment, precision, relaxation, and stamina. 

Many Pilates instructors also have a focus on healthy eating to improve overall health and fitness. Pilates focuses on flexibility, posture, and a balanced body. It is more anaerobic than aerobic exercise. 

There are different types of Pilates:

• Mat Pilates: Requiring a Pilates mat; this is the most basic form of Pilates and uses the body as weight resistance, working the upper and lower back muscles, legs, and stomach.

• Classical Pilates: Observes a mix of mat and apparatus work, sticking heavily to Joseph Pilates' original methods.

• Contemporary Pilates: Uses modern research and techniques to adjust the origins of Pilates through physical therapy and biomechanics. 

• Reformer Pilates: Uses a narrow bed called a "reformer." Following a Pilates reformer method uses a piece of equipment with a sliding carriage, straps, and pulleys to create resistance. 

• Power Pilates: A faster-paced, more intensive Pilates workout. 

The Pilates Method Alliance connects teachers worldwide. They detail the methods and techniques for successful Pilates.

If you want to become a Pilates exercise specialist, decide what teacher training you need. Do you want to be a reformer instructor or teach Pilates mat classes? Health coach certifications teach you how to use Pilates equipment, and Pilates instructors do not legally require a certification.

What is the difference between yoga and Pilates?

While Pilates and yoga have some similar practices, they are ultimately different. They are both a form of exercise that contains anaerobic and aerobic activities, both recommended by fitness professionals. 

Yoga workout routines tend to take place on yoga mats predominantly. Yoga instructors focus on the spirituality of the workout, and the main aim is to improve flexibility and range of movement. 

Yoga might be a better choice for someone attempting to focus on their mental health. On the other hand, Pilates doesn't include meditation, and Pilates methods share some positions with yoga. 

However, Pilates training emphasizes strength training, and Pilates attempts to strengthen your core through weight training. Breathing in yoga is to relax and loosen muscles, whereas Pilates uses breathing to provide the muscles with energy. 

Understanding the difference between yoga and Pilates is essential for any fitness instructor. The benefits of each suit different people's needs. As an instructor, you need to be able to recommend the proper workout to various people.

What are the benefits of Pilates?

Pilates is suitable for everyone. No matter your competence level, anyone can start practicing Pilates, using your body weight as resistance. You can adapt many exercises for different ability levels. Once you start Pilates, keep challenging yourself to reap the health benefits. 

Although yoga focuses primarily on flexibility, Pilates helps your range of motion too. The positions push you to stretch joints and ligaments in a careful, productive way. 

Pilates also improves your muscular strength, and the primary target is the core muscles. Pilates trains your abdominal muscles, lower back, and buttocks continuously if you're after flat abs. Pilates also works on the muscular strength of your arms and lengths, but to a lesser extent. 

Exercise improves spine stability. Some Pilates methods might act as a spine corrector if you suffer from spinal issues or feel pain around your back. Working with physical therapy, Pilates can target lower back pain by improving your stability.

The exercises and positions in Pilates also improve your posture. By keeping your posture balanced and focusing on postural alignment in a Pilates class, you will enhance your stature.

Pilates also develops your mental awareness of yourself. From creating a balanced life to looking after your mental health, Pilates has shown its effectiveness at improving your mental state. 

The benefits of Pilates are endless. Your increased understanding of fitness levels and health conditions will improve your life all around. You might eat more healthily diet foods, as a result.

Pilates has also proven its importance in preventing illness and disease. From heart disease to diabetes, Pilates ward off these risks. Overall improving your sports health will make you a better, fitter person. 

Teaching Pilates is a fulfilling and rewarding role. You will be directly involved in the rehabilitation and improvement of people's lives.

How often should you do Pilates?

You should practice any exercise program at least several times a week to improve your total fitness. Physical activity should always be frequent.

There are no dos and don'ts of how often you should take Pilates practice. Health professionals recommend you practice three times a week minimum. However, Pilates trainers suggest you can do up to five sessions a week.

Joseph Pilates himself suggested four times a week is enough to see results. However, not everyone has the time to commit to such time. Mix up your workouts with longer and shorter sessions to stay engaged. 

The more practiced Pilates instructors and students will see the effects of Pilates sooner. Working on your core strength requires regular training to see results. The further you push yourself, the more rewarding your workouts will be. 

As with any exercise, be sure to decide on a regimen that suits your body and lifestyle. If you are relatively new to exercise, don't dive in with five advanced intense sessions in the first week. Build up your workouts over time. 

Consider how many classes you can fit into your schedule. Overcommitting yourself might result in giving up. Instead, create a realistic program that you can stick to and incorporate your daily life into your Pilates regimen to maximize your workout results. 

How much do Pilates instructors make?

According to Zippia, a certified Pilates instructor can make $54,000 a year on average. A Pilates instructor career can take place in health care, manufacturing and education. 

A Pilates instructor can also become an online personal trainer. A personal trainer's salary might be as high as $62,864. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, a certified personal fitness trainer has a vital job outlook of 39% in the next ten years.

How long does it take to become a Pilates instructor?

Becoming a Pilates instructor doesn't take too long. Depending on your skill level and the certification program you take, you can become a Pilates instructor in as little as a few weeks.

The bulk of the time comes from becoming competent at Pilates workouts yourself. The more experienced you are, the more clients will flock to you. There are different education options available depending on what type of coaching certification you want. 

Understanding mat training is the quickest way to get to your fitness instructor certification, and mat Pilates is the most basic form of workout. You might want to initially set yourself up as a mat Pilates instructor and then develop specialist certification once you have established yourself.

A more comprehensive program can take a lot longer, and you will need to be an expert at all types of Pilates instructor training, able to work full time and earn more money. Depending on what type of instructor certifications you are after, you can become a Pilates instructor quicker than other career paths. 

Once you have completed your training, there are a variety of different ways to work. In recent months, online coaching has increased in popularity and is a low-cost, flexible way to begin your Pilates instructor career. 

How to become a certified Pilates instructor?

First, decide what type of Pilates instructor you wish to be, which will inform the training programs you undertake. Do you wish to teach mat classes or reformer Pilates? Take a few lessons to work out whether you want to specialize.

You need to know how you want to teach. If you wish to work with online trainers or in a Pilates studio, you must learn different teaching methods. Then choose the right Pilates instructor certification program. 

At Courses for Success, we offer Pilates for beginner's training certifications. The Pilates Online Certificate Course covers Pilates moves, mat exercises, and how to set up your training business. 

The course is accredited by the CMA (Complementary Medical Association), which recognizes Pilates' professional and ethical teaching. The course ends with an assessment before you receive your fitness certifications. The course materials are available 24/7 for you to use as exam prep. 

Pilates teacher training will help you plan lessons and build confidence in your students. When you are certified, you need to purchase liability insurance to set up your Pilates practice, which will protect you and your business. Many Pilates teachers want to develop beyond their mat certification. 

To progress beyond a mat instructor, you can take further courses. If you're going to become a health professional, additional training in fitness nutrition specialist courses will help.

Staying up to date is crucial for all Pilates instructors. The world of Pilates, health and physical therapy continuously evolves. You need to ensure you know of any changes in the field and take regular training courses throughout your career. 

Why Courses for Success?

Courses for Success offers over 10,000 online courses, all of which aim to help you in your personal development and career progression. Not only that, but you can also study them anywhere and at any time, and take them at your own pace, too.

You don't need career diplomas or specific experience to get started. From our coding courses and trading courses to design courses and developer courses, every course we offer will help boost your prospects, no matter who you are.

Beyond just the education itself, students will be issued a certificate online after completing each of the learning courses they do. Our online Pilates courses are no exception and are recognized by industry leaders. You could make a name for yourself by signing up for a Courses for Success short course today.