A Pilates instructor is someone who gives a group of students or an individual comprehensive, hands-on Pilates instruction. Pilates is a fitness program created by Joseph Pilates in the 1920s that focuses on increasing muscular strength, improving posture, and toning the body while using specialized Pilates equipment and a Pilates mat. Although most Pilates instructors are certified after completing a rigorous training program, some excellent instructors who have been teaching for years are not. This is due to the fact that they may have started teaching before certifications were available.
To become a Pilates instructor, it is recommended that you attend Pilates classes for a long time to assess your aptitude and enthusiasm for the program. Furthermore, many instructors study anatomy and other fitness principles before pursuing studio certification; some studios will not accept Pilates instructor applicants who do not have an understanding of anatomy. After that, a student can choose to be certified in either Pilates mat instruction, which is much easier and less expensive, or comprehensive Pilates equipment instruction, which is much more difficult and expensive.
Pilates mat certification and comprehensive Pilates equipment certification programs both include group and individual Pilates classes, as well as hands-on instruction, written course work, and an exam. There will be both hands-on work and written questions on the exam. Before being certified as a Pilates instructor, applicants may be required to assist a certified Pilates instructor in a certain number of classes.
A Pilates instructor must be familiar with the Pilates program’s more than 500 exercises, as well as how to perform them on the mat and with the equipment. He or she will also need to know how to adapt the moves for different types of people, such as pregnant women, people with injuries or limited flexibility, and the elderly, to name a few. Pilates instructors may want to combine Pilates with other types of exercise programs, such as yoga, which is gaining popularity.
A Pilates instructor may instruct a group of students in a group setting. He or she may also choose to teach private lessons to individuals. When a Pilates instructor works for a studio, he is typically required to teach the studio’s required number of classes, but many instructors are self-employed and can set their own teaching schedules. Pilates instructors should enjoy interacting with others and have a strong desire to improve their physical fitness.