So you want to become a Pilates Instructor?

We uncover what they don’t tell you when you become a Pilates Instructor.

With over 12 years of experience as a Pilates teacher and a background as a personal trainer and group fitness instructor, I understand what it takes to be in the fitness industry for a long time. I’ve also completed Pilates courses with some of the biggest education providers to grow my knowledge and skill set which makes me perfectly equipped to share my advice with Pilates lovers out there who might be thinking of making a career change/switch and need to understand what the life of a Pilates teacher is really all about. 

Here are the top 10 things to consider when thinking about becoming a Pilates instructor.

1.     Research the different Training Providers

When considering where you might study to become a Pilates instructor take the time to think about what you want to teach and why. There are so many types of Pilates out there that you need to be clear and what feels right for you. 

Having a Certificate 3 or 4 in Fitness or Dance can always be beneficial but it’s not essential. Prior knowledge of how to train bodies is always going to be helpful, but this is something you may decide to do at a later date if you felt it was necessary.

I’m often asked what course I’d do first and my advice would be to do mat before reformer, and then if it’s financially and logistically an option with your current work and family commitments the full studio course is great. The more Pilates you study on both the mat and large equipment the better equipped you will be to teach any of them. Pilates is Pilates no matter where you are doing it but it is all linked, the more familiar you are with it the better. 

2.     The more time you invest, the better the results

When choosing a course there is much to consider. Often courses promote how fast you can complete it for example, you can do a course in just a few weekends but do not underestimate the importance of looking at and understanding the hours required for self-mastery, observation and practice teaching. The absolute best courses are the ones that make sure you practice Pilates yourself, they require you to spend numerous hours observing experienced instructors and practice teaching. Often this involves hundreds of hours and while you might baulk at these hours, they are preparing you for greater success as a teacher. The more Pilates you have done yourself the more familiar you are with the way the exercise feels in your body and the more accurately you are able to program.

By observing other more experienced teachers you can also build an idea of the kind of style you like and may gravitate towards. You also get a more realistic idea of what the industry is like. I find the best instructors are the ones who have not only done detailed courses but who have also spent a long time practising their teaching.

3.     Enjoying Pilates doesn’t necessitate pursuing a teaching role

At my studios, we teach Pilates as a form of group fitness, which is how most Pilates is taught across the board at present. However, just because you like Pilates doesn’t necessarily mean you are going to find it easy to teach and similarly just because you have done your training with a great provider doesn’t guarantee you are going to be a great instructor. 

Pilates courses will teach you how to deliver an exercise, potentially what words to use and the common mistakes to look out for. You will learn how to progress or regress an exercise, but they don’t teach you how to read a room. You will need to watch the room and experienced teachers to learn how to effectively hold a client’s attention and how long to spend on an exercise before moving on.

How you make a client feel is the most important part of the class, really they don’t care how fancy your flow is or if you did a teaser on a long box two classes in a row! Clients need to feel welcomed and seen. Some clients like to chat and others don’t, some clients want a hundred corrections and some just want to blend in and have an hour to themselves, understanding everyone’s needs is one of the most important skills you will learn and it takes time.

In group settings I personally do not believe in over correcting, I like my clients to feel the movements in their bodies and adjust accordingly with generic cues where possible. I will never give more than three corrections to one client in a group class ever. I want them to leave feeling positive and refreshed, free from whatever they came in thinking about, not schooled. Of course, other teachers deliver classes differently but I always believe if our clients are safe and moving they deserve to be recognised for showing up; I believe in motivating and challenging classes.

4. Find a studio that is your vibe

I recommend thinking about the type of studio you would like to work at or own. A lot of studios now teach Pilates as a form of fitness, classes are faster-paced, use music and have minimal corrections to form given to keep the pace of the class flowing. I think this is great, it exposes more people to the beauty of Pilates and allows them a safe low-impact varied form of exercise that gets them great health and fitness benefits. If this is the type of studio you feel aligned with it is worth looking into how much experience you have with group fitness as a whole.

Determine if you want to teach online as well as in person. Teaching online was obviously essential for most of us in the pandemic, but it is still a really valuable way to reach more people especially if you live in more remote areas or want to service a larger area of clients. I made the decision to take a break from online after the lockdowns were over, but it is something I intend on returning to next year occasionally.

5.     Teach at various locations to gain experience and exposure to different clients

I really recommend training at lots of different types of facilities or gyms, it gives you confidence in delivering a stronger class if you have been around different group fitness classes. Some of the best exercise variations I have used or cues I give are from training across a broad spectrum of exercise modalities. If you are more passionate about more traditional Pilates – delivered at a slower pace, with more emphasis on correction and form then this is the type of studio you want to aspire to be or work at.

Consider if you want to teach group classes or in a studio setting where you might work in duo’s or one on one’s. The smaller the class, the more specific your focus, and you can really spend time on an individual’s needs, which is so rewarding. You might prefer to work with older clients or more specialised populations and this may require additional training. One-on-ones or semi-privates also require a lot of emotional energy from you so it is wise to not schedule huge volumes of clients in one day especially when starting out.

6.     Find a great mentor

Find instructors to shadow who are going to take the time to help you learn how to correct people appropriately in a kind and effective way.

You learn so much from surrounding yourself with great people. My advice is to learn from them but don’t try to be them. It’s important that you find your own style. This might take a bit of time but it is so worth it.

7.     Understand the hours you are likely to teach upfront

Another important thing to consider when deciding to go into the Pilates industry is the hours and schedule you want to work. A lot of people teach Pilates because they love it and they do it on top of their regular income, it could be either a handful of private clients or classes. This is more to supplement existing wages or just for the love of Pilates which is great. If you are planning to go into it full time it is important to be realistic about the hours you work.

Teaching both privates and groups can be really tiring and realistically between 20- 25 sessions a week is the most people can do effectively without burning out. Of course, there are exceptions to this and some people are only able to teach 10 before they find it too much, others can do 30 but it takes a couple of years to find your sweet spot. It would be great if you could teach five classes in a row every day Monday-Friday between 9 and 3 but it's highly unlikely this will happen.

The reality is, especially with studios, instructors are needed early in the morning, into the evening and weekends. It is normal that if you want to teach five classes in a day you may have to have a big break in the middle. If you are teaching private clients this is easier to manage but it still depends on sickness, holidays, kids’ health etc.

8.     Understand your hourly rate upfront

Some education providers market Pilates instructing as a way to earn huge amounts of money, it is my opinion that if that is why you want to become an instructor you might be very disappointed. The hourly rate for instructors can be great, but classes still need to be planned in your own time and in order to convert that hourly rate into a good weekly wage you need to be doing a lot of sessions or classes. All of these are important things to consider if you will be relying on Pilates instructing as a full-time wage.

The rate of pay in Australia for example varies a lot from studio to studio and can depend on how many sessions you have in a block. Pay can range from around $40 AUD a class, to over $100 AUD per client in private sessions. Obviously, you need to make sure you understand if you are responsible for paying your own tax etc. Remember you will need to arrange your own insurance, this is easy and there are lots of providers but it is an additional annual cost, as is an up-to-date first aid and CPR qualification.

9.     Ensure you don’t take on too much and get burnt out

Most instructors when they start out take whatever classes they are offered in their desired studio and over time tweak that schedule to suit themselves. Of course, the early mornings and late nights can be hard and sometimes the days are long. Your job is to make people feel better than when they walked into your space and that’s a great job to have but the reality is sometimes you may not be having a good day yourself, but you must prioritise your clients.

Learning to manage your schedule is a skill that comes in time but it is really important, even at the very beginning to always give yourself a day off every week, otherwise you will pretty quickly start to experience burnout.

10.     When will you find time for your own practice?

A major consideration when becoming an instructor is to think about when you will do your own training and Pilates practice. So many instructors stop doing Pilates when they become an instructor despite the fact that it’s the love of doing Pilates that made them become an instructor in the first place.

I personally still do Pilates most days, even on holiday, I love it. I do mat classes with the clients whilst I teach as I find this is when I am at my most creative in terms of mat flows and reformer I do a couple of times a week at one of my studios.  If I am completely honest, I sometimes enjoy going to yoga at our studio more because I don’t feel compelled to listen to all the safety cues and movement instructions and I can just enjoy being there as a yoga student and this is refreshing.

And finally, remember what makes for a great Pilates teacher…you need to understand the class or the session is not about you – it’s about your clients and how they feel, the experience they have when they train with you.
It is important to know that when you start teaching Pilates your relationship will change, it will become your job and sometimes you may need a break from it.

I truly feel so lucky to be able to teach Pilates to people every day, and am truly grateful people trust me with their health and fitness.

Jaime Lake O’Dea has been a Pilates instructor for over 12 years, prior to teaching Pilates she was a personal trainer and a group fitness instructor. Jaime has completed training with a number of different education providers and has trained in both classical and contemporary pilates. She keeps up to date with her continuing education and opened her first studio The Spring Collective in Sydney’s north, Australia in 2019.

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