6 months ago, I decided to start a Pilates teacher training program! After taking Pilates classes early last year and seeing so much improvement in my posture, I wanted to learn the foundation of Pilates. It’s been a lot trying to complete hours for the program on top of my full-time job and part-time job at the nail salon.

After 500+ hours, I’m now officially a Pilates teacher through Pilates Sports Center (PSC)!

Completing the Pilates Teacher Training Program

I didn’t think I would have finished all my hours this soon. We started our 16-week class in September and after our last class, we have six months to finish all our hours.

Because there wasn’t a reason for me to finish so soon, I didn’t want to stress myself out if there wasn’t a need. Luckily for me, the last two months made it easy! I had so much PTO in December that I was able to fit in a lot of observation, then in January, I had a few new clients who enjoyed Pilates so much that they wanted to come multiple times a week.

Before going into the program, I asked a few Pilates instructor what their biggest challenges were. This helped me prep my schedule and come up with a plan to help me be successful in completing the program.

Tips and Tricks for Going Through the Pilates Teacher Certification

Here are a few of my personal challenges, along with other Pilates teachers that I spoke to –

Dispersing different type of hours

For the program, there are different type of hours you need to complete. For example, you’ll need 100 hours of teaching, 50 hours of observation, 40 hours of self-integration, etc. One’s strategy could be completing all the hours in one bucket first and then moving onto a different bucket. That was my initial strategy – completing the self-integration was the easiest and quickest for me, then I started observation hours.

I found that because each hour served a purpose, completing them simultaneously really helped me learned quicker and retained the information a lot more!

Teach right away

A suggestion I had from another Pilates instructor was to start teaching right away! After we learned new movements in class, I would incorporate them in my clients’ program. I started teaching twice a week, which was enough time to ensure that I taught everything I learned at least once.

If I had to make one suggestion, I would say aim to teach at least three times between classes! Two of those teaching hours would be to incorporate the newly learned movements, while the third would be a review of previous materials. I found that towards the end of the program, I needed to refresh the materials we learned at the very beginning.

Luckily, I was reviewing it every now and then, but it would have been a lot easier if I did it a bit more consistently!

Finding consistent clients

One of the most helpful things I found throughout my Pilates teacher training program is having consistent clients! I was able to train with my mentor for the entirety of the program, so it was fruitful to see her progress from our first session to now. I also have a few clients that have been coming 2-3 times a week and it’s been so rewarding seeing their progress after every week.

Some ways I found clients were posting onto Facebook groups and through referrals!

Thank You to Everyone Who Helped Through the Pilates Teacher Training Program

I wouldn’t have been able to finish all 500+ hours if it wasn’t for all my clients, friends, and family.

Thank you to my mentor, Jenn, who’s been so helpful and supportive of me throughout this journey! She’s the reason why I was able to finish the program so soon. I don’t think I would have been able to learn as much if I didn’t have her as my mentor.

I also want to thank my director at work for being so supportive and for being so flexible. Prior to signing up for the teacher training program, I was hesitant about being able to leave work two hours early on a weekly basis to attend class. She’s been nothing but supportive of my Pilates journey and have allowed me to have that flexibility in my work schedule.

Thirdly, I want to thank all my clients, friends, family for trusting me with their body – trusting me that I knew what I was teaching! Whether we did 1 session or 10 sessions together, each hour was one step closer to finishing the program. I am so grateful for every single person I taught.

Lastly, thank you to those who have supported me in any capacity. Whether it’s referring a potential client or purchasing a pair of my Pilates socks, all support is appreciated. Thank you all!

Pilates Teacher Certification Process

Throughout the program, after every module we learn, we have a verbal “test out”. It’s essentially a series of questions that our master trainer will ask each of us individually. The questions are either anatomy, demonstrating/teaching, or scenario based. It’s not anything that wasn’t discussed in class, but because you’re answering in front of all your peers, it can get a bit intimidating.

Once the classes are over, you have both the practical and written exam. The practical exam is essentially similar the test out, except it covers the whole entire program, from mat to reformer to cadillac to chair. The written exam has 13 questions with several parts to each question. We were expected to take the written exam within a week of our last class.

After the practical and written exams were over, we had six months to finish all our hours and to turn in our binder. In my binder, I included my hour log sheet, a few items that I spent my apprentice hours on, and all my client assessments.

It took our master trainer less than 2 days of her receiving my binder to review it. I was so excited when I got the news!

Gaining New Skills from the Teacher Training Program

Through Pilates teacher training, I’ve learned a lot about anatomy, which has allowed me to have a deeper understanding of movements and limitations. I love it when my friends and family ask me for advice when they’re experiencing pain and what they can do to help alleviate it. I used to experience a lot of shoulder and lower back pain, but now, I find that once I start feeling tight in an area, I know exactly what to do!

The skills I learned in Pilates teacher training program have translated into my personal and professional life as well! At first, I found it uncomfortable for me to tell others what to do and how to do things, but overtime through teaching, it has made me feel more confident in myself. I now feel noticeably more assertive and patient as a result of the Pilates teacher training program!

What’s Next in my Pilates Journey?

I’ve had a few clients and friends asking if I was planning on teaching full-time after getting my certification, and quite frankly, I love my corporate job too much to leave. Also, I’ve never been one to just do one thing! I love being able to do multiple things, so I don’t get bored or feel mundane.

I have a few private clients that I will continue teaching. There’s so much enjoyment in teaching private clients and seeing their progress throughout our sessions. As for group classes, I will most likely teach a few here and there, but I don’t see it as something I would do on a consistent basis. Who knows! I might change my mind down the road.

Thank you everyone for your support! This has been such an amazing journey so far and I can’t wait to see where it takes me.