Instructors Training

Starting the exciting process of becoming a Pilates Instructor is the beginning of a career that will be long lasting and progressive.

Joseph Pilates had the opinion that it was his technique and as such he was the only person who could teach it. However, since his death the technique has grown in popularity and status. The historical training was an apprentice system whereby students of the technique – usually dancers, helped in studios where they attended class and over time learned the repertoire and started to teach. The modern approach to training has become more structured by necessity. With the growth in demand for Pilates classes, the fitness industry instigated the need for formalised training with an evidenced assessment process.

The Pilates Institute faculty developed the first national accredited qualification for Pilates in collaboration with OCR (Oxford Cambridge RSA). The level 2 OCR Pilates qualification remained the standard of Pilates education until August 2006 when together with the other main training providers in the UK, the Pilates Institute assisted in the development of the Advanced level 3 Pilates qualification.

At present in the UK the national standard is applied to matwork only. There is however another aspect to a comprehensive training in the Pilates Technique. The Pilates equipment element of the training is a significant part of the technique; only with both pieces can you truly claim to be fully qualified.

The Pilates Institute Method is both evidence and research based and will allow students registered on any of the programmes to learn the technique in addition to understanding and developing their own style and creativity to become a well rounded and confident Pilates’ teacher.