With so many options nowadays, Mat Pilates, Reformer, Yogalates, Dancelates, Chair Pilates, HIIT Pilates, Wall Pilates etc, it can be difficult navigating what style of class to even start with. So even after you’ve decided what style(s) your body prefers, how do you know if you have a good teacher?
Here are my top tips in the order they should be followed for how to choose a good Pilates instructor. Spoiler: There may be more than one teacher your like! A true Pilates instructor, while we want to grow our business, we also want what’s best for our students. We don’t mind you switching up teachers.
1. Know what Pilates was originally designed to be. See my previous article: What is Pilates really?
2. Know your goals That will help you pick the style of class. Perhaps write them down. Do you want a class that feels more like a work out or a class that is gentle? Are you focusing more on restoration, more on strength? Did you just come out of an injury?
Do you want a class with or without music? Which local studios or private teachers have classes that match your goals?
3. Now that you’ve completed points 1 & 2, here is some research to do on your teacher (don’t worry this won’t take long):
a. Credentials
Did they do a weekend course or extensive training? What were their required hours before being certified? See what certification they have and look up the course requirements. Generally speaking, any teacher from Balanced Body, Polestar or Stott Pilates is a safe option. A teacher does not necessarily have to be part of PMA but having a First Aid course and insurance generally tells you they are serious about their work.
b. What is their background apart from Pilates?
Do they have any related studies such as yoga, dance, fitness, physio, chiropractor? Do they have experience with injury management etc? Please note that these extra skills, while important, are not necessary to have but, they do help a lot. Often a teacher will have this information in their bio. If you want to do a further dig, most but not all of us, have a digital footprint. For example, I have a background in of dance and drama. One search of my name and you will find at the very least, my personal Instagram with some of my dancing and theatre photos on it. Please bear in mind, some people and not necessarily only older people, prefer to keep themselves offline. So, if you cant find evidence, that may be the reason.
c. If they run a studio also, how often do they change their staff? This can be important if you want consistency. Some studios change their staff a lot because they are creating a certain brand. However, if they’ve been open a few years and are changing Pilates teachers every few months consistently, you may want to look elsewhere- unless, you still haven’t found a good teacher and want to try a bunch more. Please note, a lot of studios have a ‘no stealing clients’ policy. So, if you like a teacher so much but they are a sub or brand new and you don’t know if they are staying, make sure to get their full name so you can look them up yourself.
4. Lastly, the personal touch:
a. How does your Pilates instructor communicate?
You may have a teacher that only gives out commands when you prefer hands on or, someone who is more hands on and uses less words. You may prefer demonstration. Having more of one of these doesn’t make one teacher better from another, but it is important when taking into account your preference. Good teachers can use commands and hands on together. While demonstration is helpful, an experienced Pilates teacher with an injury can teach a great class without the demonstration.
b. What is their vibe? Finally, this is honestly the icing on the cake. Do you want a teacher that commands a Pilates class like a Zumba work out or do you want someone with a gentle approach or, someone cool crisp and frank? Do you like humour? This is up to you and you may want to try several teachers out before you settle on one. Please note that you will be unlikely to like your substitute teacher if you have been going to one particular teacher for a while. For more information on that, please see my fifth article coming soon: Why do I dislike my Pilates substitute teacher?
c. They can admit what they don't know!
For me personally, this is the Ace of Diamonds. When I first began learning I ran into some qualified instructors who would not know something and either try to make it up or get upset. Bad form in my opinion. The best instructors I had throughout dance and Pilates, if I came to them with a problem, they would either a. Suggest someone or something else to look into, b. Try to figure it out with me but state where their knowledge was limited and reassure me there would be a solution c. actually have the solution and calmly work through it with me. At the end of the day Pilates instructors are just that: Pilates instructors. Some of us may also be physiotherapists, chiropractors, dancers, actors which can be handy. But some of us are not. We can always learn more to add to our knowledge but when we have limits to our knowledge, the safest thing we can do for a client is admit we don't know.
I hope this guide has been helpful!
All the best on your journey! As always, any questions, please leave a comment below! 😊
If you'd like a free video: https://youtu.be/rTcjI-DMuB0
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