What does it take to become a pilates instructor?
At The Pilates Rx, a question we often encounter is: What does it take to become a Pilates instructor? Many people are curious about the comprehensive process and skills necessary to embark on the journey of becoming a certified instructor. From mastering the core principles of Pilates to perfecting the art of cueing proper body mechanics, becoming a pilates instructor is packed with challenges and endless opportunities for growth. My name is Ally and I am an intern at Pilates Rx as well as a 3rd year student in the Doctor of Physical Therapy program at Northeastern University. I became interested in pilates after completing my co-op experience at Spaulding Outpatient Rehabilitation Hospital where I witnessed the impact that these exercises have on whole body health. From there, I was hooked and wanted to learn all I could about using Pilates for rehabilitation. When I started PT school, my goal was to discover a way to treat the root cause of patients' pain, rather than merely alleviates their symptoms in the short term, so that I could help provide lasting results for my future patients. When I discovered the many benefits Pilates offered to patients, I realized it was exactly the solution I had been searching for! Pilates offers me a further understanding of healthy movement mechanics by bridging two complementary practices and forging a path towards healing through full body alignment. Over the last few months, I have started my journey into becoming a Polestar Comprehensive Pilates Instructor. Come along with me as I dive into what it really takes to become a pilates instructor!
Understanding the polestar pilates guiding principles:
The first step into becoming a polestar certified pilates instructor, is learning five core principles that form the foundational basis of Pilates and help unlock the full potential of each movement. These principles not only guide exercises but also help lay the groundwork for understanding the connections between mind, body, and movement.
Breath: Breath is the essence of life and can be used as a powerful tool to facilitate movement and vice versa. Pilates uses breath to increase lung capacity, improve gas exchange efficiency, and support thoracic posture. Breath, driven by ribcage and diaphragm movement, is central to movement principles and has applications in energy shifts, pain management, and accentuation of the curvature of the spine.
Mobility: Mobility is an essential part of human movement. Without it, we become rigid, limiting our movement options. Proper distribution of movement across multiple segments and joints reduces stress on surrounding joints potentially preventing pathology and degeneration. Maintaining mobility is especially beneficial as we age, helping us stay active and reducing the risk of injury.
Dynamic Alignment: Dynamic alignment is achieved through ample mobility in joints and soft tissues, facilitating efficient neuromuscular organization for desired movements. When posture is correctly aligned, the load naturally engages the neuromuscular and fascial systems to sustain, propel, decelerate, and move it all planes. By combining alignment with graded load, the body can learn to perform healthy human movements more effectively.
Control: Control is directly related to mobility and is essential for maintaining efficient and spontaneous movement. It involves creating the right amount of stiffness around joints based on the anticipated load, ensuring appropriate tension or compression for a desired movement. Control is not simply about strength but about achieving the optimal balance for effective movement.
Movement integration: Movement integration is a principle that synthesizes all the key principles of movement, providing tools and understanding for acquiring new movement patterns. It helps us learn strategies to replace order, less efficient ones. enhancing skill, efficiency, and awareness. By focusing on movement integration we can improve our ability to perform daily tasks and functional activities with greater ease and effectiveness.
Education and training timeline:
Once students have nailed the foundational principles and learned how to apply them to different exercises, it's time to dive into the real action: physical training and testing! This is no easy feat and takes many months to accomplish. Below is a detailed timeline of the complete training regimen!
Month 1-2: Mastering Polestar Guiding Principles for Pilates
Principles include: Breath, mobility, dynamic alignment, control, and movement integrations.
Attend weekly lectures and practice fundamental mat exercises.
Complete 25 Pre-curriculum hours.
Month 3-5: Continue to attend weekly lectures and monthly weekend workshops
Learn evaluation and more advanced exercises on the mat and reformer.
Students begin being evaluated by completing testing.
Complete observations hours by observing a polestar certified instructor.
Complete practice teaching hours by teaching friends and family.
Month 6: Midterm examination
Students will complete a midterm examination to evaluate their ability to accurately complete the exercises and articulate correct movement while teaching.
Students will complete 20 hours of observation, 50 hours of exercise self mastery, and 50 hours of practice teaching.
If passed students can become an apprentice of Pilates and work under a certified instructor!
Month 7-11: Continued Coursework and Practical Training
Students continue to learn more advanced exercises.
Students continue being evaluated on advanced movements and teaching methods.
Students continue to complete observation hours by observing a Polestar certified instructor.
Students can start teaching clients under the supervision of a Polestar certified instructor.
Month 12: Final examination
Students will take a final examination that consists of mastering advanced exercises and ability to properly communicate exercises to clients.
All together, students will have completed 40 hours of observation, 100 hours of self mastery, and 100 hours of practice teaching!
Month 12 +: Lifelong learning
Students must embrace lifelong learning by adapting to the unique challenges and opportunities presented in each session.
As you can see, becoming a certified polestar pilates instructor is a journey that spans many months and is filled with many challenges and opportunities for growth. From mastering the guiding pilates principles to advancing through each step of physical training and testing, every phase requires dedication and perseverance in order to become the best teacher possible! The Pilates RX takes it to the next level, and hires only pilates instructors who are comprehensively trained in contemporary methods, and licensed as a clinician to ensure expert level instruction for our clients and patients.