Did you know our wonderful Pilates industry is unregulated? Scary thought isn’t it?!
Recently there has been some talk about the ‘weekend warrior” – the teacher who follows the weekend course, watches a DVD, a film on YouTube and claims to be educated in the Pilates Method. These teachers then feel able to go off to a gym or community centre and teach Pilates!
Sadly these people are often the first port of call for so many people who commence Pilates, therefore becoming the face of Pilates. To the general public wanting to get fit this leads to confusion about what Pilates actually is and devalues its credibility. By making Pilates more widely available to a larger audience and in its sudden surge the industry has not been able to keep up, therefore spitting out unqualified and uneducated instructors. Thus in the Pilates arena a world of inadequate, cheap and easy Pilates classes have popped up.
Since anyone can legally call themselves a Pilates teacher, or Pilates teacher trainer, it would be impossible to put a stop to all the weekend courses. Nor can we force all teachers to join a professional association at this stage.
Properly qualified Instructors need to know so much about the biomechanics of Pilates and how and why it affects the body in a positive and rehabilitative way, so it’s crucial you learn from a qualified teacher.
HOW TO FIND OUT IF YOU’RE IN GOOD HANDS?
Unfortunately a lot of the onus lies with you, our beautiful potential and existing clients.
Before starting Pilates or commencing at a new studio ALWAYS ask the following questions:
- Are the instructors trained through a comprehensive training program and if so how many hours were they required to practice?, was there a written exam?, how long did the course take? (It should take 18 months to 2 years approx.)
- How long has the Pilates instructor been teaching?
- Are the Pilates studio and Pilates instructor trained and qualified in all pieces of apparatus?
- Is the instructor a member of any Professional Pilates governing bodies?
- Can the instructors and the studio teach to help injuries and rehabilitation?
I know that at Pilates on 88 Bay we are only too happy to answer any questions you may have about our qualifications and in fact we are proud to tell you all about our hours of study, sweat and tears it took us to get to where we are today.
Want to find out more about our studio?
Get in touch with us here. We’d love to hear from you!
Category: Pilates