I'm angry about a very specific issue in the pilates industry. Uncertified Instructors! As a certified instructor, I'm partly angry for selfish reasons, but even more so I am angry for every single person who is having the wool pulled over their eyes by those who want to cash in on the Pilates track record without investing in proper training.
I have experienced the amazing benefits of Pilates in my own body and in hundreds of client bodies. It is a truly unique workout that addresses so much more than just a layer of fat, a muffin top, a saddle bag, or jiggly arms. It creates an internal strength that cannot be faked, and cannot be duplicated with any other exercise. The problem with those benefits is that they are not achieved by going through the motions. The main difference between a properly trained instructor and someone who learned the exercises, is just that. One of them is teaching you to mimic a movement, another is instructing you how to move.
If you don't know that, you will accept any workout that someone calls "Pilates" as the real deal. And how on earth can you possibly know what you don't know? I'm mad that someone who didn't invest nearly $10,000 in their training gets to charge and earn the same hourly rate as instructors who did get educated. I'm mad for every client who has paid $60 or more for a lesson that was a fraud. I'm mad for the reputation that creates for Pilates.
I’ve compiled five tips to help you weed through the instructors to find a qualified individual.
Tip 1 - Ask for the instructors certification. I've seen many websites claiming their instructors are certified, that they have taken extensive education and it is all fabricated. A truly certified instructor will have a certificate of completion from an accredited school, not a home-printed completion of apprenticeship. Many schools can be found at the Pilates Method Alliance website (www.pilatesmethodalliance.org).
Tip 2 - If your instructor was trained by another instructor and not through an actual course, it is pretty safe to say they do not have enough training to be able to provide a safe workout. Anyone can teach people an exercise routine, but it takes intensive study of anatomy and movement to teach proper use of muscles, how to recognize improper use, and assessment of unhealthy movement patterns. The core of pilates is lost when someone simply teaches you the exercises, and fails to instruct proper use of the body.
Tip 3 - Ask to see the instructors liability insurance. This is not fail-safe as there are agencies that will insure someone because they say they are certified without actually checking.
Tip 4- Try out several places and several instructors. This may not be a perfect answer either, but when you get a "good" instructor... they will be recognizable. Although, just having a legitimate certification doesn't automatically make you a good instructor either, so it just doesn't hurt to try several instructors anyway.
Tip 5- In my experience I've never heard a Pilates instructor tell a client to "feel the burn" or "push through the pain" or to rejoice over a severe soreness and claim that is an effective way to know you're getting results. If your instructor does anything similar to this, not a good sign. Joseph Pilates himself states in his book that muscle fatigue is "poison. There is really no need for tired muscles." Even a contemporary instructor has studied Joseph Pilates original works in great detail, and this particular tip is a dead giveaway that you should head for the hills.
Using these five tips should get you much closer to the real Pilates that everyone raves about.
Beth Montanez is a certified instructor teaching Pilates in her West Seattle studio. She is currently studying for her Master Certification with the McEntire Method in order to offer a qualified national exam teacher training program. www.wseattlepilates.com
Is going into another studio in order to learn new exercises without consent and teaching them elsewhere a form of stealing?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
7 comments:
I for one think its terrible that uncertified instructors are teaching students. theres so much possibility to get hurt or injure someone.
what are your thoughts on self teach?? like you see on www.trainerbrands.com , i feel like they solidify what you learn in a class room.
THANK YOU! Agreed! After being certified, I have been teaching Pilates for over a year now, so while not as experienced, I know all the little cues and technical errors to look out for. A good way to enhance any training you've had is to work one on one with an instructor who has more experience. My colleagues have taught me A LOT that my certification did not. While this is unfortunate, I wouldn't have known what my colleagues were talking about without my training. Having learned the hard way, it is definitely important to do your research on certification courses. I would never recommend my initial certification, but I do recommend Balanced Body!
Wouldn't teaching without a certification be like teaching driver's ed. while blind? Studying Pilates is just the most amazing thing I have ever done and put my 4 year college degree to shame! It's sad to see people taking advantage of it and probably incorrectly guiding their students.
Nice Blog...
I disagree. There are some very fine teachers who have learned Pilates through the original method: mentorship by a more experienced Pilates teacher. Many of these certification programs are money pits and don't teach instructors what they would otherwise learn in a mentor-mentee situation. I, myself, went through an 8 month training program that cost me almost $10,000 but only really started learning how to properly teach under the guidance of a dedicated mentor. I would be careful to start throwing around generalizations as there are all types of ways of becoming a skilled and talented Pilates instructor.
I agree with anonymous 5's comment about being mentored instead of certified. If you walked into my studio and asked for a certificate I can't provide that and I will tell you so. I was mentored over 13 years ago as an apprentice before certifications became a big to do. Pilates is such a hands on learning experience that it was so helpful to co-teach with experienced trainers and get daily feedback. I find most new trainers might have the correct knowledge in their brains but translating that to a variety of different clients is a totally different ballgame.
I believe it was Ron Fletcher who talked about learning your ABC's, and I agree teacher training is not the be all and end all. Skilled teachers continue training forever, it is an extremely complex subject that you only get better at with more practice and experience.
Unfortunately there isn't an exact science to determining qualifications but I think the point is to be careful, and do your research.
Online certifications, a teacher showing a personal trainer a few things, or a gym goer assuming they can teach pilates because they've seen the moves is not a fair representation to the depth of the Pilates method.
Nice article I would say I am impressed with the article. Pilates is one of the most popular exercises practiced today. Pilates is all about concentration and centering the mind with the body, so concentration is essential for improving overall health. Pilates is focused on controlling the mind and the body. Thanks a lot.
Kinesiology Tape
Post a Comment