Thinking of becoming a Pilates instructor? I did. This is what you need to know
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If you had told me years ago that I would one day become a qualified Reformer Pilates instructor, I probably would have laughed.
Me? Teach Pilates? The woman who would rather die than public speak? Who rolls out of bed without brushing her hair or changing out of her PJs to work out? See – it sounds giggle-worthy.
But after six months I can now proudly say that I am a fully-fledged and qualified Reformer Pilates instructor, complete with matching workout sets. And I did it all from my couch.
I haven’t always been a Pilates princess. In fact, throughout my life, I’ve had a bit of a love/hate relationship with exercise. I’ve tried everything from swimming (I was too lazy to join the Squad program and preferred to splash around) to netball to field hockey, and even a few-year stint at my local gym doing some weight training, which usually felt more like a chore than something I enjoyed. None of it stuck.
Until I found myself sucked into the world of YouTube mat Pilates during the 2021 COVID lockdown. It became an addiction.
Practising Pilates daily (because there was nothing else to do during lockdown) I quickly found that not only did a quick 30-minute class benefit my body by improving my strength, balance, and endurance but also my overall well-being.
Three years later, my mind and body have never felt better. But I’d never thought I’d teach.
Then, in February of this year, I helped to organise a Muse Pilates Studios event for the launch of their Campbell studio. A few months later, I wrote about Spicy Pilates – a flexible, online training course from the founder of Muse – and a little voice began to whisper, “Why not?”.
And it’s not just because I wanted to wear stretchy pants to work every day.
For anyone thinking of training to be a Pilates instructor, here’s what you need to know, all drawn from my experience with Spicy Pilates.
It’s not as easy as chucking on a cute workout set and practising your counting
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First things first: anyone can do a Spicy Pilates course, whether you’re repping gold at your local Reformer studio or you’ve never heard the words ‘feet in straps’ before in your life. Designed to be accessible for all levels of Pilates knowledge, the course covers everything you need to know – from Pilates principles to human anatomy and physiology and cueing, language, and class etiquette.
But it’s not easy. On top of 80 hours of study and mini quizzes, you also have to complete 15 hours of participation, and 20 hours of observation, AND submit an assignment at the end of the course. It’s also worth keeping in mind that the Spicy Pilates course doesn’t cover the cost of attending Pilates classes, so – if you’re like me – and are a fan of a free YouTube class, you’ll need to work this into the cost as well.
The course is designed to be completely self-paced, but I managed to complete all the requirements while working full-time. I’ll be honest: it was hard. But planning and setting aside certain hours in my week to study, attend classes, and watch other Pilates instructors teach made my life so much easier.
Plus, it helped that I loved every minute of the experience.
You need to remember that Pilates is more than a trendy workout
I hate to break it to you, but if you’re seriously thinking about becoming a Pilates instructor, you need to get one idea out of your head: that Pilates is just a trendy workout that you can cash in on (the standard hourly rate for casual instructors starts at around $60).
One of the first things covered in the Spicy Pilates course is that Pilates is a holistic approach to wellness that encourages you to develop a deeper understanding of your body through the combination of strength, flexibility, and mindful movement.
And to drive that particular point home, as part of the course, you have to learn basic anatomy and physiology.
Helping you understand how the body’s anatomy connects with the movements, sequences, and flows you’ll be teaching, this is probably the section I struggled with the most (there’s a reason I went into journalism and not science). But once I got the basics, I found it fascinating – and with all the resources you need provided, it was really easy to go back and refresh myself on anything I didn’t quite understand.
One major thing I took away from the Spicy Pilates course is to be a good instructor, you should be passionate about a certain aspect of Pilates – whether it’s the exercise itself or the benefits of the mind-body connection. For me, it’s the mind-body connection, but gaining a deeper understanding of the practice as a whole made learning so much more fun.
You learn a little bit about everything
As mentioned earlier, the Spicy Pilates course is detailed. Once you’ve smashed through the Pilates principles, human anatomy and physiology, and the supplied Pilates repertoire (hello 200 pages of exercises), you’ll also learn cueing, language, and class etiquette – all important things when teaching.
But as a little bonus, Spicy Pilates also covers the business side of Pilates; from what insurance you might need, to the importance of social media. It sounds like a lot, but once you start to get a handle on everything, you’ll get the same feeling you experience when you master the flying split – utter joy (if you know, you know).
Once you get that tick of approval, you can work anywhere in the world
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Well, kind of.
First, you need to make sure your CPR and First Aid are up to date (I need to re-do both of mine). But once you receive your Spicy Pilates Certificate, you’re qualified to start teaching Pilates.
Fun fact: there isn’t an Australian or global regulatory body specifically for Pilates, but the Spicy Pilates certificate is widely recognised within the industry. Independently assessed and accredited by Physical Activity Australia and Canfitpro Canada, my certificate means I can now teach in almost any country in the world.
I do want to note here that I don’t plan on leaving my day job as the Online Editor of HerCanberra – but being able to dive deeper into one of my passions with the support of industry professionals (who helped both spiritually and educationally), has given me more tingles than a booty burner series on an RRRB spring combination.
And with the perk of being able to pick up work on the side to share my love for Pilates with others, who knows? I might just be teaching your next Reformer class.
For more information, visit spicypilates.com
