Pilates Teaching Certification

If you wish to pursue certification in Pilates teaching, you must first complete one of the many comprehensive Pilates training programs. This could take up to a 18 months and costs from $2,000 to $8,000, as of 2011. After you complete your training, you must then pass an exam, administered by the The Pilates Method Alliance to become a certified instructor.

Pilates

Characterized by slow and controlled, yet flowing, movements, Pilates is an exercise routine that focuses on working the core muscles and yet strengthens and stretches the entire body. Balance, control, concentration, precision, flow and breath are key components of the Pilates philosophy. The Pilates breathing methods increase lung capacity and makes use of the breath to lend force and awareness to the movements. Joseph H. Pilates developed the Pilates exercise system around 1914 in Europe. Before World War II, he emigrated to the United States, where his system was a big hit with the dance community. After his death in 1967, the Pilates method continued to expand when teachers that he trained began to train others.

The Pilates Method Alliance

As the popularity of Pilates took off, training programs began popping up all over. With no set standards or oversight, there was no guarantee that would-be instructors could find a training program that would teach them the true method developed by Joseph Pilates. So, in 2001, the Pilates Method Alliance formed as the professional organization for Pilates teachers. In 2005, it established third-party certification standards and testing for Pilates instructors.

Eligibility

After you successfully complete a 450-hour Pilates training program, you are eligible for certification with the Pilates Method Alliance. The training must include Pilates exercises for the mat as well as the special machines designed by Joseph Pilates including the reformer, the Wunda chair and the trapeze table. Training methods for qualified programs should combine lecture, apprenticeship, practice teaching and observation.

The Test

To become a fully certified Pilates teacher, you must pass the certification test administered by the Pilates Method Alliance. To sit for this written exam, you must first submit an application detailing your training and experience with Pilates. Test locations include the United States, Mexico and Spain. Once you pass the test, you will become a certified Pilates instructor, and you must renew your certification every two years.