If you've decided to become a Certified Pilates Teacher, you're probably spinning your head over how many studios are out there that offer a "Pilates Certification Program. The truth is that since Pilates is not a regulated industry, Pilates Teacher Programs that offer a Certification are very, very different.
Most importantly, your Pilates Certification, (the certificate you receive after completing the Teacher Training Program), is only as good as the education you receive during the Program.
Further, any Pilates Teacher Certification that you are working towards must include both written and practical testing. The Certification offered by the Pilates Method Alliance, (PMA), after a student completes a studio Teacher Training Program, is deemed by many industry experts as incomplete because it lacks a practical test. Further, the same Pilates Method Alliance, (PMA) written test is given to every student regardless of which Pilates Teacher Training Program they have taken. This is inconsistent because every Pilates studio offers very different Teacher Training Programs. While there is a "study guide" to review before taking the PMA’s written test, industry experts recommend that both a written and practical tests are needed to ensure a student has the skills required to safely teach the Pilates method of exercise.
To become a fully certified teacher and have an opportunity to work in a legitimate Pilates studio, you'll need to complete a Comprehensive Pilates Teacher Training Program that includes both Mat and full Apparatus Training. Typically, an entire Comprehensive Program will amount to between 400 and 600 hours..
The total tuition cost to enroll in a reputable Comprehensive Pilates Program that includes both Mat and Equipment Teacher Training will range from a low of $5,000 to a high of $8,000. The Program should include everything needed to complete both the Mat and Equipment Certification Programs. Be careful of hidden costs such as having to purchase private sessions or classes as a prerequisite to taking the Program.
Individually, Mat Certification Programs can cost as low as $300 for just learning exercises to a high of $2,000 for a comprehensive Mat Program that focuses heavily on anatomy and kinesiology which will educate you on how and why Pilates exercises really work.
Equipment Certification Programs can cost as low as $3,000 to just learn exercises on the Reformer and maybe the other apparatus’ with very little supervision and no learning of how to teach clients with medical conditions. More expensive Equipment Programs will teach all of the Pilates apparatus, provide many hours of expert supervision and spend many hours of lecture on teaching you how to work with clients with an array of medical injuries.
Each studio offers very different Pilate Certification Programs and the costs will vary greatly. Keep in mind that the more you learn, the more you will earn as a Pilates Teacher.
