For any studio or trainer to achieve a PMA certification the following would have to be completed: A passing grade for a 150 multiple choice exam that was compiled through Castle Worldwide, which is the leading certification and licensure company in addition to 450+ hours of self-study, lectures, assistant teaching hours, or apprenticeship. To find a PMA certified trainer in your area visit www.pmapilatescertified.com.

Since the certification process is still in the beginning stages of integration, there are some studios that operate under the apprenticeship or assistant teaching hours method of “certification”. Joseph Pilates himself used this method of teaching, and some of his students were the best Pilates instructors you could find. The bottom line is conformability. Depending on what your comfort level is with using a an instructor who has had more in-studio experience as opposed to an accumulative certification process, you decide what you need to feel at ease in a studio environment.

Aside from the wanting to improve your core strength and the appearance of your physique, there are many clients that pursue Pilates for rehabilitation purposes or for pre-natal care. When it comes to the rehabilitative process, be sure that you choose a studio that has trainer specifically trained to improve your condition. Pilates can be modified to fit any need, so the injury needs to fit the regime, make sure that your trainer has a background in rehabilitative injuries.

For those clients that have pre-natal needs, the same rule applies. Make sure the studio you choose has a trainer that specializes in pre-natal Pilates. While Pilates is an excellent addition to any physical routine, it is not a “blanket” exercise. Pilates for pregnant women will differ significantly from a regular reformer or mat class, so be sure that you find a trainer to meet those needs of a mom-to-be.

The environment, class variety, certification and experience of the trainers are the main factors to be searching or when picking a studio. Take your time, do the research, and hopefully a life long relationship will develop.

The good news about the trademark dissipation was that it benefited instructors who had been teaching Pilates for years and were highly qualified in their field. They could finally attach the highly refutable term to their work. Up until that point, qualified trainers have had to use a variation of the word Pilates, such as Pilates-based, or Pilates-inspired to describe what they teach.

Also, in recent years the PMA (Pilates Method Association) has begun development on a standardized test, which has been put in place to protect the public from under qualified Pilates instructors. The National Commission for Certifying Agencies has guidelines, which acted as the blueprint for the newly formed Pilates certification exams. This was issued from the PMA in their mission statement: “The PMA has established recommended industry performance parameters guiding the practice of all PMA Certified and non-certified Pilates teachers. The PMA has established these standards to further bring professionalism to Pilates.”

However, the downside to the new liberty with which Pilates is used, is that there are Pilates instructors who claim to be teaching the “whole-body connection”, but their methods are fleeced with inaccuracies and lack proper Pilates education. Because the term Pilates is now used so freely, which does unfortunately include Pilates imposters, it makes it that much more important for an individual to do extensive research before choosing which studio and trainer to practice Pilates with.

There are a serious of questions that a new Pilates client should feel at absolute liberty in asking. Questions such as: Where did you study Pilates? How were you certified and by what association? How long have you been certified? How long did you study to become a Pilates trainer? How many hours have you accumulated towards your Pilates in-field knowledge? Do you have liability insurance? What is your teaching philosophy? Is there any type of client, injured or healthy, that you will not train? Can you shadow while the trainer is with another client?

These questions are absolutely necessary in defining the parameters of a Pilates instructor’s abilities and knowledge. In addition it can fast track an honest and open relationship with your trainer.
Since Pilates is such a balance of body awareness and physical empowerment, a trainer will need to have the same mental approach to health that you have or would like to have. Each Pilates instructor may have a different reason as to why they decided to teach holistic healing, and that will be an important conversation to have with your potential instructor. Once you can better access what you stand to gain from training and what to expect from Pilates itself, the better the results and experience will be. The PMA has a website where you can search for certified personal trainers in your area.