A Poor Pilates Instructor Doesn’t Care About Her Class

Tips on Recognizing a Bad Pilates Instructor

Now that you have made the decision to incorporate Pilates training into your routine, you need to make sure that you get a quality Pilates instructor.  In this post, we will talk about what to look for in a good instructor as well as signs of a bad instructor.

As with any service you are looking for, you need to do your due diligence and spend some time researching and getting advice from Pilates advocates.

All legitimate Pilates instructors must go through a rigorous certification process that includes written exams and teaching experience before they can practice. Be sure to ask your prospective trainer about their credentials and how long they have been in practice. If they can’t verify certification, you need to search further.

Clues to Spotting a Bad Pilates Instructor

Professional and Personal Presence

You can start off by observing the instructor’s demeanor. Do they seem caring and genuinely pleased that you are there? Or do they seem like they would like to be somewhere else, or rushing to finish a session? Most good Pilates instructors have decided to become practitioners because they found personal value in the training and want to pay that forward for others to have the same experience and benefit.

Several things can happen if you choose a bad Pilates instructor. For the money, time, and effort that you put into training, you won’t get much in the way of results. That is a loss, but a bigger problem could be that your trainer’s lack of competence and knowledge can get you hurt.

Proper Equipment in the Studio

If your instructor does not have some of the most common equipment, such as the reformer, cadillac, and chair you should leave and find another instructor. Also turn around and walk away if the equipment is in the studio, but the instructor is not using it or seems uncomfortable doing so.

How Does the Pilates Instructor Begin the Session?

Productive Pilates practice requires a mindfulness and sense of awareness regarding your body and mind.  If your instructor is not beginning a session with some type of exercise to bring this to the forefront, they are seriously lacking in the big picture of Pilates. A mindfulness about your body is going to make your session more productive and decrease your chance of getting hurt.

Is your Pilates Instructor Interacting with the Class?

Is your Pilates instructor going around the room assisting and guiding people, or are they using the time to do their own routine? Especially in the beginning, many movements won’t feel natural to you and it is sometimes difficult to find the right positions. You will most likely use muscles that you were never aware of, so you need all the guidance you can get, both verbally and with a physical touch to move your body to the correct position.

Is your Pilates Instructor Demonstrating the Techniques?

Again, most people will need guidance if they are new to Pilates training. Instructors should always demonstrate a new technique for the class. Remember, when we were young, most of what we learned was by observing someone else. If your instructor is just sitting at the front of the room barking out orders, you know you have a bad instructor.

We hope that these clues will guide you in finding an excellent Pilates instructor so that you will be on your way to having a stronger, more flexible, and balanced body.

Want to know more about Private Pilates?

If you want to find one of the best Pilates instructors in the area, please call Sheppard Method Pilates at 310-470-2828 and make the leap to better performance.