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If you’re thinking about becoming a certified pilates instructor, you might be wondering what the certification process is like. While no two programs are exactly alike, these are some things your physical body might experience from the certification process.

Of course, I couldn’t write a post on the physical aspects of becoming certified without mentioning physical benefits of certification. Number one, you’ll get a killer bod! The other physical benefits of getting certified are all the benefits of doing pilates- you’ll feel taller, leaner, stronger, and more connected to your breath.

With all the working out that is required of you, you can’t help but get that “pilates body” we all want so bad! The key is to pace yourself. After all, pilates is really all about balance.

At the same time, any 600 hour certification process is intensely physically demanding. You are expected to practice all the exercises from beginner to advanced, usually both on your own and also in private sessions with the certifying instructor. The amount of time it takes to complete a certification is usually 6-18 months, depending on how much of a time commitment you make to the process.

If you’ve been doing pilates for years, this amount of pilates activity and the intensity may not have a huge effect on your energy level. But, if you’re at an intermediate or beginner level and decide to become a teacher, you’ll end up practicing advanced exercises sooner than you may have otherwise. Its all great, but its also intense, even if you’re already in good physical condition.

Besides having to practice all the exercises and work out a lot, you are also expected to observe the certified teachers at the studio teaching classes and privates. In a way, this is the opposite of working out, because you’re sitting for a few hours. But at the same, observing is physically exhausting! In most cases, you have to sit on the floor, or maybe you can sit on a ball or a piece of equipment in the studio, but you’re still sitting. You might start to feel stiff in your back and hips, and just get plain tired! Of course, you can’t zone out, because you need to take notes and be… observant.

If you plan to spend a long day in the studio, try to find some time to stretch. Do ballet stretches on the barrel, or lay back on a physioball and try to let some tension out.

I’ve heard quite a few cases of apprentice teachers becoming injured in various ways during the certification process. Many end up working out too much, sometimes taking a couple classes and also practicing working out alone, all in one day. Deep muscle pulls are common. Since the process is so tiring, injuries can also occur outside the studio because you simply become so exhausted that your awareness drops. Twisted ankles, sciatica, falls, are common headaches due to the stress of certification.

Be sure to workout just once per day, don’t overdo it, because you’ll pay for it later with a pulled muscle. I even knew someone who had to drop out of her program because she hurt herself dancing (most likely, she was just doing way too much and her body was completely exhausted). Try to take a lunch break outside of the studio, go for a walk, and clear your head. Be sure to take a few days off from practicing per week to give your body a rest.

Try to get plenty of sleep each night and eat healthfully every day. I know its hard to remain balanced when your trying to become certified in a new thing, and you still have a job, family, apartment, pets, etc. Just remember, your message to everyone around you is only as strong as you are. Your message will never be more than just words unless you really do practice what you preach.

Finding balance… the hardest aspect of everything we do!

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