Self-test: Is the "Pilates Trainer (Certified)" course the right one for me?
Analysis of the activities of Pilates trainers and Pilates instructors
What does the day-to-day work of Pilates instructors look like?
Pilates instructors work in sports or fitness centers or run their own studio. They give courses for groups, teach individuals and supervise the trainees. They work out training goals with new clients and draw up individual training plans. In introductory classes, they explain the exercises, demonstrate them and instruct customers. They develop course offers for groups and run the courses. In addition to the courses and training sessions, they ensure that the rooms and equipment are kept perfectly clean and hygienic. They do the administrative work, hold personal discussions with the trainees and sell passes and courses.
According to the job advertisements, the tasks are distributed roughly as follows:
| Discussions and trial training sessions with new customers, development of individual training plans | approx. 15% of the time |
| Conception and implementation of group courses | approx. 30% of the time |
| Presence and monitoring, customer advice and sales | approx. 35% of the time |
| Administration, correspondence, long-term customer support | approx. 20% of the time |
The distribution of tasks can vary greatly depending on the job profile and type of company.
What is usually required in job advertisements for Pilates trainers?
- Completed training as a Pilates trainer
- Experience in fitness and training
- Enjoy dealing with people on a daily basis
- High level of service and consulting expertise
- Sales talent
- Resilience and independence
- High sense of responsibility
- Communicative, committed and convincing personality
- Good knowledge of German, possibly knowledge of French and English
- BLS-AED card (resuscitation, saving lives)
- Flexibility in terms of working hours (including weekends and public holidays)
Question 1:
Would I like to work as a Pilates instructor?
Yes, if you like the actual job, you can assume that you are on the right track thematically. The next question is what type of training is right for you to acquire the relevant skills.
If you only like the job to a limited extent or only individual parts of it, you could think about what interests you the most. And then look at subsequent training courses to see if there is one that appeals to you even more:
- Aerobics (cert.)
- Movement teacher (cert.)
- Fitness and exercise trainer (certified)
- Health coach (cert.)
- Medical fitness instructor (certified)
- Outdoor coach and trainer (certified)
- Personal trainer (certified)
- Sport Mental Trainer (Cert.)
- Dance teacher (cert.)
- Dance therapist / movement therapist (certified)
- Exercise and health trainer (certified)
- Yoga (Cert.)
- Specialist in exercise and health promotion (BP) (formerly fitness instructor (BP))
Who is the "Pilates Trainer (Certified)" course suitable for?
Target group:
- Instructors from the health and fitness sector who would like to teach Pilates
- People with experience in Pilates who would like to learn more about it
Personal requirements:
- Interest in health and sport
- Personal fitness and training experience
- Enjoy accompanying people and passing on knowledge
Course description:
Important features such as the duration, costs and content of the "Pilates Trainer (Cert.)" course are described here:
{#course descriptionLink#}
Question 2:
Are you generally interested in this course?
If you have already answered "Yes" to question 1, then this course seems to fit your expectations.
If you like the course but not certain parts of the job, you could first study job advertisements to see if there are job profiles that suit you better.
If you have already answered "Yes" to question 1, then this course seems to fit your expectations.
If you like the course but not certain parts of the job, you could first study job advertisements to see if there are job profiles that suit you better.
- Aerobics (cert.)
- Movement teacher (cert.)
- Fitness and exercise trainer (certified)
- Health coach (cert.)
- Medical fitness instructor (certified)
- Outdoor coach and trainer (certified)
- Personal trainer (certified)
- Sport Mental Trainer (Cert.)
- Dance teacher (cert.)
- Dance therapist / movement therapist (certified)
- Exercise and health trainer (certified)
- Yoga (Cert.)
- Specialist in exercise and health promotion (BP) (formerly fitness instructor (BP))
Admission to the courses
No specific prior knowledge is required to join a Pilates course. Most schools require
- Age of majority
- Good state of health and fitness
- For advanced courses completed basic course
Question 3:
Do I meet the requirements?
If you meet the requirements, you can start your training at the earliest possible date.
If you are not sure whether your state of health or fitness is sufficient for training, find out directly from various providers.
Financing of further training
The course fees for the "Pilates Trainer (Cert.)" course are to be paid either at the beginning of the course or by the semester. However, in individual cases it is also possible to arrange individual installment payments.
Question 4:
Are you able to pay between CHF 4,500 and CHF 7,500 for the course fee plus additional costs for your own training and supervision hours, depending on the provider and other general conditions?
If you have marked "Yes" and would even be able to pay the full amount upfront, many schools will give you an additional discount.
If you have marked "Partly" or "No": First ask the schools about the actual costs you would have to expect. And ask about the possibility of individual installment payments. Or try to find someone in your private social circle who will support your specific further education project with a loan. Otherwise, there are banks and credit institutions that grant educational loans.
Expenditure on classroom teaching, training and exercises
The course lasts approx. 2 to 3 years, but can vary greatly from person to person. The classroom teaching is approx. 260 lessons and usually takes place at weekends.
In addition to their school lessons, they spend around 4 to 6 hours a week training and practicing.
Question 5:
Can I cope with the time and effort required for face-to-face teaching and training?
If the workload is even very manageable for you, you could check whether there are intensive courses for this training. This would allow you to complete the same training in less time if you are able to accept a slightly higher time commitment.
If you are short on time, look for courses that extend over a longer period of time and require fewer lessons and less time for homework each week. And if that's still not enough, you should check whether you can free up more time in another way. Perhaps someone close to you can take on certain tasks for you for the limited period of your training?
Conclusion
Will I graduate?
Each training module is completed with a theoretical and practical examination.
Those who can provide proof of all module certificates and their own practice, practical and coaching hours receive the school's own diploma.
Further requirements:
- Regular participation in group fitness lessons
- Motivation to teach a group
- Individual work through the study documents before the course starts
- Enjoy working with people and movement
- Attendance of at least ten Pilates lessons
- Group fitness basics training or a course instructor diploma
Question 6:
Do I have the confidence to pass the final exams?
If you are confident that you can pass this qualification, the most you can do is consider whether you would like to achieve even better results using suitable learning and working methods or whether you would like to achieve the same results with less effort.
If you have marked "Partly" or "No", we recommend that you attend an information event about this course and ask the school management for information about support options. External help from learning therapists, kinesiologists, autogenic training providers or mental training providers can also be considered.
Receive course or training documents from suitable schools immediately
Under {#CourseLink#} you will find an overview of schools that offer the "Pilates Trainer (Cert.)" course. You can request detailed documents with just one click and usually receive them directly by e-mail. You can also use the area search to find providers in your immediate vicinity.
Conclusion:
Before you want to complete the Pilates instructor course, you should be convinced that you really enjoy guiding and teaching people in the fitness sector. You should also like the course description. If you have answered these first two questions with a clear "yes", you can continue to look into this course. If you are unsure about these questions, you should consider which other further training courses are also an option for you.
Financing further training is not always easy. Several thousand francs have to be paid over 1-2 years. In individual cases, many schools offer the option of semester or even individual monthly installments so that the entire amount does not have to be paid at once. In addition, it is helpful for part-time courses that participants continue to work during the course and thus earn money for the entire duration of the course. If this is not enough to finance the training alone, it is sometimes possible to obtain a loan from a private source. Banks and credit institutions sometimes also offer educational loans. A good argument for financing further education is the relatively quick amortization of costs through wage increases. Do the following calculation: How much would a wage increase of 10% per year amount to? How many years would you need to recoup the costs of the course? How much more will you earn over your entire working life as a result of this pay rise? In most cases, this is a six-figure sum, which confirms that training or further education is the best personal investment there is.
The time required for training or further education should not be underestimated. Going out, vacations and spontaneous wellness weekends often fall by the wayside. However, this time usually passes relatively quickly. The prospect of better job opportunities and more pay should be motivation enough to get through this time. It often helps to organize yourself into study groups. It also makes sense to stick with it right from the start and schedule fixed study times. Good learning effects can be achieved by creating summaries and mind maps. Flashcard systems help with memorization. There are many tools and ideas to make learning easier. You can obtain the guide "The personal learning strategy" free of charge if you register with a school via Ausbildung-Weiterbildung.ch.
If you have doubts about whether you will pass the final exam, you can expect that every school has an interest in ensuring that as many of your students as possible pass the final exams. Talk to your head teacher or course leader and ask about support options. But with good motivation, perseverance and hard work, it is generally possible to pass these exams. If you suffer from exam anxiety, good preparation, various practical tips, therapeutic treatments or, in severe cases, even medication can help. You can obtain the guide "Overcoming exam anxiety" if you register with a school via Ausbildung-Weiterbildung.ch. Here you will also findsuitable providerson the subject of test anxiety.
The benefits of further training are usually measured in terms of a higher salary, more challenging tasks or promotions. This presupposes that you make an effort to change your professional position accordingly and, if necessary, are able to assert your demands. If you have already experienced that this is not always so easy for you, you could also check whether personal job coaching could be of benefit to you in addition to further training.
Now it's up to you to decide. If in doubt, seek personal advice from a school or external counseling center. If you contact a school via Ausbildung-Weiterbildung.ch to enquire about course or training documents, you will receive a free educational or school consultation worth CHF 150.00 on request.
You can find a list of providers here: {#courseLink#}
We wish you all the best in your professional and private lives and a bright and exciting future!
The team of Ausbildung-Weiterbildung.ch
Linda, deine Weiterbildungsfinderin