How to find a Pilates Instructor in your area

Looking for a certified Pilates instructor in your town? Here are some easy ways to locate and make sure you are getting the best instructor for you.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Do you have a friend who loves their Pilates Instructor? Referrals are the best way to find a great instructor. And many instructors/studios will offer referral discounts to you and/or your friend as well.

2. Have you taken a Pilates class at a local gym or studio with an instructor you liked? Most Pilates Instructors are Independent contractors and therefore work at many different studios, gyms, and locations. Approach your favorite group instructor regarding Private sessions or other places that they teach. Many instructors are willing to come to your home or bring you to a studio that they are contracting through.

3. Many training programs offer directories of their alumni by location. Some notable websites are:
   www.pilatesmethodalliance.org (Pilates Method Alliance is a type of union for Pilates and sets national guidelines as well as testing)
   www.thepilatescenter.com
   www.balancedbody.com
   www.stottpilates.com
   www.peakpilates.com

Tips & Warnings

• Always ask what training program your instructor went through. Ideally you want an instructor that has been Comprehensively trained. Completing somewhere between 400-800 hours. Instructor should be knowledgeable on all Pilates equipment.
• Find out what specialty groups your instructor is fluent with, ie elderly, children, rehab, athletes.
• How long has your instructor been teaching?
• Ask to speak with some of their clients regarding feedback on their teaching and style.
• Finding the right instructor for you is an independent preference. It may not happen on the first try. You want to find an instructor who you connect with and feel comfortable with. Hopefully this is going to be a relationship that will bloom, grow, and continually change as you and your body do. This is an intimate relationship so you both need to feel comfortable and do what is right for you.