Introduction
Knowing the Exercises Is Not Enough
Learning the Pilates repertoire is important. But being able to perform an exercise, or memorise its order, springs and repetitions, does not automatically make someone ready to teach another person.
The real responsibility begins when there is a client standing in front of you.
A Pilates teacher has to observe that individual, understand what they are seeing, choose appropriate exercises, organise those exercises intelligently, communicate them effectively and continually decide whether to progress, modify or stop.
That requires far more than a catalogue of exercises. Professional standards reflect this. Current comprehensive Pilates education requirements include anatomy, contraindications, modifications, progressions, cueing, special populations and supervised teaching experience alongside repertoire knowledge.
So what should a Pilates teacher actually know before taking responsibility for clients?
Anatomy – But Anatomy That You Can Apply
A Pilates teacher does not need to become a physiotherapist or doctor.
They do, however, need a working understanding of the human body.
Knowing the names of muscles and bones is only the beginning. A teacher should understand joints, planes of movement, basic biomechanics, muscle actions, and how different parts of the body work together during movement.
More importantly, they need to be able to apply that knowledge.
If you understand what should be happening at the hip, shoulder, or spine during an exercise, you are in a far better position to recognise when the body in front of you is finding another strategy.
At AHA, this is why Functional Anatomy is not treated simply as theory to memorise for an examination. Our anatomy education includes anatomy and physiology, biomechanics, planes of movement, and kinesiology, with the intention of connecting that knowledge directly to Pilates teaching.
Observation – Learning to See the Body in Front of You
One of the most important skills a teacher develops is the ability to see.
- How does the client stand?
- How do they organise themselves when they move?
- Where is movement available and where is it being avoided?
- What happens when load, coordination or resistance is added?
Observation does not mean diagnosing a medical condition. It means gathering information within your professional role so that you can make better teaching decisions.
That distinction matters.
The NPCP identifies critical observation as one of the core domains of comprehensive professional competency, alongside teaching, technical expertise and professionalism.
A teacher who cannot observe is left largely with one option: teaching everybody the same way.
That is not enough.
Contraindications – Knowing When an Exercise Is Not Appropriate
A teacher should not only know how to teach an exercise.
They must understand when they should not teach it.
Every exercise places particular demands on the body. Those demands may be completely appropriate for one client and inappropriate for another.
A competent teacher therefore needs an understanding of contraindications, precautions and modifications, and should know how health history, injury, pregnancy, osteoporosis, joint conditions and other individual considerations may affect exercise selection.
This is now explicitly recognised within the NPCP comprehensive education requirements, which include modifications, contraindications and education for special populations.
Knowing more exercises does not automatically make someone a better teacher.
Sometimes the more important skill is knowing which exercise not to give.
Scope of Practice – Knowing Where Your Responsibility Ends
This is an area I believe deserves far more attention in Pilates education.
A teacher needs to understand not only what they know, but also the limits of what they are qualified to do.
There is a difference between observing movement and diagnosing pathology. There is a difference between adapting a Pilates session and attempting to treat a medical condition.
Professional scope exists to define those boundaries. The NPCP specifically maintains a Scope of Practice for Pilates professionals, alongside its Code of Ethics, precisely because competent professional practice includes recognising the limits of your role.
A strong teacher should be confident enough to say:
“This is outside my scope. I would like you to speak to the appropriate healthcare professional before we continue.”
That is not a lack of knowledge.
It is professionalism.
Programming – Knowing What to Teach, in What Order and Why
Good programming is not simply selecting exercises you enjoy teaching.
A session should have logic.
A teacher needs to understand where a client is now, what they are working towards and how the exercises within the Pilates system can help move them towards that goal.
That means knowing when to progress, when to regress, when to repeat something and when the client needs a different exercise altogether.
It also means understanding relationships between exercises.
At AHA, we teach Pilates as a system, rather than as disconnected exercises or individual pieces of apparatus. Our Comprehensive pathway works across Mat, Reformer, Cadillac, Chairs, Barrels and additional apparatus so that teachers learn to understand how the work relates across the complete method. The current AHA Comprehensive pathway is delivered over 12 months and 600 hours.
The question should therefore not simply be:
- “What exercise comes next?”
- It should be:
- “Why does this client need this exercise next?”
Progressions and Regressions — Knowing When a Client Is Ready
Advanced repertoire should not be awarded because somebody has attended ten sessions.
Progression should be earned through readiness.
A teacher needs to recognise whether the client has developed the strength, control, organization, mobility and understanding required for the next challenge.
Equally, regression should never be regarded as failure.
Sometimes taking a client back to a simpler exercise gives them the information they need to perform something more complex properly later.
Understanding progressions and modifications is considered part of comprehensive professional preparation within current NPCP standards.
The goal is not to get every client to the most advanced exercise.
The goal is to teach the appropriate exercise well.
Apparatus Knowledge – More Than Springs and Settings
Teaching Pilates apparatus brings another level of responsibility.
A teacher should understand how the equipment works, how to set it up correctly, how resistance changes an exercise and how to position and support a client safely.
They should also understand the purpose of the apparatus.
The Reformer, Cadillac, Chairs and Barrels are not simply different places to perform exercises. Each can give the body different information, offer support, create resistance or expose something the teacher needs to address.
A comprehensive teacher therefore needs to understand not only the repertoire on each apparatus, but why one apparatus may help prepare a client for work somewhere else in the system.
Current NPCP comprehensive eligibility requires education across Mat, Reformer, Trapeze Table/Cadillac, Wunda Chair, Ladder Barrel, Spine Corrector and Magic Circle.
AHA deliberately goes further, teaching the broader classical apparatus as one integrated system.
Cueing and Communication: Teaching Is About Connection
Knowing something and being able to communicate it are two very different skills.
Teachers need to develop verbal cueing, demonstration, imagery and appropriate tactile communication.
But good cueing is not about collecting clever phrases.
It is about communicating the right information, to the right person, at the right moment.
One client may respond immediately to an anatomical explanation. Another may understand an image. Another may simply need fewer words and the opportunity to move.
A good teacher watches the response to the cue.
If the client does not change, repeating exactly the same sentence louder is probably not teaching.
Practice Teaching – Because You Cannot Learn This From a Manual Alone
There is a significant difference between knowing the answer in theory and being able to make a decision while a real person is moving in front of you.
That is why observation, supervised practice teaching and self-practice matter.
From January 1, 2027, the NPCP‘s updated Comprehensive eligibility requirements explicitly require supervised observation/practice teaching and an in-person component within repertoire and special-population education.
At AHA, our Comprehensive pathway extends to 600 hours over 12 months, incorporating tutorial contact hours, observation, self-practice, practice teaching and supported transition into teaching, alongside ongoing mentoring.
There is a reason for that.
Teachers need time to make mistakes while they are still being supervised.
They need feedback.
They need to teach different bodies.
They need to watch experienced teachers make decisions and begin to understand why those decisions were made.
That development cannot be rushed.
Professionalism – Your Responsibility Goes Beyond the Exercise
Clients place trust in their teacher.
That means professional competence also includes ethics, boundaries, appropriate communication, respect, confidentiality, safety and knowing when to refer a client elsewhere.
The NPCP includes professionalism as one of the four major competency areas assessed in its comprehensive certification examination and maintains both a Code of Ethics and Scope of Practice for Pilates professionals.
Being an excellent mover is not enough.
Being charismatic is not enough.
Having a large social-media following is certainly not enough.
You are working with another human being.
That responsibility matters.
So, What Should a Pilates Teacher Know Before Teaching Clients?
A teacher should know the repertoire. But they should also understand the body behind the repertoire.They should be able to observe without diagnosing, programme rather than simply select exercises, recognise contraindications, modify intelligently, progress responsibly, communicate clearly, use the apparatus safely and understand the limits of their professional scope.
And they should have spent enough time observing, practising and teaching under supervision to begin bringing all of those skills together.
That, to me, is the difference between knowing Pilates exercises and being educated to teach Pilates.
Why AHA Sets the Bar Higher
The recognised minimum for comprehensive Pilates education is moving towards 450 hours, with professional standards increasingly emphasising supervised practice, contraindications, special populations and applied teaching skills.
At Anita Horry Academy, our Comprehensive Teacher Training is 600 hours over 12 months because I do not believe the goal of teacher training should simply be to meet the minimum required to receive a certificate.
The goal is to develop teachers who can think.
Teachers who understand the system.
Teachers who can look at the body in front of them and make informed decisions.
Teachers who recognise what they know—and what they do not.
And teachers who understand that qualification is not the end of their education. It is the beginning.
Ready to Become More Than Someone Who Knows the Repertoire?
Explore the AHA Pilates Comprehensive Teacher Training, our 600-hour pathway designed to develop the knowledge, practical experience, critical thinking and teaching skills required to work confidently and responsibly with real clients.
Learn the system. Learn to see. Learn to teach the body in front of you and purpose.
AHA Pilates Comprehensive Teacher Training
Anita Horry
is a 2nd Generation Pilates Master Teacher, founder of the Anita Horry Academy, and an internationally respected educator, mentor, and business coach for Pilates professionals.
A fully certified Classical Pilates teacher, Anita holds a degree in accountancy and began her career in the corporate world before transitioning fully into the world of movement and wellness. Her teaching has been profoundly shaped by the mentorship of industry legends Lolita San Miguel and Bob Liekens, whose wisdom continues to influence her work.
Anita Horry is an international speaker and educator, recognized for her dedication to elevating Pilates standards worldwide. She serves as a juror for the Pilates Method Alliance’s International Teacher Training Accreditation Program (ITTAP), supporting the global standardization of excellence in Pilates education.
Anita is also a judge for the 2025 Pilates Journal Awards in Los Angeles and has presented at international events such as the Pilates Journal in California, USA.
Through the Anita Horry Academy, she offers a comprehensive Pilates teacher training program, hands-on mentorship, and business coaching for instructors ready to build purpose-driven, sustainable careers. Known for her evidence-based, heart-centered approach, Anita helps teachers move beyond memorization to truly understand the method as a complete system.
Based between Malta and Spain, Anita travels internationally to teach, speak, and mentor. With a deep commitment to quality, community, and integrity, she continues to inspire and elevate a new generation of Pilates leaders around the world.
