Pilates Mat Teacher Certificate Program

Class Description

This Intensive is open to intermediate level Pilates practitioners of all styles.  All students will receive a Certificate of Completion upon successful completion of the Intensive. Currently, Cornish undergraduate students who complete all required coursework will receive a Pilates Mat Teaching Certification upon graduation.

This Intensive addresses the foundational skills needed to teach Pilates mat work including cueing, correction, and movement analysis required to create a functional, effective mat class. Participants study the use of the mat work for enhancing postural alignment and creating muscle balance and learn to develop personal exercise for skills for clients/students of varying levels. Students’ practical training included; active observation, practice teaching, and participation in the review of client case studies. Students are required to create a 50-minute personal Pilates mat workout with a written explanation for each exercise and effectively teach a portion of that workout to the class as an exam.

The Intensive daily schedule will include:

• A 45-minute Intermediate/Advanced Pilates Mat class to continue personal training and deepen the understanding of the Pilates Method as used in matwork.
• Two hours/day in a group class setting of pedagogy in relation to the Pilates mat work and practice teaching.

At the completion of this certification program, students achieve the following learning outcomes:

• A high level of competence and knowledge of the Pilates matwork through an intermediate level.
• The skills and confidence to design and implement group mat classes at a variety of levels, including: proper verbal and physical cueing, smooth transitions between exercises, rhythm and dynamics with exercises, a strong understanding of the philosophies of Joseph Pilates and the ability to articulate them, and the correct execution of those principles when applied to a variety of exercises and movements in a set mat program.
• The ability to modify exercises as needed to help a client succeed without injury.
• The ability to analyze a client’s posture, communicate this analysis to the client, and assign exercises for personal improvement outside of class.