Was level 3 Pilates Matwork Worth The Trouble?

I received a very detailed e mail from Gail Adams, who is a regular reader of my newsletter as well as a former student of mine. She expressed concern regarding the standard of teachers being accredited by the nationally recognised Pilates matwork level 3 qualification.

She has attended several classes presented by teachers who have gained the certification but found them to be of varying levels of professionalism and knowledge. She asked me to comment on her experience. The points she raised were mainly the inability of the teachers whose classes she attended to modify the original repertoire to suit various physical problems class members had - one in particular had a prolapsed disc but was offered no modification when she attended her first Pilates group class.

Groups Classes & Back Care

Gail asked the question “are we not supposed to offer back care to our clients”. My feeling is, and has always been that group Pilates classes are a preventative measure; so should a client want to attend a group class with specific back or general health issues, as teachers we need to consider very seriously the potential problems this may create either for their ongoing health or our own class management. Even if they have medical clearance to attend the session.

Gail’s major concern was that with all the different levels of ability, what is to become of the reputation of Pilates teachers and the technique with such a wide spectrum of ability within the teachers market.

The Age Old Concern

This question has been on people’s minds for many years. Since Pilates entered the mainstream exercise and fitness world. I feel that I have been repeating myself over the years. There will always been people in the industry looking for the next BIG thing - some of these teachers will generally take a short course or even a workshop that enables them to incorporate Pilates based movements into their existing programmes. There is nothing wrong with this, so long as they are clear about what they are offering their clients.

However, if someone has gone to the trouble of paying for and completing a qualification that is regarded as the national standard, it is to be expected that a sound foundation of knowledge is required to pass the examinations which are both theoretical and practical, that the successful student has a more than basic ability to teach the subject.

A Journey Not The Destination

My personal opinion about the Level 3 Pilates matwork qualification is that is a doorway to developing a comprehensive training in the technique. It is not a complete training, how can it be when 50% of the technique (the professional equipment) is not included. I also think that at times the tutors delivering the training do not have the depth of knowledge required to offer comprehensive advice and input to students on the course.

The Pilates level 3 qualification filled a gap in the fitness market and I hoped that it would develop into the equipment element too. I was involved in setting the criteria for Pilates level 3 with Skillsactive along with other representatives from the influential Pilates training companies at that time. We spent many months fitting the Pilates technique into the fitness box - this was necessary as all national level 3 qualifications need to follow a basic premise. Those of us involved from the Pilates community recognised this, although at times it was difficult to make the compromises.

My hope was and still is that people would follow up this initial knowledge with further education to deepen their understanding, personal practice and experience. It appears that because this is considered an advanced teachers qualification some teachers regard it as sufficient.

What Do You Think?

So. How do you feel about the time, effort and cost that went into achieving the Pilates level 3 qualification? Or maybe you decided not to go that route? Has the qualification enabled you to secure more work in the industry? Some teachers I have spoken too feel that it is all part of the big picture to benefit the business side of the industry - promoting memberships fees and insurance fees whilst not really providing a good all round standard.

I would love to hear from you, how you feel about the current situation and how you think the future will look. Send you comments to info@thepilatesconsultant.com.

Nuala

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