How to Build Your Dream Life in Pilates – Key Lessons and Takeaways
Recently, we invited four of our very own Unite Health graduates to speak at a webinar, How to Build Your Dream Life in Pilates: Meet the Grads. Elizabeth Gray, Alana Lewis and Amanda Delaine have all completed their APPI Pilates Instructor Certification with Unite Health, and have since gone on to create fulfilling, rewarding and successful careers within the Pilates industry.
They generously shared their insights, learnings, challenges and major milestones they’ve experienced since graduating from their Certification, divulging insider knowledge and wisdom to help you maximise your own chances of success in pursuing a career in Pilates.
If you missed the webinar, we’ve wrapped up our key learnings and takeaways from the session, shared by all four women, and answered all your commonly asked questions from the evening below. Each of our graduates reiterated just how much work is available in Pilates, and how flexible and rewarding your career opportunities can be. Learn from their obstacles and their successes, as we highlight the major lessons and words of wisdom they imparted during the webinar.
Connections are everything
Each of our graduates emphasised how important it is to immerse yourself in your Pilates education and form connections and networks as you progress through your APPI Pilates Instructor Certification. Our certification is designed to provide you with the encouragement and support you need to pass your exam, and go on to create a thriving career in the industry. Whether you study in-person, online, or in a hybrid setting, using this opportunity to meet other Pilates enthusiasts around you, and connect over a shared passion for Pilates and for helping others is one of the things that sets Unite Health apart from other education providers.
Not only do we help you find like-minded friends and contacts you can lean on and support during your training, we also encourage ongoing, long-term connections and networking amongst our community. We have a Facebook group where our graduates can ask questions and share their own needs and experiences, we offer extensive and ongoing opportunities for upskilling where you can meet other Unite Health graduates, and we also send out regular emails and opportunities within our network advertising exclusive jobs in the industry at our partner studios, highlighting the value of connections and networks in the Pilates industry.
Each of the women mentioned how beneficial it is to put yourself out there in the Pilates industry, to reach out to studios you’re inspired by or eager to work at, and set up meetings or express your interest in what they do.
Take the time to build your confidence.
Each of the graduates spoke to how much they were able to build up their skillset, teaching ability and confidence throughout the duration of their APPI Pilates Instructor Certification. By immersing themselves in the practical hours, practising their teaching skills on other students in their courses in a 1:1 setting, and slowly working up to teach small groups, and eventually public classes, they felt supported by their peers and their expert educators throughout their learning journey.
The graduates spoke about the importance of the practical component of our course, saying it significantly built their confidence levels. They found the judgement-free, encouraging nature of our learning environment to be a huge benefit to their own development, feeling it allowed them to feel comfortable around their peers and helping everyone grow together throughout the certification.
The women all suggested taking time to experiment and discover what you enjoy most about teaching Pilates – including getting to know what your “sweet spot” is in terms of how many sessions per week you want to teach before you feel burnt out, and what kinds of clients you enjoy supporting the most, or what Pilates flows you find most dynamic and exciting. They emphasised that your clients can always identify if you’re enthusiastic and motivated – they feed off your energy, so it’s important to figure out what you love doing the most in order to be able to bring your passion to your teaching too!
The importance of staying motivated
During every career there are times when motivation comes and goes. But our grads also shared their insights on how to stay motivated and excited by your career in Pilates. They highlighted that motivation comes from genuinely loving your clients and wanting to give them the best workout and experience possible. They said changing your classes up, providing new challenges regularly, going to other instructors’ classes and spending time practising movements yourself are excellent ways to keep your classes engaging and enjoyable for yourself and your clients.
They recommended reminding yourself what made you fall in love with Pilates yourself, and why you chose to pursue a career in the industry – was it for the freedom and flexibility, the ability to help people lead healthier and happier lives, the feeling of fulfilment and appreciation you experience every day? Seeing your clients grow stronger, more mobile, more confident – these are the things that renew your motivation day after day when you pursue a career in Pilates, so don’t forget to celebrate your wins and the positive impact you’re having on many people’s lives in your work!
Commit to being an exceptional instructor
As mentioned, the grads all emphasised that your clients can tell if you’re engaged and passionate about what you do. When you make the effort to build rapport with your clients, it makes your teaching experience more enjoyable for you and your clients.
Take the time to remember your clients' names, give them tactile hands-on feedback and corrections throughout your class, and provide an extra level of care to ensure they’re performing their movements properly and safely. It always shows when you’ve put time and effort into your class plans, and tried out movements and flows yourself – so a little extra effort goes a long way, and will be rewarded!
You don’t need to be the most confident person in the room
Many people find the idea of teaching a Pilates class daunting if they’re not overly confident, loud or extraverted. However, our grads said you shouldn’t let this hold you back from pursuing your dream career!
They said being passionate about Pilates is so helpful in allowing you to build confidence and overcome your fears. As discussed, during your certification you have the chance to gradually build up from teaching in a 1:1 environment, to small groups, to full-sized public-facing classes, at your own pace. You have plenty of chances to practise and feel more comfortable, and if you take the time to study your movements and plan your flows, this can help you feel more prepared and secure during this process.
And remember, it’s okay if you slip up or forget a movement from time to time! It happens, even to the most experienced and confident instructors they said! People will laugh along with you, and then move right on. Remember, your clients trust and respect you for your passion and knowledge, so if you’re delivering this to them then there’s nothing to fear or be nervous about!
Be confident in the fact you’re helping people achieve their health goals, and know that you’ve completed the highest standard of education in the Pilates industry when you study with Unite Health… Which means YOU are the most competent, knowledgeable instructor you can be! Be proud, and let confidence build over time.
Build your online presence
Our graduates also spoke to the power of advertising their businesses and services on social media. They talked about how social platforms allowed them to easily promote and market themselves, and reach new potential clients and groups who were interested in their classes or services.
While it’s not essential, starting your social media right from the beginning of your education journey is a great way to showcase your skills and expertise, and slowly build up your list of possible clients for when you graduate as a Pilates instructor at the end of your APPI Pilates Instructor Certification.
Don’t neglect ongoing education
The women also emphasised just how important it is to commit to ongoing professional development and learning in your career in Pilates. Avoid becoming complacent, and continue to challenge yourself by completing new courses like our Ante Post Natal courses, or our Mindfulness, Breathwork and Meditation for Pilates course as this allows you to build your confidence as an instructor, and to be more inclusive of different clients such as pregnant or post natal women, also setting you apart in the industry.
The women really highlighted how important it is to keep upskilling and learning more about your craft, and how useful it is to revisit your course manual and materials to help you with cuing and class planning all throughout your career. They suggested getting inspiration from other instructors’ classes and from social media, but recommended caution when it comes to taking ideas from socials as these aren’t always the most reliable, safe or effective movements you can include in your own classes.
The business side of things
When it comes to navigating the business side of things, each woman had different experiences in creating their own Pilates empire and success. They suggested carving out a bit of time each day – even if it’s just 30 minutes – and using this dedicated period to work towards some aspect of your business, whether that be marketing, your business plan, or even class planning.
And don’t be afraid to set boundaries around your time – you don’t need to respond to client enquiries instantly at midnight! To prevent burnout, set limits on the time you’re spending on admin and ensure you’re sticking to a healthy work-life balance. Get excited about carving out a successful career in the industry, and enjoy the freedom and flexibility this can afford you. You don’t need to dedicate every minute of every day to achieve this!
There you have it, some important takeaways from our session with four experienced, successful Unite Health graduates. Another thing that came up throughout the session was the impact of the flexible course options and delivery formats we offer at Unite Health. With in-person, hybrid and 100% online options for completing your APPI Pilates Instructor Certification, there’s always a way to commit to your future career in Pilates while still adhering to your existing work and life commitments and schedule.
While each of our graduates had their own journey to the success they now enjoy, many of them spoke to how important it was for them to be able to transition into the career they’d long dreamed of in Pilates, while still being able to work in their existing role.
So whatever your circumstances and needs, rest assured we have a course to suit you! For more information and guidance, book a free chat today with our helpful course experts!
Or, if you’re ready to follow in the footsteps of our inspiring graduates in carving your own successful career in Pilates, enrol in our upcoming APPI Pilates Instructor Certification now!