What does a pilates instructor do?
Pilates instructors are exercise professionals who teach and coach groups or individuals who are enrolled in the fitness program referred to as pilates. These instructors must assist their students in using pilates exercises to promote overall health by improving muscle tone and achieve better posture. They should possess skills in using a wide range of pilates equipment so that they can effectively teach their students how to use them. Pilates instructors can also work in establishments such as fitness centers, health clubs, and community centers, as well as offer private lessons at their own studios.
Pilates instructor responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real pilates instructor resumes:
- Manage social media accounts while promoting camper interaction and sharing of the UCA brand experience.
- Create yoga practices that provide rejuvenation of the mind, body and soul.
- Lead group yoga and Pilates classes both at the studio and corporate settings.
- Offer a healing space by leading relaxing classes fill with calming music, aromatherapy, reiki and massage.
- Provide Reiki training and certification.
- Gain leadership skills and deescalating very extenuating tense situations.
- Design course syllabus and maintain consistent communication with parents.
- Develop extremely strong leadership and teamwork skills by directly supervising staff and participants.
- Cover the fundamental concepts of chemistry and biology including cell biology, metabolism, microbiology, genetics, evolution and histology.
- Provide Reiki training and certification.
Pilates instructor skills and personality traits
We calculated that 48% of Pilates Instructors are proficient in Customer Service, Yoga, and Training Programs. They’re also known for soft skills such as Customer-service skills, Communication skills, and Listening skills.
We break down the percentage of Pilates Instructors that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Customer Service, 48%
Increased productivity through superior member interaction and customer service.
- Yoga, 17%
Group instruction of Mat Pilates, Yoga, Step & Body Sculpting classes for groups up to thirty people.
- Training Programs, 12%
Develop safe, professional and creative fitness training programs to ensure clients needs are met and exceeded.
- Group Fitness Classes, 8%
Instructed group fitness classes for military forces around the world at the US Military Southside Fitness Center, Ramstein Germany.
- Body Alignment, 3%
Provide instruction in body alignment, proper breathing and exercise technique for holistic wellness.
- Barrel, 3%
Teach over 25 sessions weekly, including mat, Reformer classes, barrel classes, and private sessions.
Common skills that a pilates instructor uses to do their job include "customer service," "yoga," and "training programs." You can find details on the most important pilates instructor responsibilities below.
Customer-service skills. The most essential soft skill for a pilates instructor to carry out their responsibilities is customer-service skills. This skill is important for the role because "many fitness trainers and instructors sell their services, motivating clients to hire them as personal trainers or to sign up for the classes they lead." Additionally, a pilates instructor resume shows how their duties depend on customer-service skills: "developed and implemented fitness programs for clients, sold personal training courses and carried out customer-service functions. "
Communication skills. Many pilates instructor duties rely on communication skills. "fitness trainers and instructors must be able to clearly explain exercises that they demonstrate to clients.," so a pilates instructor will need this skill often in their role. This resume example is just one of many ways pilates instructor responsibilities rely on communication skills: "designed course syllabus and maintained consistent communication with parents. "
Listening skills. This is an important skill for pilates instructors to perform their duties. For an example of how pilates instructor responsibilities depend on this skill, consider that "fitness trainers and instructors must listen carefully to what clients tell them in order to determine the clients’ fitness levels and desired fitness goals." This excerpt from a resume also shows how vital it is to everyday roles and responsibilities of a pilates instructor: "communicated rule changes, legality issues, and leadership development to high school and college cheerleading coaches across the southeast. ".
Motivational skills. For certain pilates instructor responsibilities to be completed, the job requires competence in "motivational skills." The day-to-day duties of a pilates instructor rely on this skill, as "to keep clients coming back for more classes or to continue personal training, fitness trainers and instructors must keep their clients motivated." For example, this snippet was taken directly from a resume about how this skill applies to what pilates instructors do: "developed safe, structured and motivational personal training programs designed to meet members' individual fitness goals and needs. "
Physical fitness. Another crucial skill for a pilates instructor to carry out their responsibilities is "physical fitness." A big part of what pilates instructors relies on this skill, since "fitness trainers and instructors must be able to lead classes and to demonstrate exercises to participants or their clients." How this skill relates to pilates instructor duties can be seen in an example from a pilates instructor resume snippet: "design and instruct safe fun yoga for all fitness levels. "
Problem-solving skills. While "problem-solving skills" is last on this skills list, don't underestimate its importance to pilates instructor responsibilities. Much of what a pilates instructor does relies on this skill, seeing as "fitness trainers and instructors must evaluate members’ or client’s fitness levels and create appropriate fitness plans to meet their needs." Here is a resume example of how this skill is used in the everyday duties of pilates instructors: "teach middle-school students who are interested in mathematics beyond their regular school curriculum using creative problem-solving strategies. "
The three companies that hire the most pilates instructors are:
- Xponential Fitness79 pilates instructors jobs
- Club Pilates64 pilates instructors jobs
- Health Care18 pilates instructors jobs
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Compare different pilates instructors
Pilates instructor vs. Certified personal trainer
A Certified Personal Trainer is a person who will guide, help, and motivate you to move forward and become successful. Anyone with a mastery of a specific subject can become a personal trainer; however, certification is given only by accredited organizations that can offer licensure or certification programs. Many hope to find their own certified personal trainer in this hectic and convoluted society to accompany them through thick and thin in life.
There are some key differences in the responsibilities of each position. For example, pilates instructor responsibilities require skills like "yoga," "body alignment," "barrel," and "springboard." Meanwhile a typical certified personal trainer has skills in areas such as "cpr," "group training," "nasm," and "program design." This difference in skills reveals the differences in what each career does.
Certified personal trainers earn the highest salaries when working in the retail industry, with an average yearly salary of $43,335. On the other hand, pilates instructors are paid more in the health care industry with an average salary of $54,685.The education levels that certified personal trainers earn slightly differ from pilates instructors. In particular, certified personal trainers are 4.3% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree than a pilates instructor. Additionally, they're 1.0% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Pilates instructor vs. Manager/personal trainer
A manager/personal trainer performs fitness training, human resource management, and sales in a single job role. First-aid certification is one of the main requirements for the role. The responsibilities of this role are teaching and evaluating a trainer's performance, offering feedback based on the results of the evaluation, creating a workout plan that works for the client, advising the client on nutrition and exercise, and ensuring that health and safety regulations are adhered to when working with equipment.
In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, pilates instructor responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "yoga," "body alignment," "barrel," and "springboard." Meanwhile, a manager/personal trainer has duties that require skills in areas such as "cpr," "program design," "cleanliness," and "payroll." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.
Average education levels between the two professions vary. Managers/personal trainer tend to reach similar levels of education than pilates instructors. In fact, they're 4.9% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 1.0% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Pilates instructor vs. Strength and conditioning internship
Strength and conditioning interns are students, under an internship scheme, who provide assistance to staff in a comprehensive strength and conditioning programs' teaching and implementation. The programs integrate diverse curriculum focusing on the science and techniques associated with strength and conditioning. The interns supervise the rehabilitation sessions and workouts of varsity student-athletes. They execute motivational tasks in program implementation with the student-athletes. The skills necessary for the job include weight training, proper technique, and program design.
There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, a pilates instructor is likely to be skilled in "customer service," "yoga," "training programs," and "group fitness classes," while a typical strength and conditioning internship is skilled in "student athletes," "program implementation," "softball," and "soccer."
Strength and conditioning interns typically earn similar educational levels compared to pilates instructors. Specifically, they're 3.7% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 1.8% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Pilates instructor vs. Personal trainer
A personal trainer is responsible for monitoring the client's fitness goals by assisting the client with specific and customized routines and exercises to promote healthy well-being. Duties of a personal trainer also include evaluating the client's fitness progress, creating safe programs to improve the client's stamina, educating the client with workout benefits, suggesting on a client's best nutrition plans, and motivating clients with their capabilities. A personal trainer should have excellent knowledge of the fitness industry to support the client's needs.
Types of pilates instructor
Updated January 8, 2025
