Start Your Journey as a Pilates Instructor
Kelp Pilates supports the growth of passionate teachers through foundational mat training, equipment education, and real-world teaching experience. We value instructors who are confident, well-trained, and committed to making movement accessible to all.
How to become an Instructor
Start with BASI Certification
Build a strong foundation in Pilates by completing a respected mat training program with BASI, offered in-person or online.
Use Code at Registration
When applying to BASI, enter the code “KELP” to identify your studio connection and align with our instructor development.
Choose your Learning Format
Select from flexible training options through Pilates San Diego to match your schedule, goals, and preferred learning style.
Connect with Us After the course
After completing your mat training, reach out to explore equipment training and apprenticeship opportunities with our team.
Grow Into a Hired Instructor
Through mentorship and experience, refine your teaching style and join Kelp Pilates to guide and inspire students in our community.
FAQs
We're here to support you all the way. If you have questions about what it's like to be a Pilates teacher, we'd love to chat. Book a complimentary 15 minute call with studio owner, Anna and discuss any questions and make a training plan that will work for your goals.
Anybody with a passion for movement. Pilates trainers can be any age, gender, body size, or body type. Some trainers have backgrounds in dance, gymnastics, and other athletics. Some trainers had no prior connection to sports or movement systems before discovering Pilates. What they all have in common is an understanding of what Pilates can do for a person’s health and wellbeing, and a desire to share it with others.
Anyone interested in pursuing professional training and work as a Pilates instructor should be self-motivated, enthusiastic about Pilates as a movement system, and committed to obtaining professional certification and building their career.
You must be 18 or older to participate. We do consider motivated candidates of high school age, but you must be 18 to sit for the National Pilates Certification Program (NPCP) exam.
We recommend seeking out as much personal experience with Pilates as possible prior to beginning the Instructor Training program. Instructor candidates can join any mat class and at least one reformer class.
Anyone who has committed to joining an instructor training program also has the opportunity to take private sessions at a reduced rate with the goal of increasing your strength, stamina, and knowledge of Pilates before starting your instructor training.
After you have completed the MIT program, you will need to prepare for the National Pilates Certification Program (NPCP) exam. You must pass this exam to start teaching Pilates professionally.
In preparation for the exam and to provide you with the structure and support you might need as a new Pilates instructor, MIT program participants are invited to become Kelp Pilates Apprentice trainers. Through the apprenticeship, you’ll receive: one-on-one sessions and support from a Kelp Pilates mentor, access to Kelp Pilates clients for training, promotional and networking opportunities via Kelp Pilates communications, and opportunities to learn more about the logistics of pursuing a professional career in Pilates and running a movement and wellness business.
You may choose to take the comprehensive course or individual modules.
If possible, we recommend beginning with the Mat module (followed by Reformer) since that is where you will receive foundational information for the rest of your training. Mat and Reformer classes are often the most in- demand types of instruction at Pilates studios, yoga studios, and gyms.
To sit for the NPCP exam, you will need to learn repertoire for all of the Pilates equipment. The NPCP offers a mat-only certification exam.
Absolutely. While you are required to learn and understand the full version of each exercise, you are not required to physically execute everything in order to learn and teach it. Many program participants modify certain exercises as they are learning in order to accommodate their own bodies just as they would do with their own clients, which is one of the many beautiful aspects of this movement system. That being said, the program is physically rigorous and it will be helpful to build your strength and stamina in the weeks and months before beginning the program.
At the end of the program, you will be issued a certificate of completion, but you will still need to take and pass the National Pilates Certification Program (NPCP) exam.
Our expectation is that program participants pass the NPCP within six months of completing the training program.
Some gyms and movement studios will hire instructors-in-training as long as they are on track to finish and plan on completing certification. It largely depends on where you would like to teach.
One of the great things about pursuing a career as a Pilates instructor is that you can shape it into whatever you want and need it to be. Some trainers teach full-time while many others teach part-time alongside other full- or part-time jobs.
How much you can make as an instructor varies considerably depending on your experience, levels of certification, geographic location, and preferred teaching schedule.
Newer trainers can expect to earn around $20-$25 per hour, while experienced trainers with additional certifications and areas of specialization can earn much more. The average salary for a certified trainer in the US is $35 per hour. Kelp Pilates pays premium rates above that, depending on experience.
Yes, Pilates instructors should expect to enroll regularly in continuing education courses (CECs). Further developing your overall knowledge base and expertise, as well as developing additional areas of specialization will allow you to better serve your clients, broaden your client base, and increase the amount of money you can make over time.
Most instructors take at least one course per year, and most certifications require that you take a course at least once every two years. Courses can be as short as a one-day or weekend workshop, while others might take place over the course of a week or two.