Information Update

The Authentic Pilates Training Company

Pilates Instructors

This year, as was last, has been very busy for instructor trainers. Having qualified quite a few of you recently wishes are sent to all those staring out in there new chosen career here and abroad. To these and all the rest of you, anything you ever need to know or any problems you have with any aspect of your Pilates professional teaching career from hiring halls to formal contracts and beyond then just contact us as we are always here to help.

These are a sample of e-mails sent from newly passed students in 2004.

Well my first week running my own classes has flown by! It has been a great experience. Teaching complete beginners is fantastic, introducing people to a new way of exercising, and all very relaxing. I have done seven classes this week - phew! 
Thanks for all the help in the training, following you round the classes and getting the feel of working with different groups in different locations.

Ann
I am very proud of this qualification, as it has been quite a struggle for me, but then if it were easy to get it wouldn't be worth having. I am looking forward to starting my classes very soon. Thanks for everything. 

Jane
Jane teaches classes in the Bushey Heath, Watford, area and can be contacted at jane@rjn100.fsnet.co.uk


Pilates Down Under

Just over 2 years ago, my husband to be and I decided that we needed a really big change in our lives so put the ball in motion to emigrate from the Northamptonshire, UK to Perth, Western Australia.
I also decided that once we got to Perth I no longer wanted to work in Sales, so I set about finding something new.

Pilates was an exercise, which I had enjoyed, and it worked for me. I decided to look at becoming an instructor, and it was then that I found out that Perfect Balance ran the distance learning training course. For me it was perfect, completing the theory at home, and then practising at the classes a couple of days a week.

I started the course in January 2004 and studied in the evenings and weekends, still working full-time. I attended the workshops on offer, which I found really beneficial and met other trainees from around the country who were also studying. I completed a lot of practical training within real classes, teaching around 4-6 movements per class, learning the sequence, breathing and critiquing techniques. The hardest part initially is teaching advanced and beginners at the same time, remembering to tell them everything, spot what they are doing wrong, and correct them within the space of about 2 minutes! Debi James, the course director, would assess each session and then advise me of where things, if necessary, could be improved.

In no time at all it was time for the exams. I got married on the 5th June, and did my Pilates theory exam 3 days later! For my practical exams I had to teach a group exercise format to a class of 12, starting with the warm-up, posture exercise and 8 pre-arranged exercises and the final stage is to demonstrate 8 further exercises to an assessor in which you are videod.

I'm happy to say that I was awarded the Pilates Instructor Award, and set off to Australia with a new career in my sites. We settled in Perth in December 2004, so now was the time to get a job! Australia have a lot of rules and qualifications for jobs but after speaking to other Pilates instructors in Perth I found that I could set up my own business with insurance and music approval very easily, and work as I pleased. I purchased the stereo, mats and CD's, and began advertising in the local paper and leafleting the local area. 

I'm pleased to say that it's going really well as I currently teach 4 classes a week with more to start in the future as I plan to do some lunch sessions with the council and a couple of evenings for those who can't attend during the day. My first guy starts next week too, so it's not all ladies!

This has been a really beneficial change for me; it is so totally different to what I was doing before. When I teach the lessons, the information just flows. Practise is what it takes. My groups are coming along well, and I can really see the difference in their posture from when they arrived in my classes.

In case you are wondering, as for the rest of my time during the week, I have just completed a swimming instructor course, and I now teach kids how to swim. It's flexible and works great around the Pilates filling my week. 

So go on, change your life, there is never a better time. 

Liz
Liz teaches in the Perth area and can be contacted on lizbiff1975@hotmail.com

 

Treble First For Perfect Balance Pilates

Three Firsts For Market Leader - Perfect Balance Pilates

Perfect Balance Pilates were the first training company to receive national awarding body accreditation for a Pilates Instructor Course in the UK. They were then the first to offer a Pilates Instructor distance learning option, and now the first distance learning student has successfully completed the course and qualified as a Pilates Instructor.

Background - Working Mother Wanting to Retrain as an Instructor

Sally Smith is the first person to have successfully passed the newly launched distance learning course with Perfect Balance Pilates. This course is the highest level in Pilates attainable at a Level 3 accredited through the awarding body NCFE. Sally is a 32-year-old mother of two who combined a full time job as a Marketing Manager in the IT industry with completing the course. 
Sally has always been interested in health and fitness. After a chance meeting with Debi James, Director of Perfect Balance Pilates at the Good Health Show at the NEC, Birmingham in February 2002 Sally started to seriously consider the possibility of retraining as a Pilates Instructor, this was something that she had wanted to do for some time but because of her work and family commitments had not thought possible until then. 

Authentic Pilates That Delivers Results

After the initial meeting at the exhibition, Sally attended a Perfect Balance Pilates workshop where all 34 of Joseph Pilates' original matwork exercises were introduced and performed by the workshop attendees. Sally says 'at the workshop, I finally discovered an exercise routine that delivered what it promised. Pilates is truly fantastic it strengthens, lengthens, tones, improves posture, and alleviates back pain. It fills a gap that most other forms of exercise miss. By focusing on core strength and control it will change your body and change it fast. I was hooked, not only did I find the exercise regime that produced the results I had always been looking for, but I quickly realised that I wanted to become a Pilates Instructor and to teach others the benefits that I had discovered for myself.'

The First and Only Nationally Accredited Pilates Course

Before deciding to train with Perfect Balance Pilates, Sally fully investigated all the companies who offered Pilates training in the UK. She explains her findings 'most of the courses were very expensive and only run in London, which for me based in the Midlands, was not ideal. I then discovered that Perfect Balance Pilates was the only training provider to be nationally accredited and recognised by a government body. I was also impressed with the fact that Perfect Balance Pilates taught the 34 original exercises devised by Joseph Pilates and not adaptations or watered down versions. The original exercises are the ones that really provide results. With Perfect Balance Pilates I had found a high calibre course with national accreditation, that taught authentic Pilates, and included modules on rehabilitation, posture, anatomy, physiology and sports application at the right cost.'

Distance Learning Pilates Instructor Option

After finding the course that she wanted to take, Sally's next consideration was location and timing. Most instructor courses are typically run over a series of weekends or over a continuous week or two, in fixed locations sometimes involving residential stays. In today's busy world where time is such a precious commodity with so many demands and constraints placed upon the rare free time that any of us have these types of courses are simply not an option for a lot of people, especially busy working parents. That was until Perfect Balance Pilates provided them with an alternative way to study. As Sally says 'as a working mother with limited amounts of holiday allowance the distance learning course provided me with the ideal solution. It's a 100% flexible course that I could combine with my family and work commitments. Had it not been for this way of studying I may never have been able to achieve my goal.'
So does distance learning mean as a student you are left on your own to get on with things with little guidance or contact? Sally is emphatic that this is not the case with Perfect Balance Pilates. She says 'the course mentors are excellent, they are helpful, knowledgeable and motivating and always at the end of a phone. They tailored the course to my individual needs; I cannot praise them enough. I felt that someone was with me every step of the way and their level of expertise is second to none. The course material was also extensive and informative and I felt that the qualification was of real value, a real achievement.'

Realisation of Dreams

Sally found the course so inspiring that whenever she had any spare time she dedicated it to studying, this meant that she managed to complete her qualification in just two months. Sally plans to use her marketing background to help launch her new career as a Pilates Instructor. She is now available to teach classes and personal training in the Coventry and Warwickshire area and has a range of courses starting in September 2002. For more information and to enrol on a class contact Sally on 02476 303262.
The Distance Learning Pilates Instructor Award is going from strength to strength and has received an unprecedented interest since it's launch. It really does appear to be the future of learning combining first class content, tutors and class of qualification. Debi James, Director at Perfect Balance concludes ' this begins the new revolution in Pilates Instructor training enabling a lot more people to become instructors. For people who go to work and/or have family commitments this provides the perfect answer to busy lives. This is your chance, like Sally, to achieve your dreams.'

For more information on the Pilates Instructor Award please E-mail
info@perfectbalancepilates.com

 

Not only were Perfect Balance the first training company to receive national awarding body accreditation for a Pilates Instructor course, they are now the first to offer distance learning packages to become a Pilates Instructor.

Through NCFE, the awarding body, a home study package has been devised which includes the course study pack with practical aspects by training video and a hotline number for instructor trainees to contact with queries at any time. 

Training can be done at the individuals own pace and workshops are provided throughout the year to attend to brush up on teaching and demonstrating skills.

The exams can even be taken wherever the student wishes even in the comfort of their own home if they so wish, with invigilators and assessors present of course!

Tutor and assignment feedback will still be important for verification of work throughout the period of study to ensure that the student is learning and heading towards the exam expectations.

This begins the new revolution in Pilates Instructor training so enabling a lot more people to become instructors. 'A lot of the time people just haven't got the time to give up to do longer training courses due to both work and family commitments, this package provides the perfect answer to busy lives.' commented Perfect Balance Director Debi James. 

• If you ever wanted to become a Pilates Instructor but couldn't find the time or lived too far away from training centres.

• If you're fed up with poor instructors in your area and know you could do better.

• If you want to earn £2k a week as a Pilates Instructor.

Then this is your chance to achieve your dreams.

We also offer easy payment options spread over different time-scales, so there's no reason not to change career direction or to add to your repertoire of teaching abilities. 

Pilates at The Good Health Show

The Good Health Show, which was run in association with Channel Four, proved to be an unrivalled success for Perfect Balance Pilates. The interest for our range of courses, workshops and general advice proved overwhelming with the exhibition stand swamped with enquiries. 

There was strong public demand for Workshops and Instructor Courses in the Birmingham area. During the show, a number of the premier health clubs made enquires for Perfect Balance Pilates to hold seminars and workshops. Advanced orders for kit bags, footwear, mats etc exceeded all expectations and the year 2002 looks to be the start of a solid future with the public.

Many of the people coming to the stand either couldn't find a class in their area, or who had queries about their class and how they should be physically progressing with the exercises. 

Perfect Balance Pilates' owner Debi James said "Class sizes were a major cause for concern and in one instance I was told of a class with 40+ participants in. Although there are no guidelines on how many people should be in a class in my opinion this is unacceptable. We now have a big task ahead providing the public with what they want, and that is more quality instructors".

The 25 minute Pilates displays proved to be one of the main attractions of the show. The demonstrations, which were held three times a day for the three days, were well attended and a couple of them were filmed for TV.

E-mail:	info@perfectbalancepilates.com