Pilates Method Alliance

The Pilates Method Alliance

Thousands of people across the globe are considering the Pilates Method as one of the most effective physical fitness systems ever developed. Many people paid interest on studying, teaching and training the Pilates Method and it was basically due to this strong interest that the Pilates Method Alliance was born.

The Pilates Method Alliance (PMA) is an international non-profit and professional association that was developed bearing the teachings of Joseph Pilates and his wife, Clara. This association has a mission to protect the public by establishing certification and continuing education standards for the Pilates professionals.

Goals of PMA

The Pilates Method Alliance holds a number of goals for the success of the association. The first of those is to establish and maintain a national certification exam. This certification exam has been intended for those who wish to become a certified Pilates teacher. It has been designed to measure skill and knowledge at the level of a person who has received comprehensive Pilates teacher training.

The Pilates Method Alliance also encourages professional growth through continuing education. It also seeks to define the parameters of the Pilates teaching and expertise, to maintain standards while respecting the various approaches to Pilates. Also interesting to know is the fact that the Pilates Method Alliance want to promote the benefits of the Pilates exercise to the consumer public, and serve as an information resource for all the Pilates constituents.

All of these goals are strongly maintained by the Pilates Method Alliance knowing that these will help them meet the needs of the community they serve.

PMA's Philosophy on Instructor Training

The Pilates Method Alliance basically upholds the principles of the Pilates Method. As you may know, the Pilates Method is centered on the concepts of awareness, balance, breath, centering, concentration, control, flowing movement, and precision. All of these principles are uphold for the people to uniformly develop the body and mind.

Today, the Pilates Method Alliance has recommended a lot of facilities that could be of great help to those who are willing to become a Pilates instructor. In the first place, PMA promises to provide a comprehensive assessment and initial training session prior to the recommendation of any exercise program. According to them, this assessment should involve the client history, injuries and goals, plus measurable and clear assessments of muscular strengths, weaknesses and imbalances, bony landmark issues of significance, overall levels of both flexibility and cardiovascular conditioning.

The Pilates Method Alliance further recommends that participants must receive a complete introductory or orientation before the regular participation in group equipment class. They believe that this orientation will clearly educate participants as to the purpose of the Pilates equipment, the potential of injury, as well as how to properly self-adjust every piece of apparatus.

Finally, the Pilates Method Alliance strongly recommends that all studios and facilities, including health clubs have at least one comprehensively trained instructor on staff at all times, especially when the facility is open for business. This instructor is required to aid the facility in supervising a number of guidelines for Pilates programming safety, as well as with the ongoing education of instructors in training.