DO YOU ALWAYS GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR? OR IS TIME IN TRAINING A BETTER MEASURE OF TEACHER QUALITY?

When you’re choosing a Pilates teacher — or thinking about becoming one — it’s natural to look at price first. But as I discovered on my own training journey, price can be a very unreliable indicator of quality. Some courses cost more because the venue is fancy, or because the lead trainer is a well-known name in the industry. But does that guarantee you’ll come out feeling confident, skilled, and ready to teach real bodies with real needs?

This was not my personal experience and I would like to share my research and conclusions to help those considering coming to my classes (so that they have a deeper understanding of my knowledge) as well as those considering training in this disciple.

My conclusion: 
When it comes to Pilates training, time spent learning with skilled teachers is the single most important factor in how capable and confident you will feel once you qualify.

How I Approached My Own Training Research

Before I started my mat Pilates teacher training, I did a deep dive into what was offered in each of f the major training pathways available in the UK and Europe. My priority was simple: I wanted a programme with meaningful in-person hours, meaningful mentoring, plenty of supervised teaching, and an assessment process that actually tested competence — not just attendance.

I quickly realised that different schools take very different approaches. Some offer short intensive courses. Others offer extensive several month-long or even year-long programmes with observation, practice teaching, and required personal practice.

Below is the summary table I created when comparing the main providers

SUMMARY OF PILATES MAT TRAINING HOURS (EU & UK PROVIDERS)

Why Contact Hours Really Matter

This isn’t just academic. Pilates is a hands-on, movement-based, body-aware discipline. You are learning to:

• Observe bodies in motion

• Understand how age, injury, and anatomy affect movement

• Give clear cues that create safe, effective results

• Recruit stabilising muscles and modify for each person

• Recognise when someone is moving well — and when they aren’t

Those are skills you develop over time, through repeated exposure to different bodies, not just through theory or watching videos.

For me, in-person training was essential. I wanted to see real bodies, real challenges, and experienced teachers demonstrating real-time problem solving. That kind of learning is only possible through hours of teaching practice, supervised learning, and skilled mentorship.

The Programmes I Considered

I looked especially closely at Body Control Pilates and The Pilates Foundation, both of which require:

• Significant in-person contact hours

• Extensive observation hours

• Supervised practice teaching

• A written exam

• A demanding practical teaching exam

In the end, I chose to train with The Pilates Foundation, completing 700+ hours across 15 months — far beyond the minimum requirement. And I’m profoundly grateful I did. That time was invaluable in shaping my confidence, competence, and personal teaching style.

Do You Get What You Pay For?

Sometimes. But more often, you get what you put in — in terms of time, effort, and the depth of your training experience.

If you’re choosing a training programme, or choosing a teacher, don’t just look at cost. Look at hours. Look at contact time. Look at the depth of mentorship and assessment.

If you’re considering Pilates as your movement practice — or considering becoming a teacher — this table gives you a very clear sense of how differently schools approach training. And it’s worth choosing the one that invests the most in you.