More information about the Pilates Method Alliance
Founded in 2001, the Pilates Method Alliance is the professional association and certifying agency for Pilates teachers. For the past decade, Pilates teachers from around the world have worked together to create a unified community, to share knowledge and information, and most importantly, to establish the practice of teaching Pilates as a profession. To that end, in 2005 the PMA launched the only third-party professional certification exam in the Pilates industry. We urge you to join this movement to elevate the status of Pilates teachers and establish a new profession by becoming a PMA® Certified Pilates Teacher.
History
The Pilates Method Alliance was formed in 2001 as a professional association for the Pilates community. Its purpose was to provide an international organization to connect teachers, teacher trainers, studios, and facilities dedicated to preserving and enhancing the legacy of Joseph H. Pilates and his exercise method by establishing standards, encouraging unity, and promoting professionalism.
The organization grew, and developed the first all inclusive Pilates-specific educational conference. The conference was a tremendous success and supported the unity of an industry that was rich in educators and practitioners, but extremely fragmented. Today, our community experiences greater unity, harmony and sharing than could ever have been imagined 10 years ago, and the PMA’s educational conference model has been adopted by Pilates organizations around the world.
The aim of industry unification led the PMA to develop a third party professional credential (or “certification”), which was launched in 2005. This credential was created through consultation with a wide range of Pilates experts across the field, under the direction of professional psychometricians, and it serves the Pilates community and the public by validating that a Pilates teacher meets entry level standards for safety and competency. By establishing this professional credential, the PMA put into place one of the primary components required for any established profession.
Today, the PMA is both a professional association and a certifying agency for Pilates teachers.
Mission
The Pilates Method Alliance (PMA) is the international, not-for-profit, professional association and certifying agency dedicated to the teachings of Joseph H. and Clara Pilates. Our mission is to foster community, integrity, and respect for diversity; establish certification and continuing education standards; and promote the Pilates method of exercise.
Goals
- Establish and maintain a professional certification exam
- Encourage professional growth through continuing education
- Define the parameters of Pilates teaching and expertise
- Maintain standards while respecting the various approaches to Pilates
- Promote the benefits of Pilates exercise to the consumer public
- Serve as an information resource for all Pilates constituents
- Maintain a registry of PMA® Certified Pilates Teachers
- Maintain a registry of Pilates training organizations that includes verified information for review and comparison
- Encourage feedback and evaluate our organization to meet the needs of the community we serve
“Because there is no single agency certifying Pilates instructors, instructors can have a variety of experience and training but they should be able to accurately assess a client’s posture and movement patterns and have the ability to build an appropriate, client-specific program.
When choosing a Pilates studio, be sure to review the instructors and their training. A weekend retreat or workshop to learn Pilates is not the same as a comprehensive program that includes anatomy, physiology and hundreds of hours of observation, self-practice, apprentice teaching and classroom learning.”
For more information visit: www.pilatesmethodalliance.org