Pilates Method

Pilates is now becoming one of the largest courses attended wourld wide by physiotherapists. The standard length of training in the UK is 1.5 - 2 years. Do you agree that this amount of time should be required for someone to say they teach Pilates? It certainly takes that long to fully get the technique into your own body, which I believe is a must if you are to teach the technique. In the UK many physio's are trying to make a quick dollar out of exploiting a fantastic technique. What's going on else where??

My experience in Australia is that is greatly variable but I agree, it risks making the whole thing sound 'easy' and as if you can read it from a book. Some Physios offer weekend courses but the Pilates Association is made up of Pilates trained people from a physical fitness back ground, who claim to be the only ones qualified to use it correctly. There are a number of publications appearing which are based on a totlly different concept of basic stetches etc & some physios seem to be running floor classes based on these cnocepts. Having worked with both groups I can see it 'cheapening' the 'pure Pilates' theory and practice - on the other hand I guess it is promoting the name and the concept. I would support a specific Physio based Pilates group being set up to keep it 'pure' and maintain quality.

I think that physios have both the knowledge & skill to administer pilates type exercises & many have been doing it for a few years now long before it became flavour of the month & body control started to begin commercialising it & advertsed in the journal offering courses, but physios should continue with a modified type as some of the pure exercises are not suitable for all

Craig Phillips is an Australian physio who runs Clinical Pilates courses in Aus. UK, Hong kong. The courses are for physios only. WWW.clinicalpilates.com

It sounds like a bit of cashing in, certainly, but why not? I cannot really believe it takes 2 years to learn Pilates - as physiotherapists we are way ahead of any others. After all we made the major contribution to the whole business of core stability.