05/28/2026
Someone asked me a really important question the other day.
After I questioned the accuracy of some biomechanical information being shared by a well-known Pilates instructor, they pushed back with something worth addressing directly. If you cannot trust your training from a master instructor, who can you trust?
It is a fair question. And the honest answer might be uncomfortable.
A Pilates certification teaches you how to teach Pilates. That is exactly what it is designed to do, and there is nothing wrong with that. But it does not automatically qualify someone to teach anatomy, biomechanics, physiology, or strength training with authority.
Those are separate disciplines. They require separate education.
The problem is that this distinction is not always respected. Pilates educators, including well-credentialed ones, regularly teach topics they do not have formal training in. The information sounds confident. The credentials on the bio look impressive. But the reasoning underneath is sometimes flawed, and the misinformation spreads quickly through an industry full of instructors genuinely trying to learn.
So who do you trust?
Big Pilates brands do not always handle this well. But there are independent instructors who have gone further, pursuing additional credentials in exercise science, physical therapy, biomechanics, and related fields. Those are the people worth seeking out.
As a Doctor of Physical Therapy and exercise scientist, I am one of them. But you do not have to learn from me. Find the people whose depth of knowledge you respect and whose approach inspires you. That is the standard worth holding.
If you are curious about what we offer at Evidence-Based Pilates, comment READY and I will send you a 2-week free trial of the Anatomy & Biomechanics Club.
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