What is the PAA?

Like many others, Pilates is an unregulated industry. Anyone can call themselves a Pilates Instructor, and anyone can put together a training course. With the huge boom in the popularity of Pilates, has also come a huge boom in training organisations. However, the content, duration and quality of these courses varies hugely. Meaning the knowledge, understanding and experience of Pilates teachers also varies hugely. This is where the PAA comes in.

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The Pilates Association Australia (PAA) is "an independent and not-for-profit organisation established by the Pilates industry as an advisory body for regulation of quality instruction, member support and integrity within all legitimate approaches to the Pilates Method". Membership of the PAA indicates a comprehensive and vetted Pilates training course has been undertaken. It is a little-known tool available to the general public to ensure they are getting quality when it comes to Pilates.

However, membership is by no means mandatory, and by no means a fool-proof indication of a great instructor. I personally know many excellent, highly trained and talented Pilates teachers who are not members of the PAA. The annual membership is not cheap, and to potential clients it's very rarely a consideration. So, why should you care?

I personally see membership of the PAA as a way to support the industry. As a teacher who is in it for the long haul, I want Pilates to be seen for the valid profession that it is. This is my chosen career, this is what I have done full time since 2011, and what I hope to do for a long time to come. By being a member of the PAA, I hope to support the organisation to push for better standards of education across the board. To advocate for Pilates as a valued allied health therapy.

Pilates is not just the latest fitness trend. There is a reason why physiotherapists use Pilates for rehabilitation. There is a reason why neurosurgeons tell their patients to do Pilates to delay, avoid or recover from spinal surgery. There is a uniqueness to a method of exercise that can cater for an elite athlete, a heavily pregnant client, and someone recovering from hip surgery, all in the one semi-private studio session.

For the individual out there who is interested in beginning a Pilates practice, checking for PAA membership is a way to verify that your instructor has a comprehensive training course under their belt, but even more than that, it indicates their passion and dedication to the method and to the industry. You can be sure that your instructor continues to learn and evolve, to stay up to date with the latest movement related research, and is personally invested in raising the standard of the entire industry.

A member since I undertook my Diploma is 2011, I recently submitted my application to upgrade my membership of the PAA. I am proud to now be a Level 4 Pilates Practitioner, which means comprehensive training plus over 7000 hours of teaching experience.

My membership is important to me, to my clients and to the future of Pilates in Australia.