Overview of STOTT PILATES®
certification and education
STOTT PILATES education and certification programs empower instructors to motivate, challenge and retain clients long term. Often referred to as the "Ivy League" school of pilates, STOTT PILATES provides instructors with the depth of knowledge and practical programming options to teach effective group or personal training programs to clients of all ages and fitness levels.
Following is a brief overview of the courses and workshops available at Pacific NW Pilates. For a complete description of each course or workshop, prerequisites, fees and schedules, please visit the relevant sections on this Web site.
For a handy list of our course and workshop acronyms, click here.
You can click on the links below as a shortcut to the sections on this page:
Level 1 Courses
Level 2 Courses
Workshops and other education
Which program is best for you?
The STOTT PILATES advantage
Why train at Pacific NW Pilates?
How do I start?
Program Options for Level 1 Certification Courses
Whether you are an aspiring or current fitness professional, a rehab specialist or a fitness club owner, Pacific NW Pilates offers a STOTT PILATES program to help you meet your career or business goals. And, of course, you will be able to help clients or patients with ideal training or rehabilitation options as well. Each educational program offered by Pacific NW Pilates includes a series of relevant courses or modules.
Functional Anatomy - Level 1 (pre-requisite for IMP, CMR and IR)
This workshop is open to students of all levels and provides them with a practical knowledge of functional anatomy. This class prepares people who haven’t taken a recent college-level anatomy course to enter the Level I courses such as IMP, IR and ICCB.
Intensive Program - Level 1 (includes the IMP, IR and ICCB courses)
The STOTT PILATES Intensive program is designed for those who have a strong fitness background and/or are already working as health or fitness professionals. This program prepares people to teach the STOTT PILATES Level 1 Mat and equipment-based repertoire safely, effectively and with confidence.
Comprehensive Program - Level 1 (CMR)
Designed for those with some movement training and exposure to pilates, Comprehensive courses cover functional anatomy and the practical skills needed to be an effective and motivating Level 1 Matwork and Reformer instructor. This program also includes an apprenticeship at Pacific Northwest Pilates.
Rehabilitation Program - Level 1 (includes RMR1 and CCB1 courses)
The Rehabilitation program is only open to licensed physical therapists, occupational therapists, sports medicine professionals, chiropractors and related medical professionals. This series is designed to help medical professionals integrate STOTT PILATES exercises into their practices and expand their repertoire of effective options for injury prevention and rehabilitation.
NEW: Group SPX™ Program - Level 1 (includes GM and GR courses)
For fitness clubs that want to quickly and effectively implement a quality group pilates program, the STOTT PILATES Group SPX programming curriculum is the answer. Designed especially for group fitness instructors, Group SPX certification courses and workshops provide instructors with the tools they need to lead and inspire group classes.
Program Options for Level 2 Certification Courses
Advanced Program - Level 2 (includes the AM, AR and ACCB courses)
The Advanced program consists of Level 2 courses in Matwork, Reformer, and Cadillac, Chair & Barrels. Completion of the Advanced program is required for full certification.
Injuries and Special Populations (ISP)
This course is designed to help pilates instructors customize workouts to address weaknesses, health conditions, postural problems or injuries (but not to diagnose specific injuries). It may be taken after any of the following courses: IMP, IR, CMR, GM or GR.
Rehabilitation Program - Level 2 (includes RMR2 and CCB2 courses)
These courses build on the biomechanical and stabilization principles taught in RMR1 and RCCB1. RMR2 may be taken immediately following completion of RMR1.
Workshops and other educational opportunities
Most workshops are only one to two days in duration and many do not have prerequisites. In fact, taking workshops can be a great way to become familiar with the STOTT PILATES method and curriculum before taking certification courses.
Crossover Workshops
Crossover workshops were created to help instructors make the transition from private to group training and vice versa. Unlike standard workshops, crossover workshops are designed to act as a bridge between courses that cover Group programs and the Intensive or Comprehensive programs that are geared more towards working with individual clients.
Continuing Education Workshops
Pacific Northwest Pilates offers a variety of STOTT PILATES and special interest workshops throughout the year. These are typically designed for pilates instructors or fitness and health professionals to gain more education about pilates, injuries and the practical skills needed to thrive as a expert in the fitness arena. Many of our workshops qualify for Continuing Education Credits (CECs) from STOTT PILATES and other organizations such as Can-Fit-Pro and the American Council on Education (ACE).
Specialty Workshops
Pacific NW Pilates offers many specialty workshops throughout the year. Some of which feature guest instructors from other premier STOTT PILATES studios in the U.S. and Canada. Our own Melanie Byford-Young has also created several specialty rehabilitation workshops that are offered at Pacific NW Pilates.
Which program is right for you?
Choose the question below that best describes your experience and goals to find out which program would be best for you!
Q. I have little or no experience teaching movement or exercise, but I would really like to start a career in fitness. Where should I start?
A. We offer a Comprehensive program that will start you with functional anatomy and the basics so you can progress with incrementally more challenging material at a manageable pace. You will also have the opportunity to “practice teach” by participating in our structured Apprentice and Mentoring program.
Q. I am already a fitness professional and I would like to begin providing personal training for my clients. What classes should I take?
A. The Level 1 Intensive program would be your best option. These courses will prepare you to teach both mat and equipment-based pilates repertoire.
Q. I am a trained health practitioner/rehab professional. I’d like to figure out how I can use pilates to help my clients deal with injuries and enhance their overall conditioning.
A. Melanie Byford-Young, co-founder of Pacific NW Pilates, has been pioneering the use of pilates in rehabilitation and conditioning for the past eight years. As a result, Pacific NW Pilates offers the most complete, cutting edge array of rehab courses – all taught by Melanie. She also teaches a series of specialty workshops that address specific issues such as recovery from knee injuries or breast cancer.
Q. I am already a group fitness instructor and I want to begin teaching group pilates classes a well.
A. We have a program specifically designed for this purpose. The Level 1 Group SPX courses can help individual instructors, program directors or fitness club managers implement a pilates program quickly by providing fitness teachers with the core skills to teach mat and reformer classes.
Q. I have completed Level 1 Mat-Plus – is it possible for me to help clients with injuries at this stage in my career?
A. Yes, we offer a class called Injuries & Special Populations specifically for STOTT PILATES instructors to learn how they can modify their repertoire to assist clients with specific physical issues. You can take this course after you have taken any one of the following courses: IMP, IR, CMR, GM or GR.
Q. I have completed the Level 1 Mat-Plus and Reformer courses and I’m ready to add more advanced options to my repertoire. What’s the fastest way I can make that happen?
A. You are ready to enroll in our Advanced certification courses. These build and expand upon the skills you already have. You might also want to try a Continuing Education Workshop to build upon your repertoire quickly. These typically take place over a weekend and will provide you with new skills you can use immediately.
STOTT PILATES' curriculum is continually updated to ensure it complies with modern exercise science and is relevant to fitness professionals, facility operators and clients. Courses are taught by highly skilled STOTT PILATES Certified Instructor Trainers.
General Course Objectives
Our programs provide a balanced and thorough blend of theory, observation and
practical experience to help you master the repertoire. In each course, you learn:
- How to apply STOTT PILATES biomechanical principles of core stability, breathing and alignment to all exercises.
- A complete breakdown of each exercise.
- Exercise goals, muscular initiation and movement sequencing.
- Modifications to increase or decrease exercise intensity.
- Modifications for specific body types and postural issues .
- How to recognize optimal and less optimal movement patterns.
- A variety of programming options to keep clients motivated.
- Effective communication, verbal cues and imagery for performance enhancement and client success.
Observation, Practice Teaching and Physical Review Requirements
A minimum number of observation, practice teaching and physical review hours are required for all courses and should be completed between instructed sessions at any STOTT PILATES facility. Additional training may be required to prepare for certification.
Observation may include watching sessions taught by a STOTT PILATES Certified Instructor or relevant STOTT PILATES videos. Teaching practice hours may be fulfilled by instructing family, fellow students, friends or clients.
A physical review requires physically performing the exercises taught in class. Taking a class with a STOTT PILATES Certified Instructor or working out with a video can qualify as physical review hours and may be completed individually or with other students.
Teaching practice and physical review hours must be logged outside of class time and submitted at the time of the practical exam.
Why train at Pacific NW Pilates?
Pacific NW Pilates is the Licensed Training Center for STOTT PILATES in Oregon and Washington. As one of the first in the United States, our Instructor Trainers have over 10 years of experience teaching and certifying instructors for STOTT PILATES.
There are four Instructor Trainers at Pacific NW Pilates: Jean Leavenworth, Melanie Byford-Young, Leslie Braverman and Traci Culberson. Go to our INSTRUCTOR TRAINER section to learn more about them.
I’m ready to start! How do I sign up?
If you are ready to sign up for one of our courses or workshops, you will first need to fill out the relevant application. Please note that there are different applications for courses and workshops. Also, please review the necessary prerequisites for any course you wish to take. Note: you may need to take a Functional Anatomy Course in order to be an eligible candidate for the Intensive Level 1 series)
To sign up for certification courses (including Level 1, Level 2 and SPX), the correct application is available under Certification Courses on our Web site.
If you are interested in signing up for one of our Rehabilitation Courses (designed for STOTT PILATES INTERNATIONAL by our co-founder, Melanie Byford-Young), you’ll find the correct application under the Rehab Courses section.
To sign up for any workshop, you’ll find the correct application under our Workshops section.
Once we have received your application (and any necessary application fees), we will contact you to set up an interview if you have never taken any STOTT PILATES courses at a Licensed Training Center before. This initial interview can be conducted by phone or in person. If you are new to STOTT PILATES training, you will likely need to confirm your related background and eligibility to enter into the Intensive Certification Program. Application fees are to cover our costs to confirm background information of new students. This helps ensure that all students have the required skill levels for courses so all receive education at the pace expected. No application fees are assessed for those who have previously taken courses at Pacific NW Pilates.
If you are uncertain whether or not you qualify for a course, please don’t hesitate to contact us so we can speak to you further about your options! We’re here to help and we’re always glad to tell people about the great programs offered by Pacific NW Pilates and STOTT PILATES.
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