Pilates Mat Teacher Training
With Polestar Pilates
Learn to teach group and private Mat Pilates from the best educators in the industry. Learn to assess, analyze and teach the Pilates Mat exercises to any body, and understand the why behind creating custom exercise programs for your clients
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This program includes:
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Polestar Curriculum -
Coursework (Hybrid In-Person and Online): in-person labs, online lectures, live virtual sessions, homework
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Access to Polestar’s Virtual Pilates Studio
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Final Exam
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Certification: Diploma from Polestar Pilates teacher training qualifies you teach at studios internationally.
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Tuition:: $3,600
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Complete the information to register for this program
You will learn to:
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Teach the entire Pilates Mat repertoire
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Apply new ideas and deepen your understanding in faculty-led study labs and real-world case discussions
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Build confidence, clarity, and creativity in your teaching through consistent practice and support
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Connect with a global community of movement professionals who believe that movement is medicine
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Embrace mentorship, gain momentum, and step into your role as a purposeful and impactful teacher
Program advantages:
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Become the instructor you’ve always envisioned—confident, clear, and deeply impactful
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Learn to lead powerful Mat classes that meet people where they are—physically, emotionally, and energetically
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Develop your teaching voice and creative sequencing skills rooted in whole-body health
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Deepen your own movement practice as you embody the Polestar principles
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Join a global network of instructors redefining what it means to teach Pilates
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Step into a new identity—not just as a teacher, but as a movement leader
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Course Overview
Course Format
The Polestar Mat Teacher Training consists of four immersive in-person weekends and a final exam. Each weekend is designed to build your confidence, expand your movement vocabulary, and prepare you to lead dynamic, inclusive Mat classes with clarity and purpose.
Polestar Principles of Movement (12 hours in person)
This powerful opening weekend invites you to explore the core of Polestar’s movement philosophy. Through hands-on practice and guided exploration, you’ll embody our five key principles—breath, control, mobility, alignment, and movement integration. These foundational concepts will transform the way you move, teach, and observe. Whether your goals lie in fitness or rehabilitation, this weekend will give you the tools to see and cue movement more clearly, and to better support your clients’ whole-body well-being.
Mat 1 (12 hours in person)
Mat 1 introduces the building blocks of professional Pilates Mat instruction. You’ll learn how to teach beginner to early intermediate-level exercises, and develop class sequences that balance clarity with creativity. Students begin exploring verbal cueing, movement analysis, and basic program design while gaining experience with assessment and modifications for various client needs.
Mat 2 (12 hours in person)
This second weekend deepens your teaching toolkit and expands your confidence in designing intermediate Mat classes. You’ll practice tactile cueing, imagery-based instruction, and more advanced progressions while refining your ability to manage flow and transitions. By the end of Mat 2, you’ll be prepared to lead full Mat sessions with skill and purpose, adapting exercises for a wide variety of clients.
Mat 3 / Mat with Props (12 hours in person)
Mat with Props expands on the movement foundation established in Mat 1 and 2 by introducing props as tools to support, challenge, modify, and deepen the Pilates experience. You’ll explore how equipment such as bands, balls, rollers, and other small apparatus can enhance movement awareness, improve accessibility, and create new layers of feedback and progression within familiar exercises.
Throughout the module, you’ll continue refining your sequencing, cueing, and teaching skills while learning how to adapt movements for different bodies, abilities, and goals. Emphasis is placed on creative problem-solving, class flow, and understanding when and why to incorporate props to support more effective movement experiences.
Final Checkoffs and Exam Prep (6 hours in person)
This 6-hour Final Checkoff & Exam Preparation session is designed to help you consolidate everything you’ve learned throughout the training. Through mock teaching, movement review, practical checkoffs, and peer feedback, you’ll refine your cueing, sequencing, observation, and teaching skills in preparation for your final assessments. The session also provides guidance and support for the online case-based exam, helping you feel confident and prepared as you complete the final step toward becoming a Polestar-trained Mat instructor.
Final Exam (4 hours in person / 3 hours online)
The Final Examination consists of two parts designed to assess both your practical teaching skills and clinical reasoning. Students will complete a 4-hour in-person practical exam, including teaching, movement demonstration, cueing, and observation components, as well as a 3-hour online examination featuring both multiple-choice questions and case study analysis. Together, these assessments confirm your readiness to teach with the professionalism, adaptability, and movement understanding expected of a Polestar-trained instructor.
I loved this course! I now feel so confident in my teaching skills and I have learned how to properly train clients with pathologies and I am excited to continue learning through Polestar!
Mat Foundations as a course has been INSTRUMENTAL to the start of my training in teaching Pilates. I truly learned so much in both the actual sessions and the prerequisite work (Anatomy, Principles, etc). As I continue to learn more as a teacher in training, I find myself constantly going back to my notes from the course as there were so many incredible bits of information. Also, I would like to point out that Becky Phares is a legend. She is so professional, knowledgeable, and enthusiastic about the work that she does and provided an incredible experience for all. I will say that I feel that the student portal (LMS) was a tad confusing at times. Locating assignments (especially the prerequisite resources) was sometimes a challenge. Also, it was unclear as to whether we even had to take the Anatomy and Principles courses prior to the start of our Zoom Sessions. As I stated previously, I did do both courses, but most of our cohort was not even aware that we had to complete these (or if they were even required). There were also several books I purchased (because they were listed as required), that we did not use. I think that a bit more organization behind the scenes on Polestar’s part would greatly benefit this experience for all. Again, I cannot stress enough how beneficial and special this course has been for me, especially with Becky as our guide. I think that the course can be made better behind the scenes with a bit more structure and organization on the back end. Other than that, I would gladly recommend this program to anyone aiming to become a Pilates instructor. I look forward to seeing the course evolve and grow!
I loved this course! I now feel so confident in my teaching skills and I have learned how to properly train clients with pathologies and I am excited to continue learning through Polestar!
Mat Foundations as a course has been INSTRUMENTAL to the start of my training in teaching Pilates. I truly learned so much in both the actual sessions and the prerequisite work (Anatomy, Principles, etc). As I continue to learn more as a teacher in training, I find myself constantly going back to my notes from the course as there were so many incredible bits of information. Also, I would like to point out that Becky Phares is a legend. She is so professional, knowledgeable, and enthusiastic about the work that she does and provided an incredible experience for all. I will say that I feel that the student portal (LMS) was a tad confusing at times. Locating assignments (especially the prerequisite resources) was sometimes a challenge. Also, it was unclear as to whether we even had to take the Anatomy and Principles courses prior to the start of our Zoom Sessions. As I stated previously, I did do both courses, but most of our cohort was not even aware that we had to complete these (or if they were even required). There were also several books I purchased (because they were listed as required), that we did not use. I think that a bit more organization behind the scenes on Polestar’s part would greatly benefit this experience for all. Again, I cannot stress enough how beneficial and special this course has been for me, especially with Becky as our guide. I think that the course can be made better behind the scenes with a bit more structure and organization on the back end. Other than that, I would gladly recommend this program to anyone aiming to become a Pilates instructor. I look forward to seeing the course evolve and grow!
I was drawn to Polestar because of it’s therapeutic focus. I learned assessment skills and how to design a customized Pilates exercise program to address a client’s specific needs. Polestar helped me grow as a professional by enabling me to work with special populations to give them a positive movement experience. I would encourage other Pilates enthusiasts who want to go beyond just learning the choreography to consider Polestar training to learn how to effectively apply the exercises for specific client needs.
I first qualified in 2004 with Polestar Au as a mat instructor. This qualification gave me the confidence to go and teach small classes of high quality. After teaching in Australia and the UK for a few years I then went on to take the Comprehensive training at Polestar UK. I am now a Physio assistant/ Pilates instructor at a small clinic with a fully equipped studio. I get to work with every body, from UK Olympic gymnasts to 89 Yr old Parkinsons sufferer. Polestar training has given me the tools to give a variety of bodies, a movement experience without pain. Highly recommended
My Polestar education was incredibly thorough. It included learning about the Pilates repertoire plus about the many contraindications and precautions I potentially would and in fact did often encounter working with a varied population. It provided a very strong foundation of knowledge which prepared me to teach 1:1 and Pilates Mat classes for over 19 years now. It was hugely comprehensive. I am so grateful to Sherri Betz and the Polestar team.
Polestar Pilates sets itself apart by constantly evolving, yet being all encompassing in its delivery of educational material as well as the learning experience. The Polestar community is ever helpful, ever willing to share and explore information together, to help one another grow to be a better version of themselves at any one time. The high standard that Polestar holds itself to is what makes Polestar graduates shine in the global Pilates community.
I completed my Diploma with Polestar in 2003 and had done previous certifications with other bodies prior to embarking on the Polestar journey. Polestar Pilates impacted my discovery learning journey with so much depth and direction that I have never looked back. Polestar Pilates is more than a Diploma- it is a community of passionate intellects who want to impact the world through movement… I am forever grateful to the spark Polestar Pilates ignited in me. I have my own successful studio with 9 staff and am a senior Educator for Polestar Pilates and also present world wide on Pilates. My life would not be what it is today without Polestar Pilates. If you want to be at the forefront of the industry I truly believe that you can not pass up the opportunity of learning with Polestar Pilates. The education is going to challenge you mentally and physically and prepare you to be a proficient and excited practitioner.
Polestar Pilates is a very thorough and in-depth program. I learned all of the Polestar pilates principles and how to apply them to each exercise. I also learned a proper evaluation and assessment for each new patient and Client that I work with. Polestar taught me the importance of breath work and how to apply the correct exercises to the individual based on their injuries and health and wellness goals.