Is Your Pilates Instructor Mean And Demeaning

The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly Of Pilates Instructors

Pilates instructors are getting a bad rap. I can support this fact after a very interesting day I had that was filled with a common theme. My Pilates instructor is mean!

A client of mine was telling me about the other studio she goes to for her thrice-weekly sessions. She was complaining, in a not very subtle tone, how unpleasant her other instructor is. Mean and demeaning. When I asked why she continues to go to someone so unlikable, she said she couldn’t possibly leave. She still gets her workout in, just doesn’t enjoy it very much.

The next hour I spent with a new client who was coming to me after five years with another instructor. Five years! Why did she leave? Her instructor was mean. No really. This instructor said that this new client of mine was wasting her time. That she was never going to progress up the Pilates ladder of success because of her physical limitations. Now this new client is the loveliest woman with the sweetest demeanor and all she wants is for someone to be patient with her. I can supply that! My gain.

The last of this trifecta was a phone call I received that same day. The caller was a woman who was taking group mat classes in another part of the state. She loves Pilates but is ready to quit because her teacher is so mean. Again! We had a great conversation and she was grateful for someone who could explain things to her without being condescending.

So what is the universe trying to tell me? I know that some teachers do have a reputation of being demanding and tough, but mean? Is this really necessary? I am not saying for a moment that I have no faults as a teacher. I’m sure there are many people who I don’t find a connection with, but it is never because I am callous or uncaring.

To try to bring light to what is acceptable and what is not when looking for a Pilates instructor, I give you these tidbits of the good, the bad and the ugly:

The GOOD

Your teacher should be:
• Thorough
• A good listener
• Empathetic
• Serious about the work
• Caring
• Pleasant
• Demanding, but not mean

The BAD

Your teacher should not be:
• Dictatorial
• Unfair
• Uncaring
• Nasty, cruel or malicious
• Judgmental

The UGLY

Your teacher should never:
• Kick you out of class because your aura is off
• Yell
• Use obscenities
• Push or grab your flesh to make a point
• Put their needs above yours

Because after all…you are paying them what could be a lot of money to instruct you in the finer points of this exercise method. Your teacher should offer you the same respect I am sure they would demand in any other service-oriented business. And let’s face it, like it or not, instruction is a service industry.

So the next time you come across a person, and this is not relegated to just Pilates instructors, who is nasty and mean, walk away and look for someone who will be nice to you and give you a great workout. It’s that simple.

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