Setting Pilates Teaching Standards with Lolo from the National Pilates Certification Program

What does it actually take to build a strong Pilates instructor team in today’s rapidly growing industry? 🤔 

In this episode of The Pilates Business Podcast, host Seran Glanfield sits down with Lolo from the National Pilates Certification Program to unpack the real conversation happening behind studio owner burnout, instructor shortages, and inconsistent client experiences.

Together, they dive into why so many Pilates studio owners feel stuck teaching every class themselves, what true instructor competency really looks like, and how stronger teaching standards can help boutique fitness businesses build sustainable growth. This episode explores the future of Pilates education, the importance of certification, and how studio owners can create thriving teams they trust — without sacrificing their work-life balance.

If you’ve ever struggled to find qualified instructors, worried about maintaining teaching quality, or felt overwhelmed trying to grow your Pilates business alone, this conversation is packed with insights you need to hear.

🎧 In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why instructor development matters more than ever in the Pilates industry
• The biggest misconceptions around Pilates certification
• How poor instructor support contributes to studio owner burnout
• What studio owners should look for when hiring teachers
• How teaching standards impact client retention and studio growth
• Why sustainable businesses require sustainable teacher development

Learn more about the National Pilates Certification Program : www.natpcp.org

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Transcript

The Real Reason You Feel Stuck

SPEAKER_01 0:00

What if one of the biggest reasons that studio owners right now are overwhelmed has nothing to do with marketing. One of the things that I'm hearing most often from studio owners everywhere is I can't get enough great instructors. I can't find good instructors, or I don't trust anyone else to teach my clients, or I feel like I'm stuck teaching all the time because I don't feel like I have a strong team that I can rely on. And you guys, as the Pilates industry continues to grow fast, there is a bigger conversation happening underneath all of this. And that is, are we actually developing instructors well enough for the future of this industry? So in today's episode, I invited the head of the National Pilates Certification Program to talk about the evolution of Pilates education, what certification really means, why so many studios struggle with instruction development, and what studio owners need to understand if they want to build sustainable businesses, not just businesses that are completely dependent on them teaching. So there's a lot in this conversation, and I'm really excited for us to dive in.

Why Instructor Development Matters Most

SPEAKER_01 1:13

Well, hi there, I'm Sarah and Glanfield. I'm a business and marketing strategist just for boutique fitness studio owners like you. If you're ready to be inspired and make a bigger impact, you're in the right place. All you need are a few key strategies, the right mindset, and some support along the way. Join me as I share the real life insights that will help you grow a sustainable and profitable studio. This is the Pilates Business Podcast. Welcome back to the Pilates Business Podcast. I'm really excited for today's conversation because we're diving into a topic that honestly impacts every single Pilates studio owner. Whether you realize it yet or not, and that is instructor development, teacher development. Not just hiring people, not just hiring someone to come and teach, and not just getting certified, but the bigger conversation around what it actually takes to build a strong team of teachers, building careers in this industry, and ultimately building a business and a studio that is filled with folks who are qualified, highly qualified, and highly competent to teach your clients. And one of the biggest challenges that I face when I got get to work with studio owners is not just focusing on the remote marketing side or the retention side. It's also about finding, developing, and keeping incredible teachers and instructors. And as the Pilates industry continues to grow, the conversation around education and certification and teaching standards truly has never mattered more. And today we're diving into that conversation with the head of the National Pilates Certification Program to explore what's really happening in the industry and what I would like to share with you today about what's possible for instructor development as we evolve in this industry.

Meet the NPCP Executive Director

SPEAKER_01 3:11

So our guest today is Lolo Arietta. She is the executive director of the NPCP or National Party Certification Program. And she works closely with a board to oversee the organizational strategy, the program growth, and the standards that are set across the industry. She joined the NPCP in 2021, but she's played a key role in the program's evolution for more than a decade before that. Originally from Brazil, Lola brings a really unique background in the taking care of customers. She knows the industry well. And she is also a licensed martial therapist as well. So she is she is she has been in the same shoes as all of us. So welcome, Lola. I'm so glad you're here.

SPEAKER_00 3:57

Thank you for inviting me. It's a pleasure in to be able to talk a little bit more about what the NPCP is.

SPEAKER_01 4:04

Yeah, I'm so glad you're here. You know, we have known each other for a very long time. We both kind of go back in in the Pilates industry many, many, many, many years. Um, and I think that there is a lot uh that I think we kind of can give people an update on in when it comes to the National Pilates Certification Program. So why don't you tell us a little bit?

What Pilates Certification Actually Means

SPEAKER_01 4:28

Let's just just start sort of where we are today and tell us a little bit about the National Pilates Certification Program and the organization behind it and what it looks like today. And then perhaps we can talk a little bit about how it came to be and how it's evolved into what it is today.

SPEAKER_00 4:44

Okay. Um, the MPCP is the only accredited credential organization for Pilaris teachers in the United States. It's based in the United States. However, it's accepted and adopted internationally because the Pilates is an unregulated profession. And what we do is um we focus or sole focus is in certification, credential uh for Pilaris teachers. And that focus is intentional. So we prepare uh entry-level. What we do is we do not train, we um offer an examination for teacher trainers that have finished their uh training and they seek for a third-party exam, which is what the NPCP offers.

SPEAKER_01 5:31

It's it's interesting because I think this is really important to be clear on. I think it's similar to, you know, we look at other industries, and I I think I remember when we I was first sort of understanding what it was um a long time ago now. We kind of compared it to sort of perhaps the bar for lawyers, right? Where you can go to any law school, you can go and learn, you know, all of the you need to learn, but you know, there's a certain standard that you want to have everybody that practices meet. And that has to be consistent. And you know, to be a minimum standard, it has to be consistent. And so it has to be the same exam that everybody takes. Um, and that is really where the the where you come in, where the NPCP comes in to play. It's not a teacher training program, but it is an accreditation that says, hey, I have been through a teacher training program and I meet this minimum standard, right? Correct.

SPEAKER_00 6:26

You are definitely correct. Yes. Uh the you finish your teacher training and then it's a third party. So there's no bias with the school, with any organization or any endorsement of anybody. It's a certified um um exam created for by Pilates teachers for Pilates teachers. It goes through a psychometric process. So it's a completely separate from any school that has assessed the knowledge of a student. So it's a it's a separate piece, it complements the path of the profession after they get trained. Right.

SPEAKER_01 7:03

And I think, you know, the the it, there's a lot of um sort of nuances that come with being a third party and being an accreditation uh provider, right? We, you know, you have to be independent. You are not associated with any particular school or training program or lineage or association, right? There's no advocacy for one or the other. All that you do and your all your organization is designed to do is to set and uphold a particular standard, right? Um, and one of the things that you mentioned just then was that you know, you it's it's by Pilates teachers for Pilates teachers. And I think one of the things that perhaps uh we don't often think about when you're in the day-to-day of hiring teachers and training teachers and thinking about teaching standards is well, how and who sets those standards. So tell us a little bit about the way that those standards are created. Who sets the exam? How does the exam get created? Who does all of that and how those people are chosen? Can you share a little bit about that?

How the Exam Gets Made

SPEAKER_00 8:10

Sure, gladly. What happens uh is a very nice process, interesting process, because we we do not, the NPCP does not create exams on our own. The exam is created by Gladys teachers all around the world and different lineages, and they come together as subject matter experts, and we have different groups creating different parts of it. So, not just one group creates everything. We just created a job task analysis, which is the role initiation. What is a Gladys teacher? What does a Pilatus teacher need to know in order to be a teacher to be in a setting? We um just did that and we created a new exam content outline, which is the blueprint for the next steps. The exam um after that, the item writing writing, we have a bank and we have items that we have to write, and then after that, they have to be put in a form. The form gets um put out and then validated, and then it becomes an exam. But all this is done by Pilates teachers, different groups of them coming together, discussing what it needs. This new job task analysis that was just created was based on something that is on everybody's mind at the moment, those small courses for the weekend. You know, so we're trying to be make the exam as comprehensively as possible, as um critical thinking based as possible, to make sure that when you take this exam, even though it's is a multiple choice, so it those are real uh situations that need to be um validated. So it validates your knowledge. If you really know, you have the experience, you'll be able to see it for this exam. And we try to do that just to make sure that you know you are comprehensively trained. So this is happening at the moment, and we're gonna launch a new exam in 2027. But this is a beautiful process. Yes, it's a very nice process that I like to be part of.

SPEAKER_01 10:13

Absolutely. So you're, you know, you are you in order, you people can be a part, you know, anyone who is in the police industry can be a part of developing this exam.

SPEAKER_00 10:23

Yes, for the subject uh meta experts, yes. We put a call out, we ask them to have a lease set for the NPCP exam so they have the experience of gone through the exam and they know if it's too hard or too easy. And um, but yes, anyone can be part of. We minimum we need 14, 15 people in each step of the way, but we have a really nice um set of groups that we have we're working on at the moment. And I thank so much everyone because it's a volunteer work and it's so important. Yes.

SPEAKER_01 10:58

Yeah, it is so important, right? Because ultimately, you know, this this drives the quality of instructors and teachers in the industry. And I think a lot of the concerns that uh when I speak to studio owners, you know, that a lot of their big concerns is around, you know, maintaining a certain quality of within the teaching, uh within the standards. And I think that as standards, yeah, you know, the the the that rapid growth that we've seen in in boutique fitness in Pilates, you know, I think is a putting a lot of pressure on the industry to to produce instructors faster than maybe even we can that than than perhaps we can to develop them, right? We properly develop them. Um and so having this in place really sets that standard uh across the board. And when it is, you know, you open to contribution from anyone who is who cares about the standard in the industry, then anyone listening who has the interest in upholding standards can participate in in this. And and you can do your bit too, you guys, listening in if you want, right? Because there are, you know, I want to change gears a little bit. So we um, you know, this is an you know, it's a completely neutral bridge across the whole Pilates landscape. Uh the NPCP is not associated with any one lineage or anything like that. Um, so the certification is the same. The you you sit the same set of questions depend regardless of whether you were who you were trained with. And so that credential carries the same weight, right? And that's the whole kind of point, right? It kind of brings up the minimum standard, but it is a minimum standard. For a lot of people, it won't be the final thing that they do to for their teaching. A lot of folks will, in fact, most will continue on to learn, right? Um, but it sort of raises the bar so everybody meets this minimum, okay? And

How Schools Align With Eligibility

SPEAKER_01 12:50

so what we where does it so it works with a a few different uh sort of sectors within within the industry because for those who offer teacher training programs, can you talk a little bit about where what your relationship is with those who offer teacher training programs?

SPEAKER_00 13:10

That's uh the best uh connection we have in the industry because the schools, the teacher trainers are the ones creating those professionals. So we are developing a close relationship with them. At the moment, we're creating a verified program, which means uh your program aligns with our eligibility. So you train someone, and uh uh what the exam, let me go back a little bit. What the exam is is entry-level competence. That's what is doing, evaluating the entry-level competence of a Pilates teacher. Uh so from there, sort of a baseline that you finish your school, get your diploma, sit for the exam, and then you go on in your career. So it's one of the steps uh in your career, and then have to renew every two years. That means uh continuing education to maintain that uh competence that you approved when you pass the exam, but every two years you need to improve uh and learn something new, right? So it helps with the growth uh of the industry as well. Not everyone is gonna stay on that, or you know, that the ace level, because by doing continue education, they're learning something new. But it's a baseline, it's complements the the industry, all the communities, it gets together, and then from here you move forward in your career. That's basically what this is.

SPEAKER_01 14:34

Yeah, exactly. I think that's it's it's yeah, I I I so it's it's not something that is sort of like the final step. It's like you said, it's the it's the it's the first step, right? On the the beginning to set the baseline. Um so when are you working with or when you are working alongside teacher training programs, is there, you know, do you give is is there an uh uh guidelines for them to when whenever there is someone create creating a new program to follow so that they are able to meet the requirements? Do you give, do you have a framework?

SPEAKER_00 15:09

We have an eligibility requirement, right? So based on the eligibility requirements, minimum 450 hours, we cannot tell the schools how to teach. We cannot release them, but we can say, look, you need to learn, you need to teach uh the candidate needs to learn minimum 450 hours, all the apparatus, all the repertoire, uh the history, the philosophy, everything, and they do the hours, they separate the hours as best as they can. They assess their students, they do the practical uh examination that they have to do. So we cannot tell them oh, we have some some questionnaire, some um, here is an example of how you can distribute the hours as as you see fit, based on the eligibility requirements. So we cannot tell the schools how to do it, we cannot, you know, get into that, but we can take a look at their program and say, okay, this program, somebody goes through this program, they they should be able to sit for our exam. So that's what we can do as as a um uh credentialing agency, which is a name that we call ourselves as well.

SPEAKER_01 16:13

Yeah, right, exactly, right? Credential agency, I like that. So uh so we set set the standard, and then we say every two years you need to renew. And that means in order to renew, you have to have continuing education credits, right? And so not only are we setting the minimum standard, but you're also saying, hey, you do still need to continue to learn. And for so many folks who are listening, this is a natural part of your teaching, regardless. I know so many, I mean, most of the teachers who love what they do, love to learn more about what they do, um, love to elevate their skills as teachers. And so they're often already doing the continuing education. And this is designed to help support you guys and recognize you for that, but also is to encourage those people who perhaps are not doing that to maintain their education standards and to make sure that you know folks are um aware of you know the uh you know evolving needs of their clientele and you know that developing their own skill set. Because as you said, you know, that that first that the exam itself and initially is is sort of the beginning, you know, it's the beginning, right? Yeah, yeah.

The Public Safety Case for Standards

SPEAKER_00 17:22

I feel like sometimes um, you know, uh some people say, why? Why do we need a certification? We don't need, I know what I know. However, for safety of the public, you go to someone that you can grasp some knowledge, just minimal knowledge that you can grasp, because you can it's it's validated, you know, and it's it's a public, it's how can I say it's more for the public than for the teacher itself. Because if you say, I passed this benchmark, which is what we are, we're the benchmark, credentialing benchmark for the profession. Then from here on, you know that if you go to that professional, I'm talking about the clients, the public itself, you go there, you know that they met certain standards. And then if they know more, great, this profession is better than that one. However, we know that they know the minimum they need to know in order to be able to work with you because Pilates teachers work, you know, that they work with bodies. And and and for me, I personally is something that um for a teacher to be assessed independently from this from the school, they get they learn because we love our children, right? We assess our children, we tell them, but if somebody comes and assesses your child and if they know exactly where they're at, that makes a difference. So, you know, that is um changed people's lives. And we want a professional that knows what they're doing minimally, right? Minimally.

SPEAKER_01 18:50

Yeah, absolutely. I think, you know, and this is what I think everybody wants, right? You want to have, you want to be in a profession that is recognized for the intensive, hard, many hours of learning uh that you have put in to getting your training in the first place. And then the ongoing um, you know, education that you invest in and to be recognized for that, I think is really important. And when you are investing in yourself in that way, um, you know, you are incomparable to those who are not, you know, and so this is you know, this is a recognition of that um and an opportunity for that too. So uh I think a lot of folks for this about that right about this point are probably saying, oh, this is interesting because it sounds a lot like the PMA. So yes. Oh yes, right? So um tell us a little bit about um, you know, how the NPCP uh has evolved um and become its own organization, um, and a little bit about the history and its relationship with what was originally the Pilates Method Alliance, which at one point did in fact house the NPCP organization, right? Um but um over time you have uh separated, officially, formally separated. So tell us a little bit about that relationship. Um, you know, the beginnings of this, you know, organization, I think initially was in very back in the early days of the found of the PMA being formed, was was really fundamentally about developing these quality standards in the industry. Um, and how now this has evolved into a separate organization? Can you share a little bit about that?

From PMA Origins to Independence

SPEAKER_00 20:30

Sure. Uh the exam came to be in 2005. So that was created under the PMA, and the name was Pilarisme after the Alliance um uh certification program, so PMA certification program that was created. However, the PMA was a membership organization, so there was a very a lot of confusion between a member and a certificate, PMA member, PMA certificate. So that started evolving, and in 2012, it got accredited by the NCCA, which is the accreditation we hold until today. And to be accredited, uh you need to have a separation from an organization. You cannot you cannot be under um any um guidance, not guidance, but any direct direction of uh another organization or be endorsed by anyone or endorse anyone. So there was a natural path to separate. So in in 2019, uh the board, which is a commission back then, decided to rebrand the program from PMA certification program to national pilot certification program, something more general, like you know, uh ACE, NASA and all those other names, acronyms. So we decided to change that name and rebrand the program, which was still the same exam that had uh created, that had been created back then and accredited in 2012. So in 2020, it was time to do a new exam. So it happened at the same time with the rebrand, a new exam. And uh once uh the NPCP was able to show independence from the organization, the PMA, it kind of separated and became its own organization with a different you know, name that had changed already. So what happened is PMA created the exam, it got rebranded and then got separated. So that's those are the three three um um sort of benchmarks. So creation, uh rebranding, and then separation. And now we're completely independent and um the PMA continues to be a membership association, but we have no connection with them anymore, and we're just a certifying agency. We certify individuals and we approve continued education courses, provided that comes to us offering courses to our certificates. We approve them and they take to renew the certification every two years.

SPEAKER_01 23:03

Yeah. And you and you work purely under the guidance of the uh the board of uh that are um that that help to facilitate the uh the exam questions, and they are really the folks who are overseeing that. Really, essentially, I mean they're the folks who are overseeing the quality standard. And if you go and check out who is on that board, you will recognize many of their names. They are leaders in the industry and have been in the industry for many, many years. And so what a great group you have there, Lolo, to work with. Fantastic.

SPEAKER_00 23:34

Very nice, they're a nice group to work with. They're an active board, very active group. Yes, they really support us uh and help create the vision, the branding, marketing. We have different committee commission committees. So the school outreach committee that you know focus on the schools, community committee, uh building committee. Um, we also have branding and marketing committee to make sure that our voice out there is a clear voice. We not only use social media for you know promotion, but for to educate. We like to educate and tell them, you know, who we are, why you should be certified, why it matters, you know, to have to hold a credential that is tangible and is real. Instead of like a diploma, it's a great thing, but uh a certification in the in the United States, but uh around the world I've learned that the certification, third-party certification is something common. And when you mentioned, oh, we are third-party certification, oh, your certification. So it's something that you know it's getting more and more uh known outside uh the the US as well, which is we have many people around the world. But it's finally, I think, getting to the point that you know professionals are understanding that there's something extra, something more to just what they've done in a school. And that's where we come in. We complement everything else that, you know, all the parts of the community. Absolutely, absolutely.

Where to Learn More About NPCP

SPEAKER_01 25:11

Well, thank you so much, Lulu, for coming on and sort of opening up perhaps, you know, the the eyes and to explain a little bit about what you do. Um, and can you share with us a little bit about if people want to learn more about the National Party certification program, um, the exam, um, etc., etc., what's the best place for them to find that information and where should they go?

SPEAKER_00 25:34

I would tell them to go to the website www.netpcp.org. It's very short. The name is huge, but you know, the we can get to a short netpcp.org. And they can also email us, you know, the emailing or in in the website, you can contact us. We respond. We have a nice team. We have a really hard-working team that I'm so proud of. They're all we're all friends, and we try to to give the best customer service that we can possibly can, you know, uh, to everyone that reached out to us. But by email, phone, whichever way you want to reach out to us, in the website has everything that everybody needs to contact us.

SPEAKER_01 26:17

I have to say, having um interacted firsthand, uh, super great responses and always really, really, yeah, great, really wonderful to work with, uh, all your whole team. So yeah, thank you, Lolo. I encourage you all to listen, who are listening to get in touch because you know, as we wrap up, I think, you know, one of the biggest takeaways from this conversation is that, you know, we're a rapidly evolving industry. And, you know, as a business owner, as a studio owner in this industry, you know, the really the your success is directly connected to the quality of the people that you have who are teaching your clients, right? And when you think about the quality and the development of your instructors, it's very different to just hiring someone and you know putting them on the schedule. You know, and in order to uphold those standards, this accreditation is really important. Education matters, standards matter, quality matters, and building a sustainable studio really requires um, you know, someone who is who cares about that within their studio and sets this tone uh for their whole team. And I think, you know, I hope that today's conversation gave everyone listening, you know, a deeper perspective on, you know, what is possible for upholding some of the standards in the industry and perhaps think a little bit differently about, you know, how you can participate in elevating that standard and making sure that that minimum standard at least exists, but also wreck uh the the involvement and the support of continuing education within your team and within your teachers as well. So uh there's a lot to think about. Lolo, thank you so much for joining us today and sharing your insight and perspective. Such an important conversation.

SPEAKER_00 28:02

Thank you so much for having me. It was a pleasure being with you.

SPEAKER_01 28:05

Absolutely.

Share the Episode and Next Steps

SPEAKER_01 28:06

So if this episode is something that resonated with you, I'd love to show you to share it with another studio owner who would benefit from hearing this conversation. Um, and if you're at the stage where you'd like to learn a little bit more about hiring and evolving and developing your team as well as stronger systems, stronger leadership, and more sustainable growth for your studio, that's exactly what we do inside of Thrive. We have these conversations all the time about how you can help your team be better teachers, be a stronger team, be a high-performing team, serve your clients better. And so you can learn more about that at springthree.com forward slash thrive. Thank you so much for listening, and I'll see you next time. Did you love this episode and want more? Head to springthree.com and check out my free resources that will help you run a profitable and fulfilling studio business. And before you go, one last reminder: there is no one way to do what you do, only your way. So, whatever it is that you want to do, create, or offer, you've got this. Thanks again for joining me today and have a wonderful rest of your day.