The short answer is yes, and many of our trainees do. The longer answer is that it requires time management, dedication, and having to redirect yourself to focus back on your goal.
If you're doing a really short program, like a Mat only or a studio-specific weekend program where you don't need many self-study hours, that can be easier to fit around work.
A comprehensive, 500-hour program is a significant time and financial commitment, and you need to think about more than whether you can attend the training weekends, complete your hours, and dedicate the mental energy.
At The LAB in Chicago, we run our training on weekend afternoons from 1pm to 6pm. We designed it that way because we don't want to take up the entire weekend, and because a lot of our trainees are still working full time, even if they plan to eventually become a Pilates instructor full time. Let’s talk about what it takes to get certified, and how to do it while working full time.
Plan your schedule before you commit
The first thing I always tell trainees who plan to work the whole time is that they need to plan their schedule before they commit.
When looking at programs, get a hold of the schedule, how many hours you’ll be training, how many hours of observation and practice you need, and what other requirements there are. Then, you’ll want to map out realistically how you’ll complete them each week.
Remember that the hours themselves, and the time you spend at a weekend training don’t include the time you’ll spend travelling to and from the studio or class planning, so be sure to account for that as well.
At The LAB, we tell our trainees that if they do five hours a week of their self-study hours, it'll take them a calendar year to finish. That might be really reasonable and realistic for you. But if you think about working a nine-to-five and how hard it can sometimes be to find even one hour to go work out, five hours to go somewhere else and teach somebody something could be difficult.
It's not impossible. This is just why you do realistic planning. Five hours a week doesn't sound like a lot until you have to do it. Then you miss one week, and suddenly you have to do 10 hours the following week just to make up for it. But if your job has flexibility, or if you are confident you have five hours a week, that’s great.
Think about the time of year
For our fall program, I always warn trainees that it takes place over the holidays. Getting five hours a week may not be realistic every week because you likely have family and holiday obligations. It's also winter, and people get sick.
In summer, people are traveling. We don't run a summer program, but trainees may still be working on their hours then.
Our program that starts at the end of January tends to have the most momentum for people. It runs from January through the end of May, and then trainees can keep working on their hours on their own over the summer. By fall, everyone's kind of in the mood to start working and go back to school anyway.
We designed our program hours in Chicago with those things in mind. If you're looking at other programs, think carefully about what's realistic for you, including the time of year you'll be trying to get your hours done.
Figure out what will help you stay on track
If you're not a planner, this might be a roadblock for you. See what you can do to get around that.
Do you have another trainee in the program who can help hold you accountable?
Are the teacher trainers available for that sort of mentorship?
Will they do monthly check-ins with you about your hours?
Any good program should be willing to help you get through the hours involved. It's worth finding out what that help looks like before you commit. The LAB offers continued mentorship as part of the program, but not every program does.
Working full time can also be an asset
Especially if you work in an office, it's possible that they'll let you host a lunchtime mat class. I've taught those as a hired instructor coming in, so you could ask your HR department whether that's something they'd be open to.
You also have a bigger network of potential practice people because you're around all these people at the office. See what your workplace will allow you to do to get your name out there, whether you're taking on a side job or this is just something you really love.
Obviously, if you're planning to make a career change, you might want to be careful about how you word that. But your work connections could still be helpful while you're training.
Look at what else takes up your time
When you're trying to complete a 500-hour program, you also need to consider what you've got going on outside of work.
If you have kids or other family commitments, those take time. If your social life is really important to you, you might need to shift what those social plans look like.
Maybe instead of meeting friends for dinner and drinks, they come in and you teach them a reformer class. Then you go get snacks or matchas afterward, and that's where your hangout time happens.
It's not just “I work nine to five.” It's what else is involved in your life that takes up time, and what you might need to shift to get these hours done.
You can absolutely work full-time while going through teacher training. Before you commit, figure out how many hours you realistically have, what support you'll need, and how you can be creative with the time you do have.
If you’re interested in becoming a Certified Pilates Instructor through The Lab, check out the current teacher training program here. We also have locations all over the country through our Affiliate Studios.