Do you remember the moment you decided you wanted to become a Fitness Instructor? Perhaps you started out attending Group Classes and ended up loving the music, the choreography, the teacher, that healthy and happy feeling you get after class—so you thought, Why not bring this feeling to other people?

For me, it began with a simple seed of curiosity. Almost two decades ago, I was enjoying a yoga class when I casually looked around the room and spotted some interesting-looking equipment on the other side. They looked like bed frames, with a bunch of straps. I soon learned that they were Pilates Reformer machines, and that they had Group Classes that taught you how to exercise with them. I was honestly just so curious about the machines themselves that right then and there I decided that I wanted to become a Pilates Reformer teacher!

One of my first challenges in achieving this goal was not only obtaining my Teacher Training Certification, but actually choosing the right one. Certification programs especially in the mind-body industry (for formats like Pilates and Yoga) have become quite lucrative businesses in and of themselves. I wanted to make sure I was putting my money to good use, not just making some enterprising yet unqualified “guru” richer.

There are actual physical schools you can go to, and there is also a fast-growing number of online certification options. I get ads for them all the time on Instagram and Facebook! I have also seen online program costs range from $200 to $5,000, even $10,000 for Bikram Yoga. By the way, did you know that you don’t legally need a certification in order to teach yoga? And if you haven’t seen the Netflix documentary Bikram: Yogi, Guru, Predator, it’s a complete eye-opener!

I am very passionate about doing what I can to help my fellow instructors (and those dreaming of becoming one) learn as much as they can about the industry so they can invest their time and money in the most effective and fulfilling way. If you are currently in the process of choosing the fitness teacher training program that is right for you, here are 7 things to keep in mind:

7 Tips for Assessing a Fitness Teacher Training Certification Program

1. Do I even need a certification to teach?

   As I mentioned, some formats such as Yoga don’t legally require you to be certified in order to teach a class. Do some research: talk to your current instructors or the hiring managers at the gyms/health clubs you’d like to work at to make sure it’s worth it for you to invest in a certification program (and which ones they will accept—some gyms won’t honor online certifications!).

2. Is the ROI worth the cost?

   On that note, when determining if it’s worth it for you to undergo certification, look at the return you’re expecting on your investment. Are you looking to earn a full-time income from Fitness Instruction? Or if it’s a fun side-gig or hobby, how much are you willing to spend on that? Money is not the only thing that matters, but it is absolutely something you need to consider. Read my post on how to decide if teaching fitness as a career is right for you for more of my thoughts on this.

3. Can I go for “the basics” first?

   With so many certification programs available out there, you will encounter everything from the guys who just tell you to “Do what you love and be happy (and give us your money up front)” to truly transforming programs that are so worth saving for. It can be really hard to know which is which from the get-go.

   I always suggest first going for “the basics” or the lowest-cost option of whatever program you’re thinking of trying (for example, the first Level), and then getting some hands-on teaching experience right away before going back for more education. Today (February 2020), you can be certified to teach POP Pilates for $299. Even junior colleges (such as Mission College, Ohlone College, and West Valley College in the San Francisco Bay Area) offer complete Reformer and all Pilates Apparatus training at a fraction of the cost of other programs.

   I learned this the hard way by spending a LOT of money very early on in my teacher training simply because I had the privilege to at the time. I would be so much smarter about my time and money if I could re-visit that!

4. How long do I have access to resources?

   One of the greatest benefits of online certification options is the ability to go at your own pace. However, this can also work to your disadvantage if you have an expiration date on access to your program materials. Some programs offer access for 3 months or 6 months—so if you don’t finish by then, your investment is essentially gone.

5. Are there any recurring costs?

   Be aware that for some programs, you may have to keep paying for extra teacher resources even after the certification process is complete. For example, POP Pilates offers a monthly subscription that gives its trainers access to official music and choreography. For programs like Les Mills, I pay a quarterly fee that works out to around $13 per month (per format), regardless of whether I teach a class during that time, just to keep my certification valid.

   These kinds of subscriptions were definitely not around back in my days of Jane Fonda aerobics classes and Kathy Smith/Denise Austin workout videos :-) As a growing source of recurring revenue for program providers, I’m expecting this to be more and more widespread in the industry, so keep this in mind!

6. What is the Cancellation Period and/or Refund Policy?

   In my experience, I’ve taken programs that offer at most a 2-week cancellation period, meaning you can still get a full refund up to 2 weeks before training starts. Most if not all programs do not offer refunds once training begins, so be extra careful of this when you sign up and know your options in case you get sick, need to travel, or encounter family- or work-related emergencies. If there is no written cancellation period/refund policy at all, that’s an automatic red flag for me.

7. What do others have to say about it?

   Don’t forget to look up the certification program provider on review sites like Yelp, or just do a straight Google search with the program or provider name + “review” (could bring up some helpful articles or blog posts). Even if you find that there isn’t too much information out there, at least you’ll be armed with some knowledge about other people’s experiences.

   I’ve personally learned this lesson the hard way when a Pilates Reformer certification program I had put down $2,500 for clearly had the most negative reviews on Yelp—a quick look-up before handing over my cash would have saved me so much time, money, and headache!

Need some help?

Is your head spinning yet? You don’t have to do this alone. I have been there myself and I would love to help.

More questions? Ask me in the Comments below or get in touch with me directly for a FREE Consultation if you’re interested in getting highly personalized 1-on-1 mentorship from me!