Why is Pilates so Darn Expensive? The training. A comprehensively trained Pilates instructor has spent a minimum of $4,000 up to 8,000 for that one training unless they were lucky enough to be trained by a studio who employs them. That doesn’t count private instruction (personally – I have spent over $6,000 on that), travel to do the certifications that are rarely in your home town (more than $4K here), other certifications (I’m up to another $7K in specialty training), mentorships, workshops, continuing education requirements, anatomy courses… My Pilates education price tag far exceeded my undergrad degree years ago. And, it hasn’t stopped (continuing education courses to keep certification) The equipment – a high end studio reformer is at least $4000.00. Go really high end, and you’re looking at more like $6K. The other equipment is similarly pricey. To fully outfit a studio with the gadgets of Pilates, you are heading upwards of six figures. At the NHW, we brought in studio-grade equipment (i.e. top-of-the-line). Sure, some studios buy cheaper equipment, but they tend to price themselves as high or higher than studios who bought the good stuff (hmmm, maybe you should change studios…). We understand gyms have a lot more equipment than that, but they also operate on a factory system of extremely high number of customers who pay memberships. And equipment cost doesn’t count rent in this town (see above rant on housing expenses), teacher salaries, air conditioning and heating bills, and more. The class size – Pilates classes are reasonably small. If we had a reformer class with 10 reformers, it would make sense that those classes could be cheaper. But, there’s no way to teach a class that big and keep the students safe, even if it were possible to find a space in Newtown large enough to accommodate it. NHW focuses on quality and does not exceed 6 students per class; You may be paying more for our classes but you will learn Pilates deeply and gain a better understanding of what the practice is and bring it into all aspects of your life. So, it’s expensive for a reason. But, let’s talk about why it’s worth it. First, you can get most of the benefits of the work just from the mat (the least expensive of our classes). In fact, Joseph Pilates considered the mat work the goal – it features some of the toughest work in the repertoire. I’ve been doing Pilates forever, and I still think the mat work is the toughest. At NHW, you could get into a mat class for less than you spend on your coffee drinks most weeks (or if you have a real coffee problem, less than you spend in a day). But the equipment classes are really fun and challenging (and target arms, legs, and back a little better), so let’s talk about their cost. A chair class is less than you spend on a single dinner out (by yourself), and a reformer class costs less than enough sushi to fill you up. Second, it’s a workout that’s actually fun. And with as much stress as we have in our daily lives from our bosses, coworkers, traffic, significant others, mothers, mother-in-laws, we need a little fun in our lives. Third, it’s extremely effective. Old Joe said himself that with Pilates you can feel a difference in 10 sessions, see one in 20, and have a whole new body in 30. At NHW,we think our method can speed that up. We’ve had plenty of students notice a difference even more quickly. If you’re going to spend money on a work out, it better work. Next post, I’ll tell you what not doing Pilates can cost you. Stay hard core, Ilene
Posted on: Wed, 03 Jul 2013 02:41:34 +0000
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