What Social Media Doesn’t Show You About Being a Pilates Instructor

APPI Certified Pilates Instructor, Certificate IV in Personal Training & Bachelor of Food Science and Nutrition

The 20-second Reel vs. Real Life

If you follow Pilates Instructors on Instagram, you might think we have one of the most glamorous jobs in the world. Cute activewear, beautiful studios, coffee in hand, a perfectly flowing Reformer sequence and somehow enough time to go for a hot girl walk before lunch.

There are days when I stop and think, how lucky am I that I get to do this for work and turn my passion into a career? But there is also a whole other side to being a Pilates instructor that doesn’t always make it onto Instagram but don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love my job.

Behind that perfectly edited 20-second reel might be six different takes, an hour of editing and a class plan I still need to write for tomorrow morning. So, I thought I’d share a little bit of what actually happens behind the scenes.

How I found Pilates

I’ve been working in the fitness industry for over six years now. I always loved being active, and my first venture after finishing school was my Certificate IV in Personal Training - which I enjoyed but knew it wasn’t my true passion. During my Bachelor of Nutrition Degree at Deakin University, I started going to Pilates classes as a new form of exercise. I instantly fell in LOVE; I was going twice a day, and with my university break was approaching, I decided to complete my Pilates teacher training through Unite Health - Australian Institute of Physiotherapy and Pilates. The course was 3 weeks, 9 am to 5 pm and was very intense, followed by over 100 hours of practice. I then began teaching, and it quickly became my full-time job - teaching at many studios across Melbourne. 

Over the years, Pilates has taken me into so many different spaces and places. I’ve taught Mat and Reformer, worked across different studios and styles, moved between Melbourne and the Gold Coast, continued studying and learning, and more recently moved into instructor training as well. Alongside all of that, content creation has become a big part of my life. This started when I competed in Miss Universe Australia; from there, I decided to put more of my time into my Pilates and wellness content to share my passion with the Pilates and fitness community. 

What you see online is only a snippet

I love Instagram for Pilates inspiration, and this is what I love doing to help other Instructors get inspired for their weekly class plans. 

My saved folder is FULL of exercises, transitions and little ideas that I want to try. Social media has created such an amazing space for instructors to learn from each other and share movement. But that 20-second sequence you see online is exactly that - 20 seconds, not the 45-minute class or the hours you put into creating that class. 

When I sit down to plan a class, there is so much more going through my head than simply finding exercises that look good together. How does one exercise flow into the next? Does the class make sense? Have I balanced the muscle groups? Is there enough variety? Where does the intensity build? What springs are we using? Do I need a prop? How long will each block take?

Sometimes I’ll plan an entire section of a class, practise it and realise it just doesn't flow the way I imagined - so I change it, and sometimes I change it again and again, I strive to give my clients the best class plans I can. The final class might look effortless, but there can be hours of thought behind it that nobody in the room ever sees.

@lexiehynes on Instagram

Behind the perfect Pilates Reel

Then there’s the content side. I think this is probably one of the funniest contrasts between what you see online and what is happening behind the camera. You see a 20-second Reel of me flowing through three exercises. What you don’t see is me setting up the tripod, setting the scene, filming it, walking over to my phone, watching it back, reviewing it and deciding…

Nope.

Do it again.

Maybe my form wasn't quite where I wanted it. Maybe the camera angle looked weird. Maybe someone walked behind me. Maybe I forgot part of the sequence. Or sometimes there is absolutely nothing technically wrong with it, and I just don't like it.

Take three.

Take four.

Take seven.

Eventually I get the clip I want. Then comes editing it, finding the audio, adding text, writing a caption, choosing a cover and scheduling the post. Suddenly, a Reel that someone watches in 20 seconds has taken me a couple of hours to create. And I love doing it! But glamorous and effortless? Rarely.

The Pilates instructor “Day in the Life”

This is why I really like creating day-in-the-life content. I think it shows a little bit more of what working as an instructor looks like. Because I think from the outside, the Pilates Instructor schedule sounds amazing (and it is), but like every job, it has its challenges.

Wake up 3.45 am. Teach 5 classes. Finish by 10 am. Grab a coffee. And then your day restarts: maybe a shower if I’ve been in the hot room, life admin, content filming/editing, work I do outside of teaching, going to the gym myself and running a household. 

Showing up when you don't feel like it

I think this is probably one of the biggest parts of teaching that people don't see. When someone books into your class, they're not coming for you to have an average day. That might be the only 45 minutes they've had to themselves all week. They might have had a horrible day at work. They might be nervous because it's their first Pilates class. Everyone deserves the best experience, and as an instructor, you must be able to give them that. It’s incredibly rewarding.

I've taught when I've been tired, stressed, had barely any sleep or just really not felt like being “on”. But once people start walking through that studio door, you switch on.

You're smiling, chatting, remembering names and injuries, checking people's form, demonstrating exercises, offering progressions and regressions, watching the clock, changing the music and thinking about what comes next. All while trying to make it look like you're completely calm and have everything under control.

And then you do it again for the next class. Teaching is physical, being in a hot room for 4 – 5 hours is hard work but I also think people underestimate how much energy it takes mentally and socially.

Creating content and teaching are two very different things

Something I've learnt from doing both is that being able to perform a beautiful Pilates sequence on Instagram doesn't automatically make someone an amazing Instructor. And being an incredible Instructor doesn't necessarily mean you're going to love filming yourself for social media. They're two completely different skills. When I'm filming content, I'm thinking about how something looks. Is the angle right? Can you see the movement properly? Does the sequence flow nicely? Is someone going to stop scrolling and watch it?

When I'm teaching, I'm thinking about the people in front of me. Do they understand what I'm asking them to do? Are they moving safely? Are they compensating somewhere? Do they need another option? Are my cues making sense?

You also learn quickly that you can walk into a studio with what you think is the BEST class plan ever, and within five minutes realise you're going to need to change something.

The part I wouldn't change

For all the early alarms, split shifts, endless class planning, editing and reels that take seven attempts to film, I genuinely wouldn't change what I do. There are so many little moments that never make it onto social media. Watching someone get stronger. Seeing a client finally nail an exercise they've been working towards. Having someone tell you they came into class after a horrible day and now feel completely different. Watching someone nervous in their first class become the person who walks in every week like they own the place.

Those are probably the least “Instagrammable” parts of being an instructor, but they're the reason I love it.

Social media will always show the polished snippets, and I love that side of my job too, but being a Pilates instructor is so much more than the 20 seconds you see on your screen.

So yes, sometimes the Pilates instructor life does look like cute activewear, coffee, and a hot girl walk. But there is probably a tripod just out of frame, six deleted takes on my camera roll, a half-finished coffee somewhere nearby and a class plan I still need to write. And honestly, I wouldn't have it any other way. 

30 Blogs in 30 Days

Throughout October, we’re sharing one new blog every day, bringing together studio owners, instructors and industry experts to share their experiences, knowledge and perspectives on the Pilates industry.

Day 15 of 30, come back tomorrow for the next blog.