Mat Series

The Pilates Mat course is a two, two-day program with labs for performing and teaching, designed for personal trainers and group exercise instructors. It is also appropriate for instructors of movement arts such as dance, yoga, and Tai Chi, as well as practitioners of somatic movement such as Feldenkrais® and Alexander® Techniques.



These programmes enable fitness professionals to incorporate Polestar Pilates-evolved exercises into their training regimens. Programme design and exercise sequencing are addressed for group formats and one-on-one training. Theory and practice of Polestar principles and instruction techniques are applied to each exercise. Verbal, tactile and combined cueing practices are addressed to facilitate motor learning.

Mat Prerequisites

• Certified fitness instructor or instructor of movement arts (e.g. yoga, Tai Chi, practitioners of somatic movement)




• Participation in 25 hours of group or private Pilates classes




• Completion of Polestar Principles Online – in your own time prior to M-1 (see below)




• Strongly recommended: One semester of basic anatomy/physiology or equivalent.
  If you need to refresh your anatomy and physiology knowledge, please click here for details of how we can help.

The Polestar Pilates Mat Series consists of 2 two day courses and need to be taken in the following order: Polestar Principles Online, M-1, M-2

PO – Principles Online – in your own time

The first course to be completed for all Polestar Series is the Principles Online (PO) course. This non-apparatus course applies current research in movement science, biomechanics, kinesiology and motor learning to instructional practice through six basic movement principles that are utilised throughout the Polestar curriculum.



The PO course also introduces Polestar Pilates Screening, which includes postural evaluation and functional testing, to prepare participants to properly design and implement Pilates exercises for patients and clients. This unique component significantly enhances decisionmaking skills as a Pilates practitioner.


The online course is divided into the following 8 segments, can be taken in multiple sittings and can be watched several times for optimal learning:

• Introduction




• Principle 1: Breathing




• Principle 2: Axial Elongation & Core Control




• Principle 3: Spine Articulation




• Principle 4: Organization of the Head, Neck, and Shoulders




• Principle 5: Alignment & Weight Bearing of the Extremities




• Principle 6: Movement Integration




• Principles: Additional Resources

Short quizzes are offered throughout to identify the most important concepts and to help students organise their thoughts and study time.


Upon completion you will be able to:

• Deepen your knowledge in current evidence-based research pertaining to movement science, motor learning, bioenergetics and communication




• Understand the Polestar Principles of Movement




• Demonstrate the ability to correctly execute and teach over 130 exercises and their variations




• Be able to use the ICF Model or the Polestar Screening, specifically designed for the movement professional, which includes postural evaluation and functional testing to determine your clients’ strengths, weaknesses and goals

Please note that for those participants undertaking more than one Polestar Series course, it is only required to complete PO ONE time. So if for example, you want to complete the Polestar Comprehensive Series after you have completed the Mat Series, you do not have to redo PO.


Once payment has been received, access will be provided to the online resources.

M1 thru M2: Pilates Mat Levels 1-2 (4 days i.e. 2x 2-day on-site courses)

Polestar Pilates Mat program provides instruction in Pilates principles, techniques and practice with emphasis on group dynamics for the Pilates Mat. After the Principles Online course (PO), the Pilates Mat program continues with two 2-day courses scheduled at least one month apart. The time between courses allows you to practice and become comfortable with the material before continuing to the next course.

The principles learned in PO will be applied throughout the two courses and you will learn the following:

• Mat exercises for beginning through advanced levels




• Dynamics of group training




• Program design and exercise sequencing




• Advanced cueing skills




• Exercise modifications for a variety of populations




• Use of small props (foam rollers, Ultra-Fit Circle®, springs, gym balls, rotating discs and balance boards)

M3: Pilates Mat Level 3 (2-day on-site course) – Continuing Education course

The M3 course is an additional, individual Continuing Education course that incorporates a unique blend of Pilates Mat exercises with small props (Foam Roller, Oov, Bosu, Freeform boards, Swiss Balls, Small Balls, Resistance Bands, Ring, Rotation Discs and Wedge) to enhance and challenge your Pilates Mat repertoire.



If you are keen to develop your teaching skills and tools beyond the essential Mat repertoire taught in M1 and M2, then M3 is essential, as it teaches you how to use various small apparatus and props to enhance Mat movement in many ways.



You learn how to use props to add challenge and variety to a basic movement during a Mat class. In turn, this helps prepare the body for a more demanding Mat repertoire.



Many people struggle with very advanced Mat work. M3 gives you the skills to use props to facilitate these harder exercises so that more clients are able to perform them, thus making more of the Mat repertoire accessible to more clients.



In all of the exercises covered in M3, we consider how to either challenge or facilitate movement considering the Base of Support, Centre of Gravity, Balance, Co-ordination, Strength, Mobility, Proprioception and Alignment required for each exercise.



Not only does M3 enhance the repertoire that you can actively teach clients to spice up your Mat classes; it also enhances your critical reasoning skills to help your teaching. Students always come away from M3 feeling as if they have expanded their knowledge and have many more skills to apply to their Pilates teaching.



You must have completed PO, M1 and M2 before you can do M3 – and here’s some feedback from students who completed M3:

• ‘Having travelled up from the South Island to attend the Mat 3 course in Auckland, I found it was a great way to extend my teaching repertoire, the instruction was excellent and, having invested considerable money into flights and accommodation for the weekend, I was really pleased with the course and what I learned.’




• ‘The M3 course was such a great module to add to my Mat teaching repertoire. I found the knowledge brought more freedom and knowledge to my class plans. It was a very fun and educational weekend.’




• ‘The Polestar M3 course is an essential course that extended my Mat teaching knowledge, exploration, repertoire and creativity.’




• ‘It’s such a fun and challenging experience, a must attend for Mat instructors who have completed the Polestar Mat series…!’

PLEASE NOTE: You can sign up for M3 as a standalone Continuing Education course OR as part of the package MAT SERIES: PO, MAT 1, MAT 2 and MAT 3.

Mat Certification

Certification involves completing the series, completion of assignments and short quizzes, as well as a number of hours of observations, self-mastery, assistant teaching, and practical teaching (as outlined below). Full certification is given once the final written and practical exam is passed – pass mark is 80%.

Text Books

As part of the training students will be required to purchase the following course textbooks (additional to course fees):

• Anatomy of Movement , Blandine Calais-Germain: Eastland Press 1993




• The Complete Writings of Joseph H Pilates (Return To Life & Your Health), Joseph Pilates: Bain Bridge Books

Polestar may have copies of these books available from head office in Auckland – please enquire by clicking here

Mentoring

As shown above students will be required to complete practice hours (self-mastery), which are in addition to course fees. Polestar have a national network of New Zealand mentors that can offer assistance with practice and teaching hours: click here for the list of names and locations.


Further information will be given out on the first day of the course.

Course Dates

Course Fees

Course fees include attendance at lectures, student manuals and handouts, morning and afternoon teas, as well as GST. Students are responsible for all personal extras, such as travel and accommodation and personal supplies and lunch during the course dates.



Please note that an automatic credit card surcharge of 1.87% gets added when you pay via Visa or Mastercard. This fee will be added to your invoice & receipt.



If you have completed either Gateway Reformer or Gateway Matwork with Polestar New Zealand, you are entitled to an additional discount. Ask us about the details.

• * Normal Package Price – post Early Bird date




• ** Early Bird Price – Auckland – if registered and paid in full by 31 January 2020




• **** Early Bird Price – Christchurch – if registered and paid in full by 15 February 2020




• ***** Early Bird Price – Auckland – if registered and paid in full by 30 September 2019

• Should you require a payment option other than credit card, please contact us by clicking here




• Exam Fees are not included in the Course Fees

Payment Plan

Polestar Pilates NZ has a Payment Plan available which enables you to pay for your enrolment over a period of time, rather than in one go. The Payment Plan is available on the Normal Package Price for PO, MAT 1 and MAT 2 OR PO, MAT 1, MAT 2 and MAT 3 only and incurs a one-time non-refundable handling fee of $100.



You have the option therefore to pay for the course fees in one go, or spread it out over a number of months. If you want to use the Payment Plan, you can choose this option at the time you register via the MindBody Online system.


Payments are required on the 1st of each of the months outlined below. Late payment penalty or credit card decline penalty of $50 will apply.


For the Mat Series, the following applies:

• * Deposit of $800 is required at the time of registration

Please note that an automatic credit card surcharge of 1.87% gets added when you pay via Visa or Mastercard.

Exam

The Mat Certification exam consists of two parts:

• A one-hour written exam consisting of 50 multiple choice questions (50 points)




• Participation in a mock mat class. During this practical section the candidate both teaches a portion of a mat class and demonstrates their exercise performance as a student in a class of 6-10 candidates. Candidates will be evaluated on exercise modification, sequencing, accuracy, verbal and tactile cueing and the quality of the instruction. (50 points)

The written portion of the exam lasts approximately 1.5 hours in total and the practical lasts approximately one hour. The entire exam is worth a total of 100 points.

The candidate will need to achieve an 80% pass mark on both written and theory sections of the exam.



Exam Fees of $395 (incl. GST) are not included in the Course Fees. Click here to register for your Mat Exam.

Registration Policies

Please ensure to familiarise yourself with our Registration Policies (incl. Cancellations and Transfers) on this page before you register.

Help with MINDBODY ONLINE registration system

If you need help with our online registration system, please CLICK HERE.