FAQ’s

Being part of a global family with representation in over 50 countries around the globe, the answer is YES!

Polestar Pilates NZ offers a wide range of Pilates courses, seminars, workshops, masterclasses nationally and internationally in our Continuing Education Program. Information on this can be found here.

No there is no requirement to be Mat qualified, so long as you satisfy the specified criteria.

It is important that we maintain high standards in the Pilates industry.

Polestar Pilates Education continues to improve and develop its curriculum and examination process. Like most high-quality education programs, re-qualification is an essential part of maintaining skills and quality of care.

Polestar’s qualifications are valid for two years, after which time re-qualification is required.

Please contact us in order to get the re-qualification application form.

There are no hard and fast rules, as people learn at a different pace, but we recommend to sit your Exam between 6 to 12 months following completion of the course.

Yes, this is definitely possible. Please keep an eye on our website for scheduled dates for Exams – click here.

Polestar Pilates is proud to have a long standing and strong relationship with the PMA.

Our education program is very in-depth, and far exceeds the PMA requirements for Pilates Instructor Programmes as set out by the PMA.

Polestar are a Corporate Sponsor of the PMA, and we do encourage our graduates and educators to join and take the PMA Pilates Certification Exam.

The length of a course varies, depending on the actual course you’re taking – they differ from 8 hours online (self-paced) to multiple in-person weekends.

All Polestar courses contain online components, both live (via Zoom) as well as recorded. Typically virtual online sessions get recorded, so should you not be able to attend live, you can replay the session in your own time.

Some course are online only, whilst others are a combination of virtual sessions and live in-person sessions.

Being part of a global family with representation in over 50 countries around the globe, the answer is YES!

Polestar Pilates NZ offers a wide range of Pilates courses, seminars, workshops, masterclasses nationally and internationally in our Continuing Education Program.

Please take a few minutes to fill out the below form so that we get you know you better – and to make sure we can recommend the best training courses available to you – we will then get in touch with you!

Polestar Pilates NZ offers a wide range of Pilates courses, seminars, workshops, masterclasses nationally and internationally in our Continuing Education Program. Information on this can be found here.

No there is no requirement to be Mat qualified, so long as you satisfy the specified criteria.

Before you begin any of our courses, you will need a basic knowledge of anatomy and physiology. If you do not yet have a reasonable knowledge then we suggest you complete the Polestar Anatomy online course first.

Polestar Anatomy is one of our most requested courses by our graduates and students. This 8-hour course is specifically designed as an introduction to muscle skeleton anatomy for movers and movement teachers and will prepare you for any of the Polestar certification courses.

Click here for more details and to register.

It’s very important to register well ahead of time, because you need to complete the online theory portion of the course prior to attending any in-person weekend. So don’t hesitate and register now!

This will also enable you to take advantage of any early bird discounts.

With regard to observation, we suggest that the majority of your 40 hours should be observing a Polestar teacher.

We are mindful that for students living far away, finding access to a Polestar teacher for observation is not always easy, which is why we also recommend students to fully utilise the online Polestar Learning Platform, which has multiple videos for you to watch.

Self-mastery hours are exactly that, hours that you spend mastering the exercises you have learnt on your course. So hours that you spend practising either on your own or with fellow students, can be noted as such in your logbook without verification.

We recommend that you book a 1-1 session or share a session with other students with an educator or mentor monthly, to ensure that you are on the right track. These hours are also classed as self-mastery.

Any classes that are taught by a Polestar teacher that you attend at a Host studio can also be logged as self-mastery hours.

Basically, this means that you need an Educator or Mentor to check-off all the exercises you have learnt on the course to ensure you understand how to do them yourself and teach them.

We also suggest that students get together in small groups (up to 3) and share the cost of an Educator or Mentor to do this. We facilitate communications between students and provide a list of Educators and Mentors who are available for this.

Please note that all exercise demonstration and teaching check-offs, as well as the entire student logbook, are required to be completed as a pre-requisite to sit the exam.

Any classes that are taught by a Polestar teacher that you attend at a Host studio can also be logged as self-mastery hours.

One of the most important features of Polestar training is the emphasis placed on self study (supervised and unsupervised) which students undertake in addition to the core training modules.The learning and self mastery activities are essential for the student to hone and perfect his/her skills as a competent and professional Pilates practitioner.

In order to be eligible to complete the Certification Exam, students are required to partake in Observation, Practice (Self Mastery) and Apprentice Teaching activities. Some of these are supervised and therefore attract a fee, others do not. It is Polestar’s objective to make these activities available at a minimum cost to students.

Host sites also provide Polestar students with the option of obtaining Mentor support – click here for details about our Polestar Mentors.


Please note that all exercise demonstration and teaching check-offs, as well as the entire student logbook, are required to be completed as a pre-requisite to sit the exam.

Any classes that are taught by a Polestar teacher that you attend at a Host studio can also be logged as self-mastery hours.

Polestar Pilates sets itself apart by being the gold standard for Pilates Instructor Qualification in more than 40 countries worldwide, offering a global community of scholars and top-quality Pilates instructors. Polestar has been around for more than 30 years!

Polestar is an international community of research‐oriented movement science professionals, transferring advanced knowledge to our clients to improve health and well‐being through the application of Pilates and various methodologies of movement science.

Polestar Pilates offers Movement education based on a scientific foundation of anatomy, physiology, biomechanics and motor control. We integrate scientific research findings in the areas of orthopedics, sports medicine and movement science. Polestar educators individually hold advanced degrees in a variety of movement modalities.

Polestar-trained Pilates teachers can be found at medical facilities, performing arts conservatories and fitness facilities all over the world.

The Polestar Pilates curriculum, designed by Physiotherapist and Orthopaedic Certified Specialist Brent Anderson, is based on a scientific foundation, as opposed to an anecdotal one.

Polestar has Pilates instructor representation in over 50 countries, and education centers located in nearly 40 countries. Polestar Education was co-founded in Sacramento California in 1992 by aforementioned President and CEO Dr. Brent Anderson PhD, PT, OCS.

For sure this is possible, we consider each person’s situation on its merits. Contact us to discuss, by emailing info@polestarpilates.co.nz.

Polestar Pilates is proud to have a long standing and strong relationship with the PMA.

Our education program is very in-depth, and far exceeds the PMA requirements for Pilates Instructor Programmes as set out by the PMA.

Polestar are a Corporate Sponsor of the PMA, and we do encourage our graduates and educators to join and take the PMA Pilates Certification Exam.

Yes absolutely!

The pre-requisites that we require for the Qualification courses are:

• You have had Recognised Anatomy training – The Polestar Anatomy and Physiology online course is ideal for this if you haven’t had the prior training.

   

• You have done a minimum of 25 hours pilates yourself – Private/Group sessions

   

We strongly recommend The Gateway Mat Course if you haven’t had the prior experience as it is our introductory course to lead into the Qualification Courses.

We frequently have the Pilates Training courses running in other centres and you can catch up the module you missed by travelling to another centre for that particular module. Please note though that Course Modules need to—typically—be attended in order.

We also typically run courses more than once a year, so you can attend the module you missed in the later round of the course or in a following year.

Please note that a transfer fee will be charged in that case, click here for details regarding our Registration Policies.

The final option is for you to catch up privately with a Polestar Educator or Mentor, which will be at an additional cost.

Contact us at info@polestarpilates.co.nz to discuss your situation.

Yes they can contribute to your pre-course 25 hours of Pilates practice, but we suggest you check on a case-by-case basis first by emailing info@polestarpilates.co.nz.

Yes, you can complete Anatomy, Polestar Principles, Mat, as well as the Reformer courses online. Click here for a schedule of our current courses and workshops.

Most courses contain an online element, which enables you to study and learn in your own time, from your home!

Please note that we also have a large number of online Masterclasses, Workshops and so on. Click here for these Continuing Education courses.

Polestar Pilates NZ offers a wide range of Pilates courses, seminars, workshops, masterclasses nationally and internationally in our Continuing Education Program. Information on this can be found here.

We are mindful that for students living far away, finding access to a Polestar teacher for observation is not always easy, which is why we also recommend students to fully utilise the online Polestar Learning Platform, which has multiple videos for you to watch.

With regard to observation, we suggest that the majority of your 40 hours should be observing a Polestar teacher.

We are mindful that for students living far away, finding access to a Polestar teacher for observation is not always easy, which is why we also recommend students to fully utilise the online Polestar Learning Platform, which has multiple videos for you to watch.

Self-mastery hours are exactly that, hours that you spend mastering the exercises you have learnt on your course. So hours that you spend practising either on your own or with fellow students, can be noted as such in your logbook without verification.

We recommend that you book a 1-1 session or share a session with other students with an educator or mentor monthly, to ensure that you are on the right track. These hours are also classed as self-mastery.

Any classes that are taught by a Polestar teacher that you attend at a Host studio can also be logged as self-mastery hours.

Apprentice teaching hours are usually started at the end of the course once you have the knowledge of all the exercises.

We suggest that you work on a 1-1 basis with family, friends or a mentor in order to achieve these hours. Students are also encouraged to work together in order to achieve these hours.

Basically, this means that you need an Educator or Mentor to check-off all the exercises you have learnt on the course to ensure you understand how to do them yourself and teach them.

We also suggest that students get together in small groups (up to 3) and share the cost of an Educator or Mentor to do this. We facilitate communications between students and provide a list of Educators and Mentors who are available for this.

Please note that all exercise demonstration and teaching check-offs, as well as the entire student logbook, are required to be completed as a pre-requisite to sit the exam.

One of the most important features of Polestar training is the emphasis placed on self study (supervised and unsupervised) which students undertake in addition to the core training modules.The learning and self mastery activities are essential for the student to hone and perfect his/her skills as a competent and professional Pilates practitioner.

In order to be eligible to complete the Certification Exam, students are required to partake in Observation, Practice (Self Mastery) and Apprentice Teaching activities. Some of these are supervised and therefore attract a fee, others do not. It is Polestar’s objective to make these activities available at a minimum cost to students.

Host sites also provide Polestar students with the option of obtaining Mentor support – click here for details about our Polestar Mentors.

Please check our Registration Policies by clicking here.

Yes, this is definitely possible. Please keep an eye on our website for scheduled dates for Exams – click here.

We frequently have the Pilates Training courses running in other centres and you can catch up the module you missed by travelling to another centre for that particular module. Please note though that Course Modules need to—typically—be attended in order.

We also typically run courses more than once a year, so you can attend the module you missed in the later round of the course or in a following year.

Please note that a transfer fee will be charged in that case, click here for details regarding our Registration Policies.

The final option is for you to catch up privately with a Polestar Educator or Mentor, which will be at an additional cost.

Contact us at info@polestarpilates.co.nz to discuss your situation.