I’ve been teaching POP Pilates since 2017 and would love to share my journey with you. I’ll also discuss the benefits of this fun way of working out and how you can become a POP Pilates Instructor. But first… What exactly is POP Pilates and why should you give it a try?
POP Pilates is founded by Cassy Ho, the owner of Blogilates who manages the #1 Fitness Channel on YouTube. Thanks to the big succes of her YouTube channel and virtual workouts, she decided to turn the power and positivity of POP Pilates into a real live group exercise in-gym experience. This is how POP Pilates was born in 2015.
First it was impossible to become a Teacher if you weren’t US-based, but fortunately this has changed as her international fanbase wanted to be able to share their passion for POP Pilates with their community and neighbourhood.
POP Pilates is a mat-based Total Body workout where we use our bodies to increase strength, endurance, flexibility and balance. This workout can also be described as a ‘dance on the mat’ as we move through dynamic movements, combined with fun POP music. Every class feels like a workout party!
Doing this movement form regularly will help with losing weight and toning your body, whilst improving your sense of balance. It will also help with releasing body aches and -pain.
I discovered POP Pilates at the beginning of 2016 as I was looking for a new and fun way of working out. This was my first time doing any style of Pilates and I really enjoyed it! I actually started to look forward to my next workout days and found a routine that matched with my body’s needs. Cassey’s positive encouragement kept me motivated and I started to notice results in my body as I became stronger and lost weight. I still remember how I was panting and puffing from doing f.e. Roll Ups and Planks. Now I can’t get enough of them!
Thanks to my journey I experienced the many benefits from both Yoga and POP Pilates and could feel a passion growing. At one point I felt like sharing this passion with the world as I believed I could help other people with finding their way to self-care and -love. I applied for my Teacher Trainings and searched for a local gym to teach my classes once I had passed my exams.
I taught my first group class in April 2017 and can still remember how stressed I felt. Standing in front of a group of unknown people, guiding them through a safe and fun class and making sure I didn’t screw up felt super stressful! Fortunately the students loved this new way of working out and my teaching style. Some of my regular students often say: “I still remember how shy you were at the beginning of your POP Pilates classes. It was so cute!”. I love how they notice a growth in my journey as a POP Pilates Teacher and how they support me unconditionally!
During my journey as a Pilates- and Yoga Teacher I’ve had the chance to guide all these beautiful souls in my classes and even connected with many of them. As my students became aware of my life story and journey + how I conquered multiple depressions, burn-outs and anxiety attacks, they realized that I am just as human as them and found trust in me as a person. I am forever grateful for not only being their Pilates- or Yoga Instructor, but also for being their confidant.
My body became more toned and stronger, my flexibility and sense of balance improved and I started to feel better mentally and physically. I went down from a size 40 (M) to size 34 (XS) in a few years and now I’m maintaining my current weight and size. That’s a good thing! I no longer use the scale to track my weight loss, because I am satisfied with the way my body looks. Of course there will be days where I feel “fluffy“, “insecure” or “fat“, but these feelings won’t control my life anymore.
For years I didn’t find a sports that matched with my interests and needs, and also lacked motivation. Once I discovered Vinyasa Yoga, Pilates and POP Pilates I learned several things about myself and my body:
Would you like to become a POP Pilates Instructor now that you know everything you need to know about it? Sign up for the POP Pilates Online Workshop (PPOW) by clicking on THIS LINK. You’ll receive access to the online Training Portal where you can follow along with lots of videos and PDF files, whilst receiving professional guidance and help when needed. You will also need to pass a theoretical- and practical exam in order to become a Certified POP Pilates Instructor.
First you’ll need to take the theoretical exam, which is online. Then you’ll need to record yourself for the practical exam. This means that you’ll need to teach a 30 minutes class in front of a few friends, other Trainee POPsters or family whilst filming yourself. The exams will be send to the headquarter for review. You have a total of 3 months to complete your Teacher Training, which is plenty of time in my experience!
Once your exams have been reviewed, you’ll receive an email with your results and POP Pilates Teacher Certification (if you’ve passed of course). Congrats, from now on you can start with teaching real life classes!
