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The International Sports Sciences Association has opened a waitlist for three online Pilates credentials, including its first Reformer Pilates Instructor Certification. The program is aimed at qualified instructors and arrives as participation grows, though ISSA has not announced an enrollment date.
The International Sports Sciences Association (ISSA) has opened a waitlist for three online Pilates certifications, including its first Reformer Pilates Instructor Certification, as gyms and studios add more reformer classes. The launch gives the fitness education provider a new route into a growing instructor-training market, although ISSA has not said when enrollment will open.
The announced options are a Mat Pilates Instructor Certification, a Reformer Pilates Instructor Certification, and a combined Mat + Reformer pathway. The new offerings will replace ISSA’s previous mat Pilates certification. All three are planned as online, self-paced courses, which the organization says will make its training more accessible.
The standalone reformer course covers equipment safety, spring mechanics, cueing and a repertoire of 27 exercises. Applicants must already hold a mat Pilates certification from ISSA or another nationally recognized program. ISSA has developed the curriculum with Pilates master trainer Josh Vela, whose experience spans studios, gyms and digital fitness and exceeds 18 years, according to the report.
ISSA has opened a waitlist, but the reported announcement does not give a start date, course price, program length or details about any final assessment. The organization also has not published information on the certification’s recognition by employers or how it compares with other instructor-training programs.
Training for Expanding Reformer Programs
The new credential responds to a staffing need that may grow as reformer classes spread beyond boutique studios and into larger gym chains. More training options could give instructors a way to add reformer-specific skills, while operators expanding equipment-based classes may seek staff familiar with safe setup, spring adjustments and effective instruction.
Participation figures cited in Athletech News help explain the market interest. The Sports & Fitness Industry Association counted 13.8 million U.S. Pilates participants in 2025, compared with 12.9 million in 2024 and 9.9 million in 2020. It also reported 3.38 million core participants in 2025—people practicing at least 50 times a year—up from 3.1 million in 2024. These are participation counts, not measures of instructor vacancies or certification demand, so they indicate broader interest rather than proving a specific labor shortage.
For prospective instructors, the key practical questions are still unanswered: when enrollment begins, what the course costs and what employers will make of the credential. The stated prerequisite means the reformer course is an additional qualification for already-certified mat instructors, rather than an entry-level route into Pilates instruction.
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ISSA’s Move Into Reformer Education
ISSA is a fitness education provider that already offered mat Pilates training. Its new program updates that area while adding reformer-specific education for the first time, according to the report. Reformer machines use a sliding carriage and adjustable springs; the course description’s focus on mechanics and safety reflects the equipment-specific skills instructors need to teach those classes.
The announcement comes as gym operators increasingly add reformer studios and programming to attract customers, according to Athletech News. That expansion places instructor preparation alongside consumer participation as a factor in how quickly businesses can build out classes. The source material does not identify particular gym chains or quantify how many new studios or instructor roles have been added.
ISSA CEO Andrew Wyant recently returned to the role, the report says. He framed instructor preparation as relevant to the rise in Pilates participation. The material describes the certification plans and market figures, but does not provide independent evaluation of the course or evidence about graduate outcomes.
““Pilates is one of the fastest-growing areas in fitness,””
— Andrew Wyant, ISSA CEO
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Enrollment and Credential Details Pending
Enrollment timing remains unknown. ISSA has opened a waitlist but has not announced when students can begin, according to the report. The source also does not provide prices, expected study hours, exam requirements, completion timelines or whether students must attend any live practical sessions.
It is also unclear how the credential will be evaluated by individual employers, whether it will be accepted across all gym and studio settings, or what evidence ISSA will use to assess graduates’ practical teaching skills. The requirement for an existing mat certification is specified for the standalone reformer course; the available material does not spell out eligibility rules for every route in the combined pathway.
The participation numbers show reported growth in Pilates activity, but they do not establish how many additional instructors are needed or how much demand there is for this particular qualification. Those measures would require separate employment or enrollment data.
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Waitlist Before Course Enrollment
People interested in the new credentials can join the ISSA waitlist, the current next step described in the announcement. The organization has not provided a date for opening registration. Further information from ISSA would be needed to confirm course fees, duration, enrollment requirements for each pathway and assessment arrangements.
As gyms and studios continue to add reformer programming, details on course availability and employer acceptance will help prospective students judge whether the credential fits their goals. Until ISSA releases those details, the launch is confirmed as an announced training expansion rather than evidence of completed enrollment or a measured effect on instructor hiring.
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Key Questions
What Pilates certifications has ISSA announced?
ISSA announced a Mat Pilates Instructor Certification, a Reformer Pilates Instructor Certification and a combined Mat + Reformer pathway. The new options will replace its previous mat Pilates certification.
When can students enroll?
No enrollment date has been announced. ISSA has opened a waitlist, but the source material does not say when registration or coursework will begin.
Who can take the standalone reformer course?
Applicants must already hold a mat Pilates certification from ISSA or another nationally recognized program, according to the reported course requirements.
What does the reformer certification cover?
The course description lists equipment safety, spring mechanics, cueing and a 27-exercise repertoire. The report does not detail the assessment format or course length.
How many Americans practiced Pilates in 2025?
The Sports & Fitness Industry Association data cited in the report put U.S. Pilates participation at 13.8 million in 2025, compared with 12.9 million in 2024. The figures describe participation, not demand for ISSA’s courses or a count of instructor jobs.
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