A Day in The Life of a Niche Pilates Instructor

The alarm goes off, grippy socks come on. Water before coffee. Always. You grab your bag and you’re out the door. 

8am: Teach the First class of the day - Reformer Power Flow

For reasons that you don’t understand, some people want to get the hardest (and best!) part of their day over with before they’ve had a cup of coffee.  You love that, for them. While the clients are filing in, filling up their water, and chatting, you pull up the class plan and select the playlist for this flow. You feel good about the class plan—you practiced it yesterday and you love the way it builds up to a full teaser. You’re going to incorporate single leg footwork for the warm up today and you’re hopeful that everyone is ready and excited to try new footwork AND an advanced move in class today.

9am: First class done - you’ve got time to walk down the street and grab a coffee before your private session. 

9:30am: Client has arrived for their private session. This is their first private session at the studio and you spend some time talking about what brought them here and what their goals are. You learn that they are working on getting back into movement after an injury. They are ready to graduate from physical therapy to something that is a little more engaging and well rounded. You take it slow, trying out the basic moves before adding on or incorporating any props. 

Noon: it’s your turn to take class. You know you have other work and class planning to do, but you do this for your mental and physical well being. For inspiration. To support your fellow instructors. You work up a good sweat and you come away with a clear mind and some good ideas for how to spice up your c-curve sequences. 

1pm: You settle into your administrative duties for the day. You heat up your leftover pasta,  sit down at your laptop and get to work assessing the metrics from the social media channels last week. What was working? Which posts just didn’t land? You come up with a plan for the next week and grab a front desk team member to help you film the latest promo deals for the studio. While you’re focused on marketing efforts, the front desk team members are preparing the studio for the next round of classes: ensuring that all spray bottles are filled, towels are restocked, and props are organized neatly. Someone heats up the tea kettle and you decide to fill up a mug. 

Another instructor needs some assistance getting the studio ready for filming for the YouTube channel or Niche-on-Demand. You help them get the reformer and the mat set up just perfectly in front of the tripod. You catch a quick preview of the mat sequence with the Pilates ring that they’re going to film before you head back to your desk to finish up. 

4pm: Second class of the day. The early risers (early to the office, that is, not to the gym) are off the clock and on the mat. You’re teaching Move Mat—the perfect flow to end your day and the perfect way to usher in a relaxing evening for your clients. You see a client that you haven’t seen in weeks! They’ve been traveling and are excited to get back into the groove. You’re excited for a nearly full class. The class starts standing, grounding into your mats through all corners and of your feet. You realize that you need this just as much as the clients. Class flies by. Before you know it, you’ve gone through 13 mat sequences and your clients are supine with a cool lavender towel over their eyes. You take a deep breath and take it all in. You’ve spent the day cultivating a space where people can come as they are and leave as a better version of themselves. What. A. Gift. 

5pm: It’s time to head home. You grab your bag and your lunch container out of the fridge. You’re tired because you’ve been standing for the majority of the day, but you feel full. You feel fulfilled. 

At Niche, our team of instructors and client experience staff work together to create the magic that defines our studio. We're deeply committed to fostering work-life balance, supporting one another, and cultivating a culture that encourages growth, connection, and continued learning. 

Curious about taking your love for Pilates to the next level and pursuing instructor education? Learn more about Niche’s Instructor Training (NIT) program, as well as our new online program that is coming soon! Designed for those ready to deepen their Pilates Reformer knowledge and grow into confident instructors, this accessible online course offers the perfect balance of structure and flexibility.