Body Form® Education
What Is the Difference Between Mat and Reformer Certification?
Equipment, mainly. The hours, the assessments and the price are the same.
The short answer
Same Structure. Different Equipment.
Written by Kira-Leigh Rule, Physiotherapist and Founder of Body Form® Education. Last updated 14 November 2026.
A Mat certification qualifies you to teach Pilates on the floor with bodyweight and props. A Reformer certification qualifies you to teach on the Reformer. At Body Form® Education both are standalone qualifications of 250+ hours, with the same online theory and the same assessment structure. In Australia the price is the same too, AUD $2,350 Fully Online or AUD $2,950 in person, including GST. Neither is a prerequisite for the other. The Mat + Reformer Double Certification covers both in 365+ hours.
| At a glance | Mat | Reformer |
|---|---|---|
| You learn to teach | On the floor, with bodyweight and props | On the Reformer, with springs, straps and the carriage |
| What you need to practise | A mat and simple props | Reliable access to a Reformer |
| Everything else | 250+ hours, 17 online modules, 8 months of access | 250+ hours, 17 online modules, 8 months of access |
Compare
Mat and Reformer Certification Side by Side
Most of the course is the same. The theory, the assessment format and the apprenticeship are identical. The differences are the repertoire you teach and the equipment you need for practice teaching and assessment.
| Mat | Reformer | |
|---|---|---|
| Total hours | 250+ | 250+ |
| Online theory | 17 modules, 136+ hours | The same 17 modules, 136+ hours |
| Practical training | 14 practical hours | 14 practical hours |
| Apprenticeship | 70 hours: 10 observation, 30 self-practice and 30 practice teaching | 70 hours: 10 observation, 30 self-practice and 30 practice teaching |
| Assessments | 2 written programming assessments and 2 practical teaching assessments, plus the online Final Theory Examination | 2 written programming assessments and 2 practical teaching assessments, plus the online Final Theory Examination |
| Attempts | Three at each assessment | Three at each assessment |
| Equipment for practice and assessment | A mat, and props that suit your lesson plan | Reliable access to a Reformer for practice teaching and assessment |
| Fully Online price (AUD) | AUD $2,350 | AUD $2,350 |
| In person price in Australia (AUD) | AUD $2,950 | AUD $2,950 |
| Delivery | Hybrid or Fully Online | Hybrid or Fully Online |
| Access | 8 months from enrolment | 8 months from enrolment |
These prices are for Australia. AUD prices include GST for Australian buyers. There is no GST outside Australia. Elsewhere prices differ by location and are on the pricing page by region, in local currency.
Hybrid
Online theory, then practical training in person with a local Master Trainer, usually across 2 to 3 days (14 practical hours per discipline). Equipment is provided on practical days. See Locations and Dates.
Fully Online
Online theory, plus recorded practical training from real intakes delivered by Kira-Leigh Rule, a Physiotherapist, and an exercise demonstration library. There are no compulsory live classes. Read how Fully Online learning works or compare Hybrid and Fully Online.
Content
What Each Certification Teaches
Both teach you to think like an instructor. Every exercise in both courses comes with the setup, the cueing, common compensations, regressions, progressions and layering, injury and pregnancy modifications, and where it sits in a class. The repertoire and the tools are what change.
Mat
We teach the functional Mat repertoire first, so you become confident with the framework, layering, cueing, modifications and programming. Then we build towards the original repertoire.
- Functional core and spinal foundations
- Planking and weight-bearing strength
- Upper-body push and pull
- Lower-body strength
- Side-lying work
- Kneeling and prone work
- The complete original repertoire from the Hundred to Control Balance
- Beyond it into functional, dynamic movement
Reformer
You learn the same teaching skills on the Reformer, with a focus on springs and loads, and on coaching movement on a moving carriage.
- Footwork
- Supine foundations and core
- Planking and integrated strength
- Box and trunk programming
- Standing lower-body strength
- Upper-body push and pull in straps
- Dumbbell integration and jumpboard work
- The complete original repertoire from Up Stretch to Arabesque
- Spring selection and load: apply spring resistance with purpose, manage lever length, and change load without changing the exercise's intent
What Both Courses Teach
Programming and Class Design
- Build purposeful, progressive 45 to 50 minute classes
- How fatigue, props and music change a class
- Layering, transitions and flow
Cueing and Communication
- Verbal, visual and tactile cueing
- Motor learning: how to change the cue or the exercise for the best client success
Injuries, Pregnancy and Special Populations
- Modify exercises for common injuries and musculoskeletal conditions
- Adapt safely for pregnancy and postnatal recovery
- Recognise when to refer on, and to whom
- Work within your scope of practice
The theory comes first and is the same for both. See the full curriculum.
Practice and assessment
The Difference That Matters Most: Equipment Access
What changes is what you practise teaching on. You organise your own practice teaching: 30 hours per discipline, which you record in your apprenticeship logbook. You can use Pilates studios that accommodate student instructors, home or private settings with friends, family or volunteers, or suitable community or private spaces. You do not need to complete your hours at a Body Form host location.
For Mat
Keep your equipment simple while you learn. For your own practice I recommend:
- A Pilates mat, the main essential
- A resistance band
- A small soft Pilates ball
- Light hand weights
- A Pilates ring
You can build these up gradually. For your filmed assessment you need enough space to teach and film a complete 45 to 50 minute Mat class, with props that suit your lesson plan.
For Reformer
You do not need to own a Reformer. You do need reliable access to Reformers for practice teaching and assessments, through a studio, workplace, hire agreement or home studio. Body Form® Education does not arrange or pay for outside access.
Assessment 1 needs at least 2 clients on Reformers. Assessment 2 needs at least 4 clients at once, with one suitable Reformer per client.
Hybrid students use the equipment provided on practical days, and only need access for practice teaching and assessment outside those days. Fully Online students need access to the equipment for their certification to complete practical learning and assessments.
Participants are family, friends or community volunteers. Full rules are on the assessments and apprentice hours page.
Fit
Who Each One Suits
Both are entry-level qualifications, with no prerequisite, so neither is harder to get into. The choice comes down to the equipment you want to teach on and the equipment you can reach.
Mat Suits
- Beginners and career changers who want a structured pathway from movement foundations to teaching professionally
- Existing Pilates instructors who want deeper anatomy, biomechanics and programming
- Health professionals and personal trainers who want Mat teaching skills backed by biomechanics
- Anyone who wants to practise teaching with a mat, some space and willing participants
Reformer Suits
- Beginners who want to teach on the Reformer from the start, because Mat is not a prerequisite
- Existing instructors who want to add Reformer or deepen their spring, load and programming knowledge
- Health professionals and personal trainers who want resistance-based teaching built on biomechanics
- Anyone with reliable access to Reformers for practice teaching and assessments
Choosing
Which One Should I Do First?
Start with the equipment you want to teach on and can get regular access to. If you are new to Pilates, start with Mat, Reformer or the combined Mat + Reformer. If you want both, the Double covers them in one enrolment.
Do I Need Mat Before Reformer?
No. Reformer is a standalone entry-level qualification and Mat is not a prerequisite. Read do I need a Mat qualification before Reformer for the full answer.
Can I Add the Second One Later?
Yes. You can upgrade a single certification to the Double and you do not restart: completed coursework and assessments for that discipline still count. Email the address you enrolled with and say whether you are doing Mat or Reformer, and Body Form® Education confirms the upgrade options and pricing.
The Double
Should I Do Both?
The Mat + Reformer Double Certification covers both disciplines in one enrolment. You complete the shared online theory once, then Mat and Reformer practical training, exercise libraries, apprentice hours and assessments for each discipline. You graduate with Mat and Reformer qualifications recognised together as the Mat + Reformer certificate.
| Fully Online (AUD) | Price |
|---|---|
| Mat and Reformer bought separately | AUD $4,700 |
| Mat + Reformer Double Certification | AUD $3,950 |
| You save | Save AUD $750 |
In person in Australia the Double is AUD $4,950. In person prices for every other country are in each location's own currency on the pricing page.
| One certification | Mat + Reformer Double | |
|---|---|---|
| Total hours | 250+ | 365+ |
| Online theory | 136+ hours, 17 modules | 136+ hours, completed once |
| Practical training | 14 hours | Usually 2 to 3 intensive days per discipline, 14 practical hours per discipline |
| Apprenticeship | 70 hours, 30 of them practice teaching | Double: 28 practical hours and 140 apprenticeship hours in total (60 of them practice teaching) |
| Assessments | 2 written and 2 practical | 2 written and 2 practical for each discipline |
| About hours a week if spread over 8 months | About 7 hours | About 10 to 11 hours |
Eight months is about 35 weeks. Many students finish between 4 and 6 months, which means more hours each week. Read how long it takes to become a Pilates instructor and how the hours are built.
Checklist
How to Decide
Answer these five questions and your first course is usually clear.
- 1
What do I want to teach?
Floor classes, Reformer classes, or both. Choose the equipment you want to be teaching on.
- 2
What can I reach?
Mat needs a mat, simple props and some space. Reformer practice teaching needs reliable access to a Reformer.
- 3
Can I get Reformers for my assessments?
Know where you will film before you enrol.
- 4
How much time do I have?
About 7 hours a week for one certification, or about 10 to 11 hours a week for the Double, if you spread it across 8 months.
- 5
Do I want both now?
Save AUD $750 with the Double Fully Online. Or start with one and upgrade later: you do not restart.
A certification does not guarantee employment, and employment, insurance, visa and professional registration requirements vary by country and employer, so check what applies where you plan to teach.
Still unsure? Ask yourself a few questions or read Choosing a course.
Questions
What is the difference between Mat and Reformer certification?
Equipment, mainly. A Mat certification qualifies you to teach Pilates on the floor with bodyweight and props. A Reformer certification qualifies you to teach on the Reformer. At Body Form® Education both are standalone qualifications of 250+ hours, with the same online theory and the same assessment structure.
Do I need Mat before Reformer?
No. Reformer is a standalone entry-level qualification and Mat is not a prerequisite. Read the full answer.
Which should I do first?
Start with the equipment you want to teach on and can get regular access to. Mat needs only a mat and simple props, and Reformer needs reliable access to a Reformer for practice teaching and assessments. If you want both, the Double covers them in one enrolment.
Do Mat and Reformer cost the same?
In Australia, yes: Mat and Reformer are both AUD $2,350 Fully Online and both AUD $2,950 in person. AUD prices include GST for Australian buyers. There is no GST outside Australia. Elsewhere prices differ by location, so check your location on the pricing page, which lists in person prices by region in local currency.
Do I need to own a Reformer?
No, but you need reliable access to Reformers for practice teaching and assessments. Hybrid students use the equipment provided on practical days.
What do I need for Mat practice and assessment?
A Pilates mat is the main essential. For your own practice it helps to have a resistance band, a small soft Pilates ball, light hand weights and a Pilates ring, and you do not need to buy everything at once.
Can I upgrade a single certification to the Double later?
Yes. You do not restart: completed coursework and assessments for that discipline still count, and you complete the additional modules, apprenticeship hours and assessments for the second discipline. Email the address you enrolled with and say whether you are doing Mat or Reformer. Body Form® Education confirms the upgrade options and applicable pricing.
Accredited and Recognised
Body Form® Education teacher training is ITTAP accredited through the Pilates Method Alliance, mapped with AUSactive in Australia, and audited and verified by Pilates Aotearoa in New Zealand. This applies whether you complete Mat, Reformer or the full comprehensive pathway. Employment, insurance, visa and professional registration requirements vary by country and employer, so check the requirements where you plan to teach. CPD certifications are continuing education for qualified instructors.
Recognition and accreditation
