ANATOMY FOR PILATES INSTRUCTORS · DEVELOPED BY PHYSIOTHERAPISTS
Fully online anatomy training designed specifically for Pilates instructors. Learn the bones, joints, muscles and movements you actually need to understand, without getting lost in anatomy you’ll never use.
Online Pre-Course Study
Online via Zoom (Live)
Pilates-Specific Anatomy Training
Learn From Anywhere
The Studio Pilates Anatomy Course teaches you everything you need to know about the anatomy of the body to become a world-class Pilates instructor. Combining a comprehensive Online Training Centre with a live Zoom workshop, you’ll learn the bones, joints, muscles and movements of the body and importantly, how that knowledge applies to Pilates.
You’ll learn your anatomy from a physiotherapist, focused on the specific science you’ll use as a Pilates instructor. Go beyond simply memorising muscles and learn to understand how the body moves, which muscles create and control movement and how anatomy connects to the exercises you’ll eventually teach.
The Anatomy Course provides the anatomy prerequisite for the Studio Pilates Matwork Course and Platinum Instructing Course.
If anatomy is new to you, enrol in the Anatomy Course alongside your instructor course. Already have a comprehensive background in Human Anatomy and Physiology? You may not need to complete it. Test your anatomy knowledge to find out.
Reviewed by Studio Pilates Training Academy · Last verified October 2026
Learn the terminology used to describe the body and its positions.
Learn about the axial and appendicular skeletal systems and the key structures for movement.
Understand the major joints of the body and the movements they create.
Learn the muscles that move and stabilise the body, including their location, function and actions.
We focus on the anatomy that matters to Pilates, breaking complex concepts down into clear, easy-to-understand lessons that help you understand how the body moves.
Pay your course in easy instalments.
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Free hard copy manual in Australia + NZ.
Digital manual included worldwide.
Everyone learns differently. That’s why the Studio Pilates Anatomy Course combines a comprehensive Online Training Centre, course manual and revision resources, giving you multiple ways to learn and consolidate the course content at your own pace.
Interactive anatomy workshops and revision videos break complex anatomy down into clear, easy-to-follow lessons.
A comprehensive visual and written guide to support your anatomy learning.
Consolidate your learning with printable anatomy revision flashcards.
The better you understand how the body moves, the better equipped you are to understand Pilates exercises, muscle activation and movement.
This course is nationally and internationally recognised training and has been approved by leading health and fitness bodies.
If you are a member of any of the following health or fitness bodies, you are able to claim professional development points upon completion of this course.
*You must be a registered Personal Trainer and/or Group Exercise Instructor in order to attain AUSactive CECs, Fitness Pilates Instructors and Pilates Method Teachers are also eligible for CECs. The Matwork Programming and Progressions Course must also be completed in addition to the Matwork Course to be recognised as a Fitness Pilates Instructor.
** If you hold a Certificate IV in Massage and are registered with AAMT, you can claim the full 20 CPE points upon also completing the Studio Pilates Anatomy Course. Members with a Diploma of Massage are not required to complete the Anatomy Course as a prerequisite
There are no prerequisites to this course. No previous anatomy or science experience is required.
Discover how our courses connect and where they can take you.
From your first day of study to your first classes as a qualified instructor, you’re never left to figure it all out alone. Our team is here to answer questions, calm the nerves, help you through your training and continue supporting you after graduation as you put your new skills into practice.
Study question? Not sure where to start? Nervous about your practical course? Just need to talk something through? Our friendly Student Support team is available Monday to Friday. No question is too big or too small. Give us a call or chat online via live chat.
Get answers when it suits you. Your online Instructor Support Library is available 24/7 with helpful resources and answers to many of the questions that come up throughout your training.
Learn in an encouraging environment with a Master Course Facilitator.
Your support doesn’t stop when you receive your certificate. Even after you have completed your course, you can still reach out to us with any questions you may have.
No prior anatomy knowledge is needed! The course is designed to teach you the anatomy knowledge you need to become a Pilates instructor.
Maybe not. It depends on how much anatomy you have previously studied and the type of anatomy that you have studied. Chat to us for more information.
Yes – the Anatomy Course is the prerequisite to the Matwork Course and Platinum Instructing Course. You need a solid understanding of the body before applying that knowledge to the Pilates exercises. You can complete Anatomy alongside your instructor training.
If you already have a comprehensive background in Anatomy (including a solid understanding of the bones, joints, muscles and joint/muscle movements) then you may be eligible to skip the Anatomy Course and go straight into the Matwork or Platinum Instructing Courses. Chat to us for more information.
Your assessment for the Anatomy Course includes –
Anatomy is a more theoretical subject and does involve some memorisation. We make it easier by breaking complex concepts into small, easy-to-understand chunks. We regularly hear from students who have studied anatomy elsewhere that our course is not only more comprehensive, but much easier to understand and learn.
Through online self-paced learning, a comprehensive course manual, revision resources and a live online anatomy workshop via Zoom.
You can view all of our upcoming course dates HERE.
There’s no such thing as booking too far out!
COMPLETING ANATOMY + MATWORK TOGETHER
A relatively new computer (not a phone or tablet), a light, quiet and private space, ideally hard copies of your Studio Pilates manual, and internet speeds of at least 15 Mbps download and 5 Mbps upload.
The Studio Pilates Anatomy Course has been developed by physiotherapists. In the Online Training Centre, you’ll learn anatomy from Tanya Winter, physiotherapist and co-founder of Studio Pilates International, through a series of instructional videos. Your live Zoom workshop will then be led by an experienced Studio Pilates Master Course Facilitator.
Absolutely. Understanding how the body moves and which muscles create and control movement gives you an essential foundation for your Pilates instructor training. Anatomy is also key to understanding client injuries and learning how to safely manage and modify exercises for the range of injuries you’ll encounter as an instructor.
