STOTT PILATES® Intensive Mat-Plus™
Start your career as a certified STOTT PILATES Instructor and change lives through Pilates.
Accreditation

4 CECs
Hours

95
Price
From £1340
About this course
The STOTT PILATES® Intensive Mat-Plus™ course, developed by the Merrithew® team, is a modern take on the original exercise method pioneered by Joseph Pilates. This course is ideal for experienced studio and fitness instructors, personal trainers, sports therapists, physiotherapists, and those with a background in dance looking to improve their range of skills and enhance their employability. It will provide you with the skills to design and teach essential and intermediate-level matwork classes, integrating small equipment, which will allow you to add variety to your sessions.
Flexible learning formats

Face-to-face

Online
Overview
- Apply STOTT PILATES bio-mechanical principles of core stability, peripheral mobility, breathing and alignment to relevant exercises.
- Break down essential and intermediate-level exercises.
- Exercise essence, muscular initiation and movement sequencing.
- Apply variations to increase or decrease exercise intensity.
- Modify for specific body types, postural issues and conditions.
- Teach and communicate effectively using visual skills, verbal cueing and imagery for performance enhancement and client motivation
Skills
- Share your passion with others in a safe and effective classroom.
- Learn to teach both group classes and one to one sessions.
Career progressions
- Achieve a qualification that provides opportunities to work in gyms, leisure centres and Pilates studios.
- Work freelance delivering classes in various settings to build a regular committed, clientele, which will provide you with a regular income.
- Gain the potential to earn more and increase your employability.
- Broaden your client base and help boost your earnings.
- Learn the skills and knowledge to build a longstanding career.
Support
- Taught by experienced and industry-qualified tutors who will provide guidance and support throughout the course.
- Access online eLearning.
- Unparalleled support online, over the phone and in person.
Assessment
- Practical assessments
- Theory paper
- Teaching log
- Worksheets
Certifications
To be certified you will need to complete the following:
- 40 hours of instruction and supervised teaching
- Minimum of 10 hours of observation
- Minimum of 30 hours of physical review
- Minimum of 15 hours of practice teaching
- You must have a working knowledge of functional anatomy.
- You will need a minimum 30 hours’ experience of Pilates classes/workouts.
- You must have three+ years teaching movement or fitness. Applicants with a strong history of Pilates participation and/or experience instructing students/clients in another field may also be considered.
London
Date(s) | Start Time | End Time | Venue | Price |
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14th Apr 2025
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25th Apr 2025
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10:30 | 16:30 | Central YMCA KX | £1640 |
Date(s) | Start Time | End Time | Venue | Price |
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03rd May 2025
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18th May 2025
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10:30 | 16:30 | Central YMCA KX | £1640 |
Date(s) | Start Time | End Time | Venue | Price |
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05th May 2025
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15th May 2025
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10:30 | 16:30 | Central YMCA KX | £1640 |
Date(s) | Start Time | End Time | Venue | Price |
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02nd Jun 2025
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12th Jun 2025
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10:30 | 16:30 | Central YMCA KX | £1640 |
Date(s) | Start Time | End Time | Venue | Price |
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16th Jun 2025
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26th Jun 2025
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10:30 | 16:30 | Central YMCA KX | £1640 |
Date(s) | Start Time | End Time | Venue | Price |
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21st Jul 2025
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31st Jul 2025
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10:30 | 16:30 | Central YMCA KX | £1640 |
Date(s) | Start Time | End Time | Venue | Price |
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11th Aug 2025
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21st Aug 2025
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10:30 | 16:30 | Central YMCA KX | £1775 |
Date(s) | Start Time | End Time | Venue | Price |
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08th Sep 2025
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18th Sep 2025
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10:30 | 16:30 | Central YMCA KX | £1775 |
Date(s) | Start Time | End Time | Venue | Price |
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11th Oct 2025
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02nd Nov 2025
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10:30 | 16:30 | Central YMCA KX | £1775 |
Date(s) | Start Time | End Time | Venue | Price |
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13th Oct 2025
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23rd Oct 2025
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10:30 | 16:30 | Central YMCA KX | £1775 |
Date(s) | Start Time | End Time | Venue | Price |
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03rd Nov 2025
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13th Nov 2025
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10:30 | 16:30 | Central YMCA KX | £1775 |
Date(s) | Start Time | End Time | Venue | Price |
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08th Dec 2025
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18th Dec 2025
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10:30 | 16:30 | Central YMCA KX | £1775 |
Date(s) | Start Time | End Time | Venue | Price |
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05th Jan 2026
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15th Jan 2026
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10:30 | 16:30 | Central YMCA KX | £1775 |
Date(s) | Start Time | End Time | Venue | Price |
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02nd Feb 2026
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12th Feb 2026
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10:30 | 16:30 | Central YMCA KX | £1775 |
Date(s) | Start Time | End Time | Venue | Price |
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14th Feb 2026
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08th Mar 2026
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10:30 | 16:30 | Central YMCA KX | £1775 |
Date(s) | Start Time | End Time | Venue | Price |
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02nd Mar 2026
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12th Mar 2026
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10:30 | 16:30 | Central YMCA KX | £1775 |
Date(s) | Start Time | End Time | Venue | Price |
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13th Apr 2026
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23rd Apr 2026
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10:30 | 16:30 | Central YMCA KX | £1775 |
Date(s) | Start Time | End Time | Venue | Price |
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25th Apr 2026
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17th May 2026
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10:30 | 16:30 | Central YMCA KX | £1775 |
Date(s) | Start Time | End Time | Venue | Price |
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04th May 2026
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14th May 2026
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10:30 | 16:30 | Central YMCA KX | £1775 |
Date(s) | Start Time | End Time | Venue | Price |
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01st Jun 2026
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11th Jun 2026
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10:30 | 16:30 | Central YMCA KX | £1775 |
Date(s) | Start Time | End Time | Venue | Price |
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27th Jun 2026
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19th Jul 2026
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10:30 | 16:30 | Central YMCA KX | £1775 |
Date(s) | Start Time | End Time | Venue | Price |
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06th Jul 2026
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16th Jul 2026
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10:30 | 16:30 | Central YMCA KX | £1775 |
Online
Date(s) | Start Time | End Time | Venue | Price |
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09th Jun 2025
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27th Jun 2025
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09:00 | 13:30 | Online | £1340 |
Date(s) | Start Time | End Time | Venue | Price |
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05th Sep 2025
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28th Sep 2025
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09:00 | 13:30 | Online | £1445 |
Date(s) | Start Time | End Time | Venue | Price |
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10th Nov 2025
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28th Nov 2025
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09:00 | 13:30 | Online | £1445 |
Date(s) | Start Time | End Time | Venue | Price |
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12th Jan 2026
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30th Jan 2026
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09:00 | 13:30 | Online | £1445 |
Date(s) | Start Time | End Time | Venue | Price |
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09th Mar 2026
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27th Mar 2026
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09:00 | 13:30 | Online | £1445 |
Date(s) | Start Time | End Time | Venue | Price |
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18th May 2026
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05th Jun 2026
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09:00 | 13:30 | Online | £1445 |
Date(s) | Start Time | End Time | Venue | Price |
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13th Jul 2026
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31st Jul 2026
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09:00 | 13:30 | Online | £1445 |
Join us for a free Open Evening and find out more about:

Course Locations
We deliver our face-to-face courses from state-of-the-art venues across England. This course is currently running from:
To find the best date and location for you, speak to one of our experienced course advisors.
Speak to a Course Advisor
Our course advisors are on hand to answer any of your questions. Simply fill out this form and we will contact you in the next 48 hours.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Merrithew®?
Founded in 1988 by Lindsay and Moira Merrithew, Merrithew® was created with the aim of developing high-integrity fitness programs, equipment and services. They are now considered the world-leading experts when it comes to modern Pilates training and equipment after they created the STOTT PILATES® training program.
Using their knowledge, they have created fusion pilates programmes CORE™, Total Barre™, ZEN•GA® and Halo®.
What is the difference between STOTT PILATES and Classic Pilates?
Pilates was created by Joseph Pilates using the knowledge and experience that he gained helping rehabilitate bed-bound soldiers in World War 1, with the first Pilates studio opening in 1923.
Classical Pilates follows the repertoire and exercises using only the exercises he developed and in the exact same order every time. Contemporary Pilates, such as STOTT PILATES incorporates modern knowledge of the body and biomechanics to ensure that it provides a far more tailored and safe class.
STOTT PILATES is the leading contemporary Pilates training available because it constantly remains up to date with the latest medical and fitness knowledge. A lot has changed over the years when it comes to our knowledge of health and fitness. Postural alignment is an area of significant change. This is why STOTT PILATES focuses on maintaining a neutral spine or natural curvature of the back, compared to the classical method which utilises an imprinted spine or a flat back.
The STOTT PILATES training programme will provide you with the skills to teach the best and safest pilates experience for your clients.
What funding support can I get to help pay for my course?
At YMCAfit, we offer a range of support to help you start and continue your fitness career. This includes low deposits and 0% finance on various courses. We also run a number of sales and offers, which you can access by signing up for our newsletter or by requesting a callback with one of our specialist course advisors.
How do I choose the best course for me?
To get the best advice and help, we recommend talking to our course advisors over the phone. Based on your needs, current skills and experience, they will be able to help advise you on what would best meet your requirements and budget. They will also be able to answer any questions that you might have concerning the courses.
You can also attend our free online open evenings. You will be able to find out more about the different training routes available to you, the training and support you’ll receive whilst studying, career paths once you’ve qualified and continuing professional development.
What are Merrithew® CECs and why are they important?
Various certified fitness professionals are required to obtain a set number of Continuing Education Credits (CECs) annually to maintain their certification. This is to ensure that professionals maintain high-quality standards through continued learning. To maintain your STOTT PILATES certification, you are required to obtain six hours of Merrithew Continuing Education Credits (CECs) each year.
How many Merrithew® CECs do I need each year to maintain my certification?
STOTT PILATES® Certified Instructors are required to obtain six hours of Merrithew® Continuing Education Credits (0.6 CECs) annually to maintain their certification. At the top of our course pages, you will always see the number of CECs you will earn by completing that qualification.
If a Certified Instructor fails to maintain 0.6 CECs for any of the previous 3 years, their certification status will no longer be considered current and they will not appear on the Merrithew instructor finder.
How do I know you’re the best training provider for my course?
We have over 35 years of industry experience, and this time has allowed us to introduce more innovation and invest in our services so that we can deliver internationally recognised courses that will help our students stand out from the thousands fitness professionals practicing today. We are one of the largest and principal fitness training providers in the UK, the best Licenced Training Centre for STOTT PILATES®, and have developed a large and vast fitness portfolio since launch. Not only that, we are a non for profit charity, so our main focus is seeing our students succeed and giving them the best experience possible.
What courses in which order do you recommend for full STOTT PILATES certification?
There is a lot of flexibility in the order that you wish to take to achieve full certification but it is highly recommended to take the STOTT PILATES Intensive Mat-plus™ first as it will give you the best foundation to start, and STOTT PILATES® Injuries & Special Populations as the final course before your certification examination.
How long do I have to take my exams?
The examination must be taken within six months of completing your last STOTT PILATES course.
Can I combine my STOTT PILATES Intensive Mat-Plus™ and STOTT PILATES® Intensive Reformer exams?
Yes you can combine your exams from STOTT PILATES Intensive Mat-Plus™ and STOTT PILATES® Intensive Reformer courses. Talk to our course advisors for more details on this.
When can I start teaching?
Once training has been completed, students can teach before the exam. They would be known as a STOTT PILATES Trained Instructor. Once they have passed, students would be known as a STOTT PILATES Certified Instructor.
What resources are included on this course?
The course price is inclusive of the Comprehensive Matwork Manual and Matwork Support Material Manual. These resources are provided on the first day of the course.
Online digital video resources, developed and provided by Merrithew™, will be purchased by the student directly from Merrithew™. This resource is not included in the course fee – Intensive Mat-Plus™ (IMP) Course Package · Digital Video Only | Merrithew™.
When do I need to have my Teaching log completed?
A teaching log needs to be completed prior to assessment. This includes:
- 15 hours practical teaching (individuals or groups).
- 30 hours physical review (attending STOTT PILATES classes or performing exercises with online digital content).
- 10 hours observation (STOTT PILATES classes or online digital content).