Other than the United States, do you know what country has the most Peak Pilates instructors? It’s Japan!
Pilates continues to surge in popularity throughout Asia, and Japan is paving the way for this new frontier. Pilates Alliance, Japan is our Peak Pilates® educational partner and has been active with us since 2002. We have a great team there led by Kayoko Takada, a member of the Peak Pilates Leadership Team who helps guide our strategic growth throughout Asia. Today, Pilates Alliance includes 12 Master Instructors delivering Peak Pilates Mat, Comprehensive, MVe® and continuing education courses (CECs).
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Last fall, I had a chance to catch up with Kayoko while we were both presenting at Asia Fit in Bangkok, and I was amazed at some of the developments she had to share. One recent trend she highlighted was the remarkable growth of the small studio openings versus large gym facilities. She also noted that Altria, a large gym chain, is now operating small yoga and Pilates equipment classes with 12 MVe Chairs, eight wall units and flex barrels. They are also offering a wide variety of mind-body group formats, including circuits.
In Japan, one of the highlights of the year is the Peak Pilates Alliance Convention which brings teachers from all over Asia together to study and share. This convention has grown from one day to two days and has now expanded beyond Tokyo, hosting events in other cities.
It is no wonder that outside of the U.S., Japan has the highest number of Peak Pilates graduates. The future is bright for Peak Pilates in Asia, as well as Kayoko, who has expanded her skill set outside of teaching group exercise and yoga. She has earned an MBA and is now working toward her Ph.D. in business to help take Peak to the next level in Japan.