Testimonials

TESTIMONIALS

Educate. INSPIRE. Transform.

I just wanted to give a massive THANK YOU to all the staff at studio one pilates for all their help over the past two years.

Two years ago I was getting desperate! Sports have always been a big part of my life, but 15 years of rowing, running, skiing and triathlons were starting to take their toll. Bike rides were being spoilt by vicious neck cramps and lower back pain. Occasionally I would not be able to stand up straight in the morning after a long ride the previous day. Running was causing my weak hip flexors and hamstrings to become extremely tight to the point of being painful. My hips were twisted and my right SI joint was constantly clicking in and out of position. Swimming and nordic skiing led to shoulder instability, an impingement injury and exacerbated my neck problems. Running and biking were causing a lot of foot and ankle problems including plantar faciitis and an ongoing case of chronic achilles tendonitis which was preventing me from running despite a year of reduced mileage and physiotherapy. My lifestyle of long hours at the office computer combined with evenings and weekends of over exertion was no longer looking sustainable. At the lost lake run I was forced to hobble the last ten miles and finished 30 minutes slower than the previous year. The low point was not being able to run the Tuesday night series in 2008 and having to miss one of the highlights of the anchorage running year...

I had started pilates in early 2008 with a course of private sessions, but it wasn't until March 2009 that I really decided to try and step in up and try an intensive period of pilates combined with rolfing and a rest from sports activities to try and tackle some of the problems that I was having. I took the boot camp as a kind of intensive "back to basics" refresher and then for 6 weeks I tried to attend as many mat and reformer classes that I could reasonably manage. In addition I cut back to 2 non-pilates workouts per week with no running and I began an intensive course of two rolfing sessions per week, tapering to 1 per week after a fortnight. After this two month period I slowly began to increase my mileage and return to full training.

I am really convinced that this stuff works! My core strength has improved considerably and my hips are much stronger and more stable than they were. My lower back no longer hurts on long bike rides and my neck no longer goes into spasm. I have learning to relax my neck and let my shoulder blades "hang" off my back. I have also strengthened my shoulder stabilising muscles which has helped my swimming and I no longer get shoulder pains after sets of fast 100s. Just having a stronger core has significantly helped my body rotation and technique in the pool. The rolfing and foot/ankle work on the mat and reformer really helped my foot and ankle alignment and I can now run hard without feeling my achilles or hobbling around the next day. I think I have significantly improved my body mechnaics in a number of ways. My body is much more balanced now and my posture is much better. most importantly

The biggest testament to the benefits of pilates and rolfing is that I acheived a personal best in every event in which I participated in during 2009. I knocked minutes from my times in the State and Hammerman Triathlon despite a slow start to the season and much fewer training hours than in previous years. I entered the skinny raven half marathon as preparation for Lost lake and I was feeling so goo that I ran 1:28:30. This was 4 minutes faster than my previous best over that distance around ten years ago. A week later despite not being fully recovered I still knocked a minute from my previous best at lost lake. In October I got an opportunity to partake in the Xterra offroad world triathlon championships in Maui and finished a tough race with a reasonable time, despite being bed ridden with a stomach bug for the two days day before the race.

I think that Pilates has other benefits also. I always leave studio one feeling relaxed and balanced, no matter how hectic or stressful the preceding day was. The studio is a pleasant sanctuary to come to and all of the staff are pleasant and easy going.

So THANK YOU once again studio one. I really appreciate all the help that you guys have given me. My only regret is that there isn't a studio one in every city since I know it will be difficult to find anything of comparable excellence now that I am leaving.

Thanks and all the best, I would recomend your studio to anyone.

Will

SHORT VERSION

"I am a dancer and a movement educator, teaching Pilates, GYROTONIC® and dance, and in the past ten years of studying and teaching I have not encountered a Pilates program more effective or more coherent, then the one being offered to instructors and students at Pilates Studio One. The program goes far beyond what is out there in terms of instructor education and exercise, especially group exercise.

The classes are taught with a very clear focus on the intention of each exercise, and not just muscular engagement, but the clarity of intention encompasses many layers of our body, the bone structure, the nervous system, the visceral system, the respiratory system. The instructors are taught to conduct classes with these layers in mind and the assistants help to make sure that each student discovers a better connection to their body and learns how to work effectively. There is an overall structure in place, which helps the instructors and the students they teach to achieve the goals that Pilates promises, in a systematic way. The instructors really know how to look at the human body and how to impart knowledge to the students, which is a reflection of the high quality training program at the studio.

Many of the concepts are merely implied by other Pilates training programs but this is the first time that I have seen a new, explicit way to make Pilates work so precisely and cleanly that it integrates all layers of the human body, in a way that only many years of body work and regimented exercise can only hope to achieve. Pilates is simply not being taught like this anywhere else."

-O.K. (see the second half of A Letter From a Client for the full version of this testimonial)

“This studio is amazing!! What you guys offer is not just a workout, it’s a lifestyle; it’s something that stays with you. It’s a light in the struggle to lose weight and stay healthy, and to be happy.

I enrolled in the Boot Camp, not really knowing what to expect and I ended up discovering the answer to my problems. After two weeks of just Pilates, I lost 4.5 inches and 7 pounds!! And the kicker? I enjoyed it! Normally working out is intimidating and feels forced but I looked forward to my 6:45 a.m. class and I am the queen of non-morning people!!

So I must thank you for helping me get a hold of my health and take my life in my hands. I appreciate everything you guys do!” - M.R. Age 22

“I LOVE Pilates! Lost 16 inches!

- T.K.

P.S. asthma much improved.”

“I used to fall on the ice all the time. I haven’t fallen once on the ice since I began Pilates!” - H.H.

“After my Rolfing Session yesterday, I woke up this morning and nothing hurt - no thigh hamstrings!”

.-C.F.

“My Rolfing 10-series is the best dividend I’ve ever spent!” - J.H.

“I started my boot Camp at the End of august, it was a turning point for me. Today I got on my scales and discovered 10 missing pounds. That is only the beginning. I have suffered chronic foot pain for five years. It is also gone. I have not felt this good about myself in years. Thank you Studio One.” - C.D.

“After my 2 week Boot Camp, my chiropracter said I didn’t need an adjustment. The Pilates must be working.” - M.A.

“I may not have taken to Pilates like a duck to water, but i know I have started on an important journey. Thanks to all of you for your support. Each of you has given me a jewel of advice to sustain me as I head out on my own. Thanks!” - R.

“Thank you! After 10 months of classes I can’t believe how much my body has changed. With all my experience in various forms of bodywork - I am so impressed with Pilates...and the quality of instruction at Studio One.” -C.

“I’m a medical professional with a strenuous job at times. I had a work injury giving me low back pain and inability to return to my running and skiing for almost 2 years. I took a Boot Camp Pilates, then faithfully participated in class 3 times a week for 6 months, then decreased my frequency. I can happily state I have had no recurrence of back pain as well. My overall posture change was and is remarkable.”

-S.H.

“When telling people I liked Pilates: when you see a nice piece of art and it ‘grabs’ you, Pilates has grabbed me the same way.” - Annonymous

“I have found the missing link. I have been an athlete and cleaned houses for a living for many years. I love to exercise. It makes me feel good like a “natural anti-depressant.” As i got older, so did my body. I could no longer take the pain I would feel after a long run or even a short one. So running a marathon was out of the question. I stopped running completely, I walked everyday and lifed weights three times a week, but something was missing. I’d been reading about ‘core’ strength in my fitness magazine but could never completely grasp what they were talking about.

Until one day fourteen months ago I treated myself to ‘Boot Camp’ at Studio One. There it all came together. wow, that was hard! I had to slow down and concentrate, and work parts of my body I never knew existed, but when I did it right I could certainly feel it. As time went on I felt stronger and stronger, my body was changing for the better. I knew it was from Pilates because I have done cardio exercises and lifted weights my whole life and I never looked or felt like this. so, I decided to put my new strength into action. I began running again, it didn’t hurt, I felt strong. I am now running for the Mayor’s Marathon, pain free. I owe it all to the precise technique of Pilates. Slwo down, do it right, follow the instructions, and wow it really works. I have a whole new body.” - T.S. 4/20/07