ABC Pilates

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SO WHAT IS PILATES?

Pilates is a non-impact, controlled series of exercises developed by Joseph Pilates that strengthens the core from the belly to the back and everything from head to toe. Pilates uses either your own weight or springs for resistance and offers a variety of equipment to fit any fitness goal.

HOW TO GET STARTED

[step 1] Admit that this will take work and effort.

[step 2] Give yourself the necessary pat-on-the-back motivation.

[step 3] Call Amy and her staff to set up a complimentary private Pilates session in which they can start you on your course. Amy and her staff will talk to you about your fitness and comfort level, consider your strengths and weaknesses, teach you the basics of Pilates and put you on track to a healthier, fitter and stronger life!

ABOUT AMY

Amy Cady has distinguished herself as a leader in the Pilates industry in instruction and education. She draws inspiration from a vast knowledge of trainings from various master teachers and her constant education has lead to her innovative, multidisciplinary approach to Pilates. What sets Amy’s teaching apart is her emphasis on clear instruction. From her lecture demos, to her hands-on work, to her educational and supplemental materials, participants leave her classes or trainings immediately able to integrate her ideas and concepts into their sessions and in their own lifestyles. Her accessibility, articulateness, commitment to Pilates and her community, and years of experience, make her a beloved and sought-after instructor.

Amy Cady is certified in Pilates from Studio du Corps and is a certified pre/post natal Master Teacher from The Center of Women's Fitness. She is also a member of the faculty at The Center of Women's Fitness where she trains and certifies instructors to teach pre/post natal Pilates for Southern California. She is also a Balanced Body University Partner Faculty member. She has been practicing Pilates for over 12 years and is a registered active member of the The Pilates Method Alliance® (PMA™). Most recently, Amy has been given the honor of becoming an Ambassador of Lululemon Athletica for her community involvement and commitment to health and fitness in Pilates.

“Pilates is for everybody.” That’s what Amy Cady says. To which most of us would reply, “Not my body!” Within our sea of protests one could hear justifications like the following:

“My inactivity and poor health are just a part of getting older, there’s nothing I can do about it.”

“What am I supposed to do? I don’t have the patience or time to sweat and strain in an hour long workout!”

“It’s too late for me. My 3 kids ruined my body.”

“My injuries wont allow me to workout.”

“Blame it on my genes!”

These are all valid excuses. But let me respond to such doom and gloom with a question – a rhetorical duh-question – that you’ll have to say “yes” to. Don’t you want to be reconnected to the best version of yourself? The forever young (sing it Bob Dylan) version of yourself? The healthy and happy I-can-take-on-the-five-steps-to-my-office-without-wheezing version of yourself? I thought so. So let’s get you reacquainted. Back to the original statement…

“Pilates is for everybody,” says Amy Cady to me as we sit in her warm-hued Pilates studio in Laguna Niguel, CA. Her Physical Therapist is massaging her ankle, which she broke while on a trail run.

“Does it hurt?” I ask.

“A little,” she replies. “Although I’m very fortunate that I was in good condition or else the damage would have probably been much worse.” Amy Cady is the owner of ABC Pilates, and probably one of the biggest movers in the Pilates industry in California. Her modesty would never boast of her wide-reaching influence, but I will. Take a look at her resume and you’ll see that she helped defined Pilates on a collegiate level in Orange County, having designed the Pilates programs for Saddleback College and Irvine Valley College. When she was condemned to crutches due to her broken foot, it would have been most athletes’ worst nightmare, but being Amy Cady, she found the silver lining in the situation – a silver lining which was the creation of a whole new mode of Pilates exercises perfectly suited for those with injuries.

“To me Pilates isn’t just an exercise,” says Amy. “It pours into every aspect of life… how you get into your car, how you walk, how you get out of bed. So even with this injury, I realized Pilates could be a bigger positive in my life than ever. It was so enlightening. Besides learning how to effectively apply Pilates to bodies suffering from injuries, I really had such a renewed empathy and consideration for how to help people with injuries and weak bodies regain strength and become fit despite the obstacles.”

“We all really saw how our Pilates community can grow once obstacles are removed. This renewed understanding of how to truly help anybody – injured or not, strong or weak – to be reconnected with the fit, strong, healthy version of themselves,” said Katherine, a tri-athlete, mother and Pilates manager who has been working alongside Amy since the beginning.

“I think that’s what has always set us apart,” Katherine continues, “We really care. We really see the importance in knowing and taking care of each other, our clients, our community; and not just in a physical sense, but on a personal level.”

“Definitely,” says Amy. “We know everyone’s name who comes in, we know their families – probably because most of their families come in too!” Amy and Katherine interact with the kind of ease that feels only like a family dynamic could. The ABC Pilates team is a strong, cohesive group of professionals that have over 15 years of combined experience. You can be assured that on a Tuesday evening you will see Mary teaching a mat class; or on Wednesday morning Chris teaching Cardio Reformer or Zumba taught by Julianne. The staff has a very low turn over. Everyone is committed to the ABC Pilates community.

It’s this kind of genuine care for the health and comfort of their clientele that has made ABC Pilates into one of the most versatile Pilates studios in Southern California. They’ve truly adapted and shaped the benefits of Pilates to fit any body and it shows.

Take Michael, who is legally blind and has been taking Pilates classes at ABC Pilates for two years now. Or take John and Cheri, both are retired and doing Pilates better than many 20-somethings in the class! But the 20-somethings are there, too. They’re there with their parents, with their friends, with their girlfriends or boyfriends. Every shape, size and demographic is represented in some way. The ABC class schedule is just as diverse as the clientele, a sample platter with enough options to suit just about anyone: Training specifically for golfers that strengthens the muscles and increases mobility needed for a Tiger-Woods-worthy swing (best case scenario) or just gets you conditioned and ready to chase your wayward golf ball (worst case scenario); a class specifically for women during and after pregnancy that helps prepare the body for an easier delivery and then reshapes the body after delivery; a class for Pilates beginners; a class for athletes to help them improve their sport performance; special classes that can be brought to your place of work; private sessions are offered for those with specific needs; even Teacher Certification classes. Yes, ABC Pilates is Southern California’s Training Center for Teacher Certification and Pre/Post Natal Pilates. So if you’re looking for a career change, check it out (who wants an office job when you can spend your workday promoting health and strength amongst happy, positive people?).

Amy has used her extensive training and passion to better her community by creating a Pilates venue that is accessible and well balanced for the studio and beyond. It’s sprinkled throughout their mission statements and founding principles: “We are passionate about helping people seek healthier lives. We are a supportive community of wellness professionals. No matter what your current fitness level, we can help you achieve more with Pilates. We offer affordable programs to fit every budget and every need and we promise that our innovative classes and cutting edge equipment will keep Pilates fun, interesting and effective!”

So put away your excuses and alibis; put away your phobias that Pilates is an elitist and expensive regimen only to be used in the fictional lives of Sex and the City characters; put away your inhibitions and put on a new frame of mind. No matter where you’re at, you can get reconnected to the smashing, head-turning, kiss-the-mirror version of yourself. Pilates is for everybody, even yours.

Author’s Note: Every reporter’s duty is to get behind the scenes and really experience a story. So, for this article, I tried an ABC Pilates class. I never understood what they meant when they said that Pilates really helps you to focus on yourself, but it does! You really learn to center your thoughts on your body’s strength and movement. It was a truly unique exercise; meditative yet challenging. The session helped me to see how I can regain control over my movement and strength. I genuinely look forward to going to another class!