About Saratoga Pilates

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Anna loves Pilates and believes it is good for everyone. Her personal

Pilates journey began in 2005 when she took her first Mat class (and

laughed at herself through most of it). Having come from an athletic

background, Pilates was far more challenging than she imagined.

However, curiosity got the better of her and she kept going, acquiring her

Comprehensive Certification for Mat and Apparatus in 2009 through Peak

Pilates. Her first Pilates teaching position started in 2007. She has taught

Pilates for the Columbia Association, Lifetime Fitness, Sport and Health,

and Golds Gym. In 2010, she joined Michael Hogue at Evolution Fitness

Systems where she work for 14 years as both the Pilates Director and a

Personal Trainer. In 2021, she became a National Certified Pilates Teacher.

Although she had always envisioned having her own studio, it wasn’t until

November 2023 when she took a yoga class at UpLift Yoga that Anna

found a home for her dream. Saratoga Pilates, LLC opened in January

2024, offering a broad range of Pilates apparatus including the Reformer,

Cadillac, Hi/Lo Combination Chair, and Ladder Barrel.

Anna is an member of the Endurance 2 Perform Triathlon Team so spends

many hours a week swimming and biking. She loves spending time with

her family and friends. She really enjoys outdoor activities like hiking,

camping and any time she can get on a beach.

Pilates is a movement system created by Joseph Pilates that brings

balance to the body and mind through repetitive practice of exercises that

strengthen and lengthen the muscles that support our body. The

foundation of this work lies in the core, or as Joseph Pilates termed it, the

Powerhouse. This is everything from the hips to the shoulders;

encompassing the hip complex, inner thighs, abdominals, back and

shoulder girdle. A strong Powerhouse not only provides the torso stability

from which our arms and legs can move freely but also supports the

supple movement of our spine. This enables us to move throughout our

day with greater ease and better awareness of proper alignment and

posture.

Pilates exercises integrate the whole body in every exercise. For the Mat

and Reformer work specifically, these exercises are done in a specific

sequence (the Order) utilizing flexion, extension, and rotation as well as

unilateral and bilateral movement patterns. The repetitive nature of the

Mat and Reformer work enables the body to learn in a gentle manner

allowing the neuromuscular system to gradually adapt and learn to

perform the movements with greater efficiency.

As with any mind and body form of exercise, mental focus can be greatly

improved through Pilates practice. It challenges our memory, imagination,

intelligence, and concentration allowing a deeper connection to our body

through movement. Pilates demands that we are present in the moment

such that we can feel and interpret not only what our body are doing but

how our body are responding thus improving our overall body awareness.

So the story goes....at the age of 12 Anna moved to North Carolina from

New York City when her parents decided to “retire” and open a restaurant

that they named the Saratoga Restaurant. Having spent her most

formative years working in this restaurant, Anna learned the values of hard

work, dedication, customer service and perseverance not to mention

cooking, dish washing and hostessing. So, when thinking about a name

for her first business, Saratoga Pilates hit the mark. Now if you’d like to

know the more romantic story...her parents named their first business

endeavor the Saratoga Restaurant because Saratoga was the name of the

cafe in Paris where they decide to spend their lives together.