Pilates Center of Western Massachusetts marks decade of growthDate: 12/11/2014 LONGMEADOW – The Pilates Center of Western Massachusetts will be celebrating its 10th anniversary at its 167 Dwight Road location during the first week of January, which will include a celebratory open house on Jan 10 from 10 a.m. until noon.
Janet Burke-Allen, owner of the Pilates Center of Western Massachusetts, said her business began at Union Street in West Springfield in 2004 before moving to Longmeadow in 2005. At that time, the one-room studio had only five pieces of equipment.
Now, the center has two rooms, 15 pieces of apparatus as well as props and additional options for exercise, she added.
“I would say we have actively about 250 clients that are on a regular basis,” Burke-Allen said. “We do group classes on the equipment, we do group mat classes, and then we do private sessions and semi-private sessions.”
Burke-Allen, who is also a certified trainer at the center, said pilates focuses on strengthening the abdominals, the back, as well as the shoulders, and then working the arms in legs in conjunction with those areas of the body.
“It’s about stability,” she explained. “So, being stable in what you’re doing and then adding extra work. So, it’s working the core.”
Burke-Allen said her clients often note that pilates makes their other physical activities more effective because they know how to control their body better.
“A lot of our [male] clients come because they hurt their backs and they see the benefits of [pilates] and they stay,” she added. “[It’s an issue that people don’t often talk about] and people think ‘Oh, I just have to live with this’ and then they do this and they’re like ‘Wow, I don’t hurt anymore.’”
There are also clients who come to the center who typically don’t like to exercise, Burke-Allen said.
“Because it’s a different type of exercise, they embrace it,” she added. “I have moms and daughters who are like, ‘Wow, I can’t believe my mom is sticking with this.’ Because it’s not running on a treadmill or lifting heavy weights, it’s just more precise and more controlled.
“It also doesn’t have that intimidation factor of a gym like people always say, ‘Gosh, I just love hanging out here,’” Burke-Allen continued.
Burke-Allen said clients must take an introduction class before using the equipment to learn the basics of pilates to be effective and safe.
The center has five reformers, a spring-loaded piece of equipment that can be used sitting, standing, or lying down, as well as core-aligns, which were originally designed for physical therapists that have patients that need walking rehabilitation.
“And it just sort of takes the horizontal pilates principles and makes it vertical so it’s really functional to help people with walking or with balance problems,” she added.
Classes take place Monday through Saturday in the mornings, afternoon, and evenings.
Pre-registration and payment are required for all group apparatus, classes including springboard, jumpboard, and reformer classes, according to the center.
The center is also adding new classes, including a body Barre class on Wednesdays from 5:30 to 6:20 p.m. led by Burke-Allen, as well as a new springboard class on Wednesday mornings.
During the open house, there will be two free 20-minute classes, a mat and a barre, that are free with a suggested donation of a Barnes and Noble gift card to benefit classrooms at Dorman Elementary School in Springfield.
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