Posted on April 9, 2021 at 12:49 by Carol Tannenhauser
Nexa Pilates, Broadway between 81st and 82nd.
By Lisa Kava
Pilates, a bodybuilding program that focuses on strengthening, stretching, and core work, was established in Europe amid the 1918 flu pandemic. The founder, Joseph Pilates, a German, later claimed that all his students remained healthy and that no one did not catch the flu virus, which was booming. Today, the workout is live on the Upper West Side, where most Pilates studios have endured another pandemic, COVID-19.
While Pilates can be practiced on a yoga mat, classical Pilates uses multiple large pieces of equipment (known in the Pilates world as apparatus), such as the reformer, the cadillac, and the tower.
Unlike Yoga studios, which rely primarily on group classes, Pilates studios were already accustomed to holding private or semi-private sessions (known as duets) because the apparatus takes up space in the studio. Yoga studios have been challenged over the past year as group fitness classes were shut down in March 2020 and only got the green light on 22 March 2021 to work at 33% again. Most have moved to a virtual format, but some have been temporarily or permanently closed. . While the closing was also difficult for Pilates studios in the Upper West Side, many have been offering private sessions since the fall.
Candlestick Pilates, W. 83rd between Columbus and Amsterdam.
Joseph Pilates was interned during the First World War with other Germans by the British in a camp on a small island. Pilates, who as a child was ill but later became a boxing coach, gymnast and bodybuilder, did a set of exercises for himself and other inmates, to keep moving and stay healthy. During his time as a hospital worker in the camp, Pilates attached bed feathers to hospital beds and applied an exercise program to those who were sick. After the war, he was known to remember that none of his students contracted the flu.
The statement ‘nobody got sick’ was central to the training program, and it was repeated over and over again. In a 1962 profile, a Sports Illustrated writer summed up the legend: “No one who practiced his principles came down with the flu during the great epidemic,” reports The New York Times.
Pilates and his wife, Clara, eventually moved to New York City, where he opened his first Pilates studio on Eighth Avenue in 1923. The method was embraced by dancers, including George Balanchine and Martha Graham, and quickly became popular.
Pilates House, W. 75 between Columbus and Amsterdam.
The Upper West Side today houses numerous Pilates studios. West Side Rag has compiled a list of local studios and what they currently offer. Representatives from each studio listed said Covid-19 safety measures continue to exist, including: temperature controls, air filter systems, air purifiers, mandatory mask wear, health questionnaires and device sanitation.
Candlestick Pilates at 140 West 83rd Street, between Columbus and Amsterdam, has been open for private sessions since October 2020. With the new group rules in effect, studio owner Hallee Altman will add another session per hour, increasing capacity to 4 people in the studio as he continues. to offer private sessions. Candlestick Pilates has a back porch that can be used for outdoor mat classes.
Westside Pilates was recently reopened at 229 West 97th Street, between Amsterdam and Broadway. Owner Adrianne Yurgosky offers private, duet and group classes for a maximum of 3 people.
Pilates House NYC at 102 West Street 102, between Columbus and Amsterdam, offers private, duet and classes for three people. The space of 700 square meters with high ceilings is open for sessions, by appointment, only the studio owner Annette Fletcher.
Nexa Pilates at 2273 Broadway, between the 81st and 82nd, holds private, duet and group classes of up to 4 people. Studio manager Dace Stringari has 2,400 square feet of space.
NYC Pilates at 2231, Broadway, between 79 and 80, currently only offers private sessions and duets. Owner Randi Stone plans to add later this spring group sessions that can take place at four. Stone has a studio of 1500 square meters.
Core Zone Pilates at West 72nd Street 53, between Columbus and Amsterdam, offers private sessions just for now. “I have large windows and large circulation,” wrote studio owner Kathryn Pine.
Net Pilates at 319 West 74th Street, between WEA and Riverside Drive, has been offering private studio sessions since September and will not be expanded. “The studio only offers private sessions, as there are generally no group classes,” wrote Angela Wiele, owner.
Moving force at 792 Street 212 West, between Broadway and WEA, private, duet and small group classes are offered for a maximum of 5 people. Owner Patricia Ruiz noted that all customers in the group classes live 6 meters apart.
Kinespirit Riverside in West 85th Street 214, between Broadway and WEA, offers private, duet and group classes recently added, with a maximum of 3 students.
Momentum fitness in 246 Columbus Avenue, between 71 and 72, only Pilates mat classes are offered in the studio, with a maximum of 6 people per class. The studio does not have appliances. Momentum Fitness will be holding classes in Central Park again during the second week of April. According to Marco Guanilo, the studio owner will be held just before the entrance of the 72nd and Central Park West.
Did Pilates keep you healthy and sane during the COVID-19 pandemic? Do you have a favorite UWS Pilates studio that we did not list? Please tell us in the comments.