If you want the best in Pilates, this is your place. Too many pilates classes are taught by…read moreuntrained instructors. Carolyn was trained by one of the original pilates teachers. She meets you where you are and works with you. She's smart & charming and unlike so many storefront pilates places, she knows the human body. She keeps you flexible and in shape. You won't find anyone better.

In Forma is a great neighborhood gym. I love the variety of fitness classes and the equipment is…read morejust right. They also have a great group of personal trainers - who really know how to motivate and guide you through the process of getting and being fit. In Forma's staff and the members are also very friendly. It's a no-pressure, welcoming gym.

This review is for Emm Yee. Honestly she is one of the best trainers I have ever encountered…read more Patient, understanding, and really takes interest in each individual's needs. I cannot believe that 24 Hour Fitness let this jewel go. Their loss is InForma Health Club's gain. I really loved the class last night. Thank you for an amazing time !!!!!! YOU ARE AWESOME!!!!!!!!

I was very, very resistant to trying Pilates. I saw it as quackery, something akin to laying on of…read morehands, and despite having had back issues for over two decades, which included herniations at L4-5 and L5-S1, both of which had protrusions and one with an extruded fragment, I resisted. I had undergone a discectomy in 2005, and when I blew the second disc in December of 2016 and was told that it could not be resolved surgically, believed that my life ahead would consist of pain management. Not ideal. Several people had sworn by Pilates for their back issues, but I believed my issues to be unique (which was of course ridiculous). I told my partner that I was considering trying it, and she immediately got us a package of private sessions. Kelly turned out to be the teacher we spent the most time with over the past year plus. She listened to my prattling on, she was patient and very involved with helping me with positioning, breathing, and what to look for regarding feel and technique. She was patient, knowledgeable, supportive and very kind. The workouts were much more challenging than I would have ever expected, and I felt muscles working that I had never used before, despite being a lifelong athlete and fitness buff. The morning after our first class, I woke up pain free for the first time in decades. Seriously. I was an immediate convert. I have continued with Pilates, and have had Kelly as a teacher many times, always with good results and always, always impressed with Kelly's abilities and approach as a teacher. I will miss her at Optimum Pilates, but I guarantee that we will find her and take classes from her in the future. I trust and respect her skills and knowledge as a teacher that much. I recommend her without hesitation or qualification. She is great.

Kelly is truly the very best of the best. I have been seeing her for over a year now for support in…read moremy postpartum experience as well as in my second pregnancy. Her office is serene and the minute you walk in, you are instantly at ease. I initially booked a private Pilates session and in our talk prior to getting started, we pivoted and did an acupuncture session to address my underlying concerns. Kelly took the time to hear what I needed in that moment and, without hesitation, made the change. Kelly has supported me in my hardest moments of postpartum and pregnancy and I truly cannot imagine life without her anymore.

The best Pilates studio hands down!!! You won't find another place in the east bay with as kind and…read moresupportive instructors for people with all backgrounds.

I had an opportunity this week to have a private Pilates session with Amy. It was such a great…read moreexperience! The studio is beautiful and clean, Amy is knowledgeable and in general great to work with. I am definitely a beginner at Pilates but she worked with me on form and explaining what I should be feeling during each move. I left feeling amazing. Highly recommend this studio.

As a long-standing member of Oakwood, I am continually drawn back by the exceptional dance…read moreinstructors who enrich our community. Among them, Carah Hering stands out as my all-time favorite fitness instructor. She imparts her expertise in Line Dancing, ZUMBA, Aqua-ZUMBA, and Cardio Dance, fostering a sense of community that transcends the club. Carah helps coordinate dance parties and trips throughout the year, she also encourages the celebration of birthdays and other life milestones in a unique and memorable manner. These events provide an unparalleled opportunity for camaraderie and shared experiences. Recently, I underwent hip replacement surgery, and Carah's classes served as my greatest motivation to heal and resume dancing with my Oakwood Dance Sisters. If you are passionate about dance or eager to explore this art form, I wholeheartedly recommend all the dance classes offered at the Oakwood Athletic Club.

Love this gym! The pool is the perfect temperature, the showers are immaculate, the wet and dry…read moresaunas relaxing, the fitness classes intense, but fun, and the machines are state-of-the-art. The staff at the front desk, make it a point to memorize your name, amazing, so check-in is very easy highly recommend!

Hazel is an amazing instructor and the sweetest! I've done pilates at other studios for a few…read moreyears, but I truly appreciate how Hazel pays attention to every detail. After just a month of working with her, my chronic low back pain is improving, and my alignment is so much better. Highly recommend!

From the owner: Cozy studio offering one-on-one Pilates sessions in Rockridge. A fully equipped studio welcoming…read moreeveryone. Please call / text to schedule a session. 917-703-1157

I am a fat woman with multiple difficulties from old injuries. I am wary of "fitness people"…read morebecause in the past they've gotten me hurt a lot more often than they've helped me be healthy. If it wasn't an actual injury, it was insensitivity about my size -- either one will make fitness a major challenge. I originally went to Laurie because she's an old friend who was launching her own business. I was skeptical about Pilates, skeptical about its suitability for me, and cautious about the whole thing. That was a little over a month ago. I'm now a regular, signed up for a ten lesson package, because (1) I enjoyed the first visit and (2) this stuff is good for me. I could feel the benefit in the first visit, but it was striking after the second visit. The exercises and the "homework" are manageable and make me feel better rather than feel worse. I can walk farther without problems, I can stand longer without problems, and it is already translating into a more active life for me. Laurie is good humored, articulate, gentle, and non-judgmental. She knows the names of the little muscles I am finding that I never used before. Her equipment looks like it was made for torture, but really it is exactly the opposite. She has been both knowledgeable and graceful in modifying exercises as necessary for a person of my size and build. I did not list the address because the studio is a small building in the backyard of her home. Imagine going to exercise class, walking through a wooden gate, crunching across fallen leaves, and walking into a room full of light and calm! So, if you are fearful, skeptical, and increasingly immobile, but desirous of reversing the trend into something happier, consider Laurie. She is a good and gentle teacher.

I signed up for a benefit workshop that Laurie gave a while back and I was VERY impressed with her…read morepresentation to a bunch of us newbies! Okay, maybe I was the only fool who had never experienced Pilates... but I think a good teacher is someone who can "break it down" into bite-sized chunks and "read" the students to know when they get lost and need more coaching. I think Laurie has both the expertise, passion, and patience to be a GREAT coach and instructor for anyone interested in working on/with their body in this discipline.

I lack the motivation to exercise. Thank goodness I found Nyrene! She comes to my home (I choose to…read moreexercise in my garden) and we get in a great workout tailored to my needs. She is very knowledgeable and professional, but what I love most is her patience and kindness. She is fun to work with even when I'm not in the mood. She works with all ages and fitness levels. She's happy to work over Zoom, at home or anywhere you choose. She is flexible when one day I want to try something different, like staircases and hills in my neighborhood. She is a treasure!

Nyrene is an amazing trainer! She helped me achieve my muscle gains and I'm so grateful! Would…read morehighly recommend

Claudia is wonderful. I took her hypnobirthing class prior to having my first baby. The tools she…read moreand her course gave me empowered me to go into labor with confidence and excitement and to deliver my child naturally despite a rather long labor. The resulting health benefits for my child are beyond what I even understood initially, and I have had an easy postpartum recovery. The class even prepped my husband to be a stellar birthing partner without whom I'm not sure I would have had the same success with a natural delivery. Claudia's warm and kind demeanor, her years of experience, and her knowledge of hypnobirthing and its methods made for the best birthing class I could have asked for. I now believe every pregnant woman should take a hypnobirthing class. I cannot recommend Claudia and CFM more highly!

Working with Claudia for the birth of our 2nd child helped us heal from a traumatic first birth…read moreexperience. We went to the hospital feeling more prepared and we were able to work together and have a great birth experience. We will share that forever. Thank you, Claudia!

I highly recommend Rachel if you are looking for a personal trainer! I came to Rachel with almost…read moreno experience in the gym. Through training with her I've gained so much confidence with equipment that I would have never picked up on my own. Rachel takes time to really make sure you are working towards your fitness goals. She builds her programs specifically around your goals and will make tweaks based on progress so that you can get the most out of your sessions. Her positive and encouraging attitude during sessions always helps me to finish strong and lift more than I thought I could! She also takes time to explain each exercise and why we are doing it. I am super happy with my results from training with Rachel for just a short period of time!!

Rachel is such a great trainer. She is fantastic at taking your goals and really honing in on which…read moreexercises will get you there the fastest. I was able to build my hips / butt 1.5 inches and lose an inch from my waist in 2 months! She's also got great advice about diet and goes above and beyond to research additional methods of training to get you past plateaus and to get you to your goals faster. Rachel is definitely very focused during training, which I love - but also somehow is super fun to chat with. She also really cares about her clients as well, not just professionally but personally. When I was having a really hard day and started crying in the gym, she said there was no way I should be training and sat me down and we just spent the hour chatting rather than training. She didn't charge me for that session; it's because she genuinely cares.