About
Meet Nancy
Nancy has been teaching fitness classes and working as a personal trainer, in Bend, since 1984. She has acquired certifications in multiple areas of group exercise, indoor cycling, conscious movement facilitation, and individual program design. In 2008, Nancy began studying at Long Beach Dance Conditioning with Master Trainer, Marie Jose’ in the Pilates Method and has taught this focused technique in her home studio, Sisters Athletic Club, Rebound Sport Performance, FreshAirSports Pilates, The Athletic Club of Bend and now in this “brand” new studio! She continues to study with Marie Jose’ and attends continuing education opportunies within the Pilates, therapeutic and mindful movement communities.
Nancy has discovered that Pilates equipment and mat work, driven by the respiratory system, create the optimal environment for the mind and body to focus on form and alignment which is required for peak performance. Her joyful passion is to teach dynamic core strength and stability as the foundation work for all movement, all the time!
History of Pilates
Pilates was created by Joseph Pilates. Born in Germany, he emigrated to Britain and eventually the US. He created the reformer, which he called apparatus as a new approach to exercise and body-conditioning.
Joseph Pilates was a child that dealt with lots of illness. This encouraged him to take up body-building and eventually boxing, skiing, and diving. He also became very interested in researching and practicing all forms of exercise. This included gymnastics, yoga, taichi, Zen meditation and others.
In 1923, the first Pilates studio opened in New York. There his method became particularly appealing to dancers like Marth Graham and George Balanchine. This method was felt to be the best to recover from injuries and prevent future injuries from happening.
Pilates is now a very popular practice in the United States. With various methods and styles, you can find practices that are slower and more methodical as well as faster, flow, practices for a cardio workout.
