Nov. 15 — Pilates fights fat on the mat

Students swear the exercise improves posture and well being

Susan Schell / of the Herald

In a little room nestled in the corner of a big blue “flashcube” building on Puyallup’s Main Street, women of all ages are learning how to sit up straight, pull in their stomachs and stand with good posture. No, it’s not a charm school, it’s Pilates, an exercise system that focuses on the deep muscles of the spine and abdomen.

“I now have a lot of definition in my abs,” said Pilates student, Brooke Oliver. “I also have good posture now. I always feel relaxed after class.”

The Pilates Studio of Puyallup has been operating for a little over a year and is co-owned by Ann Puntel and Kelly Aversa. A third instructor, Michelle Tangen, also teaches at the studio. All the instructors are STOTT certified, a form of Pilates perfected in the 1980s.

Puntel began taking Pilates in 2000 to rehabilitate from an injury and was so impressed with the results she began certified instructor training.

Aversa has a master’s degree in nursing, but walked away from a career as a family nurse practitioner to become a Pilates instructor.

“Ann was my neighbor and was always into fitness,” she said. “I started doing Pilates with Ann and was impressed by what it did for me in terms of posture and strength.”

Her work with Pilates eliminated back problems that had been plaguing her for years.

“I had the classic arched shoulders and low back spasms,” Aversa said. “My mother said I walked like a ‘C.’ I don’t have back problems any more. I decided to switch careers. I felt like I could help a person more by teaching them how to live right in their body rather than writing them a prescription.”

Puntel explained that a German named Joseph Pilates started this form of exercise in the 1920s. She points to a large square contraption called the “Cadillac.”

“If this is reminiscent of a hospital bed, there’s a reason,” she said. “Pilates helped rehabilitate bedridden English soldiers during World War I.”

Pilates eventually moved to New York where he worked with dancers and designed new exercises around their needs.

Puntel demonstrates several exercises using equipment like “the chair,” “the reformer” and the “ladder barrel,” exercises that focus on reflexion, extension, rotation and lateral flexion.

“Your body is like a box,” she said. “You learn how to stand up, open your shoulders and get your upper body into the proper position.”

“You develop muscle memory which causes you not to slouch,” Oliver said. “It makes your posture good.”

Even newer students claim to feel the benefits of the exercise.

“I’ve definitely felt a toning in my core strength,” said Becky Hart after three weeks of Pilates.

“I had knee problems with other high impact exercises. With Pilates I’m not sore afterward. You just feel energized and good. And you can go at your own pace.”

The Pilates Studio offers both group sessions and private sessions. Aversa said that classes include all skill levels and body types.

“Private classes are based solely on what the individual can do,” she said.

“This culture we live in is high stress and tension. There are a lot of desk people. Pilates helps prevent problems down the line.”

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The Pilates Studio:

The Pilates Studio of Puyallup is located in the Puyallup Executive Building, 1011 E. Main, Suite 108. For more information, call:

> Kelly Aversa at 253-241-9217

> Ann Puntel at 253-691-3375

Reach Reporter Susan Schell at 253-841-2481 ext. 315 or by e-mail at susan.schell@puyallupherald.com.