One of my New Year’s Resolutions was to become a healthier and stronger person, mainly to improve my bad posture, since I sit all day.
I decided to check out pilates, which is a great physical conditioning system to improve the body’s core and restore alignment in the spine and pelvis. Jessie Zalla, who has taught Pilates and Yoga for over 14 years, has a great local studio at 37 Greenpoint Ave. After taking her class, I left feeling taller and gained new knowledge of how to treat my persistent shoulder pain. The large studio windows provided a blissful view, as I worked on the strenuous, but satisfying exercises Jessie showed me.
Her class was very diverse, beginning with a foam roller, followed by the reformer, the tower, and a basic rotator cuff move, using a small elastic band. The machines, which can be daunting to anyone who has never tried this kind of pilates before, can be easily adjusted to your height and can also add more weight to your workout.
Jessie paid attention to the smallest details about positioning my body correctly, so that I could use the muscles that have been somewhat dormant (in my extended desk “sitting” time) and activate them. She hopes that by understanding the grace and ease of the body, students can achieve their own goals for correct posture and achieve leaner and stronger muscles, rather than striving for the stereotypical bikini body images that most gyms push.
After just one session, I left with new understanding of my own anatomy and even bought an elastic band to work on the small exercises at home.
Jessie Zalla Pilates is home to other wonderful instructors, with private sessions as well as small group classes, ranging in Barre and Pilates of all levels. The studio is so welcoming and warm, if you are a beginner or just want to try something new to add to your fitness regimen, I strongly recommend taking a class here.
For more info visit Jessie Zalla Pilates @ 37 Greenpoint Avenue, 4th Floor, Unit C4., Brooklyn, NY 11222