The Insider's Guide to Pilates in Los Angeles

L.A. confidential? Not anymore. We've uncovered all of Los Angeles' best-kept Pilates secrets

By Jen Jones

Please note: Prices are subject to change. Many of the studios listed offer specially priced packages, so contact studio websites for more options. For details on all 52 LA studios highlighted in this article, order the March/April 2006 issue here.

PS Pick: Mat Classes

Studio B Pilates 215 N Larchmont Blvd (323-461-8663) and 10137 Riverside Dr (818-508-0400). Private session: $70, semiprivate session: $40, mat class: $15

Insider Tip: With locations in the quaint and trendy Larchmont and Toluca Lake neighborhoods, this studio offers mat classes geared for the more advanced Pilates practitioner, though beginners are welcome. Clients cite a welcoming, mellow atmosphere and a wide variety of equipment among the studio's highlights.

PS Pick: Quick, Mid-Day Pilates Fix

Pilates Fitness Center 15200 Sunset Blvd, Ste 208; 310-459-9845. Private session: $69, Semiprivate session: $49, Reformer class: $31

Insider Tip: C'mon, get happy! The Pilates Fitness Center offers a daily discounted "happy hour" with Reformer classes for up to seven people between 12 and 3 pm. Besides the lunchtime classes, the studio also offers private Pilates instruction and rehabilitation services. According to the owner, the studio's most popular offering is a $150 package of three private sessions coupled with a complimentary spa-style cellulite treatment.

PS Pick: Home Instruction

Pneuma Pilates 310-601-7278. Sessions start at $85.

Insider Tip: Simplicity is the key to Jan Dismukes' spiritually based brand of private instruction. "I believe you don't need equipment to get the most incredible results," says Dismukes. "You just need someone making sure you are isolating and mobilizing the correct muscle groups." For her clients, Dismukes is that someone, showing up at their homes for a workout designed for relaxation and stress relief.

PS Pick: Pilates and Gyrotonic Studios

Harmony Studios 8440 Santa Monica Blvd, Unit G2, 323-822-9584. Private session (Gyrotonic or Pilates): $70, Semiprivate session: $45, Open studio: $25, Mat class: $15

Insider Tip: Three Gyrotonic instructors are on staff at this bustling Pilates studio. Mothers-to-be may enjoy the special services the studio offers such as labor support and an on-staff doula.

PS Pick: Inspiring Scenery and Design

The Humble Abode 519 N La Cienega Blvd, Ste 9, 310-360-9300. Private session: $75, Semiprivate session: $48

Insider Tip: Take in the tranquil garden setting in this day spa, salon and Pilates/Gyrotonic studio. Though "humble," it seems this well-kept secret has plenty to boast about, with services ranging from acupuncture to skin care. If you're looking to merge your beauty to-do list with your Pilates practice, consider the "Core Beauty Retreat," which includes a private Pilates session, a spa facial and a 60-minute massage for $238.

PS Pick: Private Instruction

Pilates with Joy 1405 Hermosa Ave, 310-379-9798. Private session: $70, Semiprivate session: $35

Insider Tip: Treat your body to a day of skin care and shaping at this beach-adjacent studio, equipped with Reformers, Cadillac, Wunda Chairs and all the usual suspects. Owner Joy says she takes advantage of her ocean setting by taking clients down to the stairs by the sand and mimicking Reformer movements. The studio doubles as a full-service skin care salon, where clients often schedule facials and micro-dermabrasion treatments in tandem with their workouts.

PS Pick: Tricked-Out Studio

Angel City Body Kinetics 4143 Glencoe Ave, 310-821-7200. Private session: $75, semiprivate session: $50, group classes/open studio: $25, mat class: $15

Insider Tip: With a sister location in Long Beach (longbeachdance.com), this spacious studio prides itself on a diverse set of offerings. Run by Marie-José Blom-Lawrence, this large training facility offers sessions on its many pieces of Pilates equipment, as well as a teacher training program and Gyrotonic and Gyrokinesis work. Blom-Lawrence, one of the pioneers in West Coast-style Pilates, is especially known for her work with dancers.

PS Pick: Pilates Plus Other Disiplines

The Pilates Room & Yoga Lounge 3205 Manhattan Ave, 310-376-6242. Private session: $70, semiprivate session: $40, Reformer and Jumpboard classes: $25, yoga: $13

Insider Tip: Besides the opportunity to rise and shine with early morning mat classes, clients take advantage of a wide variety of yoga classes at this beach-based studio with an appropriately groovy vibe. Most unique is Yoga for Surfing, a class designed to improve elements of surf technique while easing body tension.

PS Pick: Sports Clubs that Offer Pilates

The Sports Club/LA 9601 Wilshire Blvd (310-888-8100) or 1835 Sepulveda Blvd (310-473-1447). Class offerings: Equipment-based, Gyrotonic, Mat

Insider Tip: Want the feel of a Pilates studio without leaving your gym? Check out The Sports Club/LA's 1,300 sq ft fully equipped Pilates studio, which has Pilates and Gyrotonic apparatus and a separate area for mat workouts. Members can also take advantage of unique classes like "Candlelight Stretch" and "Transform Breathing." After your workout, a full-service spa and salon awaits for that much-deserved massage.

PS Pick: Pilates as Recovery

Core Conditioning 2520 W Olive, Ste 300 (818-729-9419) or 12930 Ventura Blvd (818-907-0008). Private session: $70, semiprivate session: $45, mat class: $17

Insider tip: If you're not sure whether your body needs Pilates, physical therapy or both, the experts here will help you figure it out. Owners Dawn-Marie Ickes, Gabrielle Shrier and Allyson Cabot are licensed physical therapists with diverse backgrounds in a variety of techniques. Other services offered at this integrative wellness center include Gyrotonic, acupuncture, massage and craniosacral therapy.

PS Pick: Celeb Hot Spots

Absolution 8535 Santa Monica Blvd, 310-657-7878. Private session: $75, semiprivate session: $50, Reformer class: $25, mat class: $15

Insider Tip: Even though owner Sascha Ferguson is sworn to secrecy by the numerous stars who frequent the studio, she says laughingly, that "People magazine would just about die if they knew who came in here." Besides impressive Pilates offerings and equipment, the studio offers a diverse roundup of classes, from self-defense to belly dancing to acupuncture. Also of note is a teacher training program, after which instructors are encouraged and given incentives to teach in-house.