Evergreen Pilates

AT THE LAKE

By Amy J. Born

Lauri Stricker discovered Pilates the way many people do: as a way to heal. An avid rock climber for 25 years as well as a snowboarder, backpacker and trail runner, she’d had some injuries. “Pilates helped me heal and become a stronger climber. It changed my fitness and well-being,” she said. She liked it so much, she left a career in advertising and marketing to become a teacher and opened her first studio in Denver.

Lauri fell in love with Evergreen. She moved here 15 years ago and opened Evergreen Pilates a year later. “It was one of those times when everything just fell into place and I knew without a doubt, I’d made the right decision,” she said.

In her book, “Pilates for the Outdoor Athlete,” Lauri explains that Pilates is based on six principles: breathing, centering, concentration, control, fluid motion and precision. “Implementing these principles into everyday movements such as hiking, golfing or any activity, will change the way you look, feel and perform in your body. Pilates begins with awareness and helps to improve all of your movements, from the simplest to the most complex. It improves your core strength, flexibility and range of motion, muscle balance, coordination and your mind-body connection. Pilates is used worldwide by physical therapists to rehabilitate injuries to the back, hips, knees and more. Athletes use Pilates not only to rehab injuries, but to avoid them altogether,” she said.

When starting with a new client, Lauri begins by asking what the person likes to do and wants to do better. She ties the Pilates practice to that activity. “Some people need more agility or better balance. Core strength helps with that too. Whatever you are doing becomes easier because the movement becomes more efficient,” she said. “It’s like when the tires on a car are misaligned and they wear unevenly, creating friction. Correct alignment in our bodies eliminates that friction. It is the cornerstone of good movement. If you are well aligned, all your exercise will be brilliant.”

Evergreen Pilates offers small classes of six students using primarily the Reformer, an apparatus invented by Joseph Pilates who developed the practice. Because classes are small, instruction is highly individualized and emphasizes alignment and form. Evergreen Pilates also offers virtual mat classes via Zoom. Clients can join a small class with one of the studio’s six amazing instructors from the comfort of their homes.

An introductory package includes three private lessons followed by five classes. The private lessons help new students learn the fundamentals and how to use the equipment, so they are confident when joining the classes.

Classes are scheduled weekday mornings and evenings as well as Saturdays, with 25 to choose from each week. Some are organized around activities such as skiing, while others are based on level of difficulty.

Evergreen Pilates is currently offering two promotions:

Summer Promotion

During the 100 days of summer, Evergreen Pilates is gifting all new clients a free copy of Lauri’s book, “Pilates for the Outdoor Athlete,” which outlines home workouts for runners, cyclists, skiers, paddlers and more.

Welcome Back to the Studio Special

Evergreen Pilates is welcoming clients back to the studio by offering one personal training session (value $80) for every new monthly membership. Please call for details.

Evergreen Pilates is located in the heart of Evergreen in the Lakepoint Shopping Center across from Evergreen Lake and online at evergreenpilates.com. 303.679.1664