Vertical Pilates

I was very impressed with Zeena’s knowledge of Pilates and how each exercise impacts the different parts of the body. She is thorough, patient and an effective coach. Her passion comes through in her desire to see her students excel physically and mentally through increased strength and flexibility. This unique form of exercise will work muscles you forgot you had, strengthen your core and improve your posture and balance. Vertical Pilates is a great place to achieve your physical goals!

Zeena is extremely knowledgeable and attentive. This was my first time trying Pilates. I am a fitness freak, but found it to be a new and different challenge. It felt like an intense full body contraction. I highly recommend Zeena’s services. Check it out!

Zeena, Natalie and Jan are top notch instructors in this revolutionary Pilates studio. After 3 months, I can confidently state that the painful consequences of past injuries and a life time of poor posture CAN BE REVERSED! If you want my story, it’s at the bottom, but here’s the lowdown:
By regularly attending twice a week, as well as working closely with my chiropractor and massage therapist, I have been able to overcome a good deal of lower back pain, as well as neck and shoulder immobility. The instructors are careful to focus on my individual needs during workouts, making sure positions are correct every step of the way and providing constant positive encouragement. I’ve seen the results in my lumbar area, my shoulders and my hamstrings — more flexibility, better muscle tone, and much less pain!
Whatever your issues may be, Zeena’s Vertical Pilates studio can provide you with the personalized care you need to get back in the game of life, whether you golf, play tennis, swim, cycle, or just walk around. Age 18 or 80, you can do this workout. Pre-​op strengthening? Post-​injury recovery? Want to fight your middle-​age middle? Need an alternative to crowded, impersonal gyms? This is a fine place to start fresh.
Now here’s where I come from:
I’m 52 with a fairly athletic history. I played soccer and participated in track and field as a teen. I became an avid cyclist in my 20s and basically did nothing in my 30s and 40s besides chase toddlers and teenagers while they were growing up. I started attending women’s boot camp in my late 40s, and did fairly well despite some lower back issues I attributed to a weak core. I got pretty strong, then switched to cross-​fit. This was fun (yeah) and a little scary, but it offered inadequate supervision. I take full responsibility for this: I needed to correct bad form (planking while out of breath rounded my shoulder areas, dead lifts when my hams were too tight to do a proper lift) but didn’t know where the wrong form came from. Zeena and her staff helped me see what doctors, physical therapists and other workout coaches couldn’t: I had to get my hamstrings to loosen, activate layers of lazy muscles that weren’t doing their fair share, use vertical posture exercises to get the entire muscle system to support my frame. The rounding of my shoulders has begun to disappear, the pain in my lower back is almost completely gone, and I feel terrific. Thank you, Vertical Pilates!

I’ve been doing traditional and Stott pilates for nearly 10 years (I am 59). I just moved to Orange County a few months ago, and discovered Vertical Pilates by accident. Curious about how it differed from the pilates I knew, I tried it.
O M G … It is more challenging and much more rewarding !! The rewards? After a handful of sessions, I am noticeably stronger, have much less back and leg pain, and seriously — without any intention or effort to lose weight — I just discovered I have lost 4 pounds in a month. I really did not try to lose weight; I don’t diet. It just came off.
The fact that you are vertical when you are doing most of the exercises certainly helps its effectiveness. The equipment (Core Align) is sophisticated and designed to achieve maximum impact for the effort. When you watch the instructors, Zeena and Natalie, demonstrate the exercises, it looks easy. But after you do a few sessions, you realize that the special equipment design, the fact that you are vertical, and the very specific instructions and feedback given by Zeena and Natalie elevate this form of exercise to the highest level for strength training, posture alignment, flexibility, calorie burning and pain reduction.
I am sold. I recommend Vertical Pilates to any one who wants to get stronger, lose weight, have less pain, and move with greater ease and control.

I just turned 62 and have been physically active all my life. I used to do boot camp, pilates, stepping etc.etc. Unfortenately — beginning about three years ago — I noticed stiffness in my hip and pain in my lower back. Thank God I found very good chiropractic care /​Dr. Gibson, Dr. Foudy and Dr. Peters.
And even better I met Zeena — owner of Vertical Pilates — at there office.
I began my workouts about 10 weeks ago in her studio (very clean, light and bright) with Natalie.
I’ve already noticed improved posture, much better ability to walk and my entire body feels so much stronger.
Natalie is a lot of fun to work out with — she is not only professional and «into it», she focuses on my needs.
Not to mention, an hr. of workout goes by like nothing but the result is almost unreal.
I know Vertical Pilates is excacly what I needed and I can only highly recommend it.
Try it — there is nothing to loose but a lot to gain.
Thank you Zeena and Natalie!

This was my first time doing Pilates and I have to say that Zeena is not only very knowledgeable but she made it fun. I’m really excited to continue my private sessions with her and can’t wait to see the results. I highly recommend that you check out Zeena and learn how awesome this new Vertical Pilates is all about.

With so many options for exercise, trainers and instructors I am very critical. I have now been to the Vertical Pilates studio several times, and I love it for many reasons.
The workout is unique and challenging. Most of the workout is in an upright position so your core is engaged the entire time. The space is very nice, with windows and plenty of natural light. It is obvious that the owner takes pride in the space and maintains is very well. The studio AND BATHROOMS are very clean. The air conditioning works well, which I always find lacking in other studios. The instruction you receive at Vertical Pilates is top notch and full of energy. Zeena (owner and founder) always asks about injuries, and remembers to suggest modifications when necessary. She makes sure to cue every exercise and makes corrections along the way to ensure proper form. Even when doing an exercise for the first time you NEVER feel lost. It is refreshing to be in a studio where so much of the focus is on helping clients to get stronger and healthier without all the superficial hype. Highly recommended!

I’ve done pilates and personal training with Zeena in the past and she’s the best. I’m really excited about her new space and equipment (Core Align). It’s like next-​level pilates; I’ve already seen posture improvements in addition to the workout and fitness benefits. (I’ve had neck and upper back issues in the past that can be aggravated by weights and boot camps so alignment and form is especially important to me.) Zeena is laser-​focused during a workout, as compared to a lot of trainers and classes where they go through the moves but don’t pay as much attention to what you’re doing and correct you when needed. If you’ve ever been in the back of a yoga class thinking «Am I doing this right?» you probably know what I mean.
I am happy to highly recommend this studio and I know they have some deals going through August – the packages are more than reasonable. It’s a brand new facility and I suspect that the rates will increase as the client base does — so I recommend jumping in early. :)