Pilates 580

Love coming here! ive tried multiple studios around Oakland and keep coming back to Laura. Most places aren’t challenging enough but Laura sees when I can do more and pushes me a little more. The studio is small with convenient parking. I only wish there were more classes available.

While driving on hwy 580 after a great group class with Laura, I realized the same attn. we practice driving (look 10 cars ahead, scan right, scan left, gaze into rear view mirror, hands in place, repeat) reminded me of the way Laura helps us stabilize our joints with skillful reminders of alignment and effort. Constant attention and amazing spot on hands-​on assists.
Her classes don’t waste anytime letting you know where you need to build strength. So fun, creative and efficient. Great location too.

I’m relatively new to Pilates and I love Laura’s classes. I can really feel the changes going on in my body and definitely feel stronger in my core, and all over! The classes are small and intimate and you really get individual attention. Deva also taught one of my classes and he’s very good too! Everyone is really friendly and I’m so glad I signed up for my classes. I highly recommend Pilates 580!

Making it to a 6:15PM pilates class on a week night is no easy feat. I need to schedule a week ahead at least to make it happen and shift a lot around in the process. Twice I’ve done that to make it to Pilates 580 and twice the class has been cancelled within a few hours of its start time. By the time I’ve received news of the cancellations via email it’s too late to get a class elsewhere sorted out. (And my carefully laid plans to get in a workout are kaput.)
I don’t know if I’ve simply been unlucky, or if these kinds of last minute cancellations are common at Pilates 580. What I do know is that it’s extremely disappointing.

I hurt my back at work a couple years ago and more than one person recommended pilates. I didn’t do it. It eventually got better. As a firefighter in SF, back injuries can be hard to avoid with the work we do. Now, two years later I herniated my L4-​L5 disk in my lower back and the healing process was soooo slow. After a few months of pain and sciatica, I decided to give pilates a try since physical therapy wasn’t really helping. I even had a cortisone epidural shot and it didn’t really help either.
I found Laura at Pilates 580 on an amazon local deal and was able to get three private one hour sessions for about $ 75. After just three sessions, my back really was starting to feel better. I felt I could stand up straighter too. So I bought an additional 5 session pack from her and continued pilates twice a week. Each session was different and she was very aware of my back limitations and never did she ask me to do something that further aggravated my condition.
In two months, I went from having trouble walking one block, to being able to walk tall and strong with no more sciatica nerve pain. She worked ab muscles I never really knew how to use before. As a collegiate athlete and firefighter, I’m no stranger to core strength exercises, but Pilates was all new to me.
Laura is very caring, sweet, and knowledgable. She pushed me hard enough every session, enough to feel like I got a great workout but not too hard where I would hate Pilates and never come back. :)
Thank you Laura for getting me back to work!

This is my 1^st time trying Pilates, as an out of shape, non-​athletic 50 something. I’m lucky to be able to take one of Laura’s lunchtime mat and tower classes. The space is beautiful and private. Laura makes me feel welcomed and comfortable, while tailoring Pilates to individual needs.
Laura explains things clearly, with a nice dose of humor, and is very warm. That is not to say this has been easy for me, but I feel better and stronger after only 3 sessions.

Check out Pilates 580 for more than just your aching back. I have done Pilates for about six years now. I had to stop for about a year. But when the joints in my thumbs started aching, I contacted Laura and after two sessions, the pain in my joins evaporated. Thank you, Laura! Zillah, Oakland

I’m an ex soccer player with multiple injuries /​surgeries. My entire skeleto-​muscular system is out-​of-​whack due to muscle atrophy and a weak core. I scheduled 1v1 sessions with Laura. It was so refreshing to have her actually listen to everything I said, partner with me, and tailor a routine that specifically targeted my pain-​points — unlike many of the physical therapists I’d seen in the past that already had a preset routine mapped out prior to even meeting me. My core became a lot stronger and my gait became more aligned after 3 sessions.
I’d definitely recommend Laura to anyone who is serious about getting back into shape… she is awesome to work with!!!

Lala and Laura are the best. High quality classes, at a reasonable price (seriously, check out the cost of other 45 – 60 minute classes at private pilates studios) in a down to earth, real atmosphere. I began pilates to help with back pain and after a few months I looked in the mirror and noticed «wow, I have those ab lines.» That, in addition, to my happier back, is why I recommend pilates 580.

Since going to Pilates 580, my posture and gait have so improved, I am now doing speed walks of 5 miles an hour! And this after having suffered chronic knee pain for 20 years and the inability to go down a flight of stairs without clutching a handrail.
Reformer, mat and chair work have saved my spine, my knees and my spirit, and being able to dance again is pure joy. Special thanks to my Pilates trainer Lala Darrah at Pilates 580. She has helped me regain my body’s strength, and my well being.

You feel an immediate sense of comfort from the first moment you meet Laura, the owner of, and instructor at Pilates 580. Although I’ve practiced Pilates at home for several years, I grew eager to begin formal classes to stay fit and begin strength training. I started with the beginner class, until I was strong enough to graduate into the intermediate class, where the exercises and techniques are highly advanced.
Laura adjusts each work out to the limits of your body… and often changes the weekly routine to keep your workouts new and challenging. Treat your body to a workout with Laura, where you’ll leave feeling stronger, more balanced, and dripping with sweat.

Freakin’ Fantastic!
OK OK first of all, no I am NOT some sort of exercise nut, but I do want to look my best, hell what’s a single girl in her 40’s to do if not TRY to stay in the game. And Pilates 580 promises promises (sing along with me) gets me there. Great students, great teacher. Patience pays as Laura does not push you harder than you can manage but then again she does not let you slack either. This is not a temple to the great work of pilates but a fun experience that will leave you sweating, laughing and wanting more more more.

Pilates 580 won the Best of the East Bay last year and is an excellent place to take Pilates mat and/​or reformer classes. The instructors (Laura & Angela) are excellent instructors and lead the classes in a fun yet challenging way. My posture, flexibility and overall strength have improved since taking Pilates with Laura.
The Pilates 580 Studio is easy to get to, their is plenty of parking, and the Studio itself is clean and attractive.
I highly recommend Pilates 580!

Laura is a fantastic instructor! Very knowledgeable and patient, and I greatly appreciate this since I’m a newbie to Pilates. Her studio is fully equipped and very clean. It’s located right off the Harrison St exit, and there is parking, which is a huge plus. I have several more weeks of training to go, and I look forward to them all. I didn’t think you could sweat or feel worked out from Pilates because I thought it was like Yoga — oh boy, was I wrong! If you are hesitant about taking Pilates, see Laura, she will make you feel at ease and work you out at the same time.