Parkside Pilates

I am working with Blane to restore my core muscles after a twin pregnancy. Prior to coming to Parkside Pilates I was in pain every day due to prior back problems that got worse because of the pregnancy.
Blane helped me to be almost completely pain free! He is very knowledgeable, professional and a pleasure to work with. He will modify your exercise routine based on how your body is doing on a particular day.

I have worked with Lizz off and on for many years. She is amazing in her knowledge of how the body moves and what muscles to access when you are having a problem. My body tends to hold on tightly and over time she was able to coax my injured arm, neck, lower back into healthier movement patterns.
Though I have not worked with Lizz for over a year I still carry with me every day the knowledge of my body alignment and how I can use that in my daily activities so as to reinforce balance and ease. It is detailed input but if you are willing to really engage you will get amazing results!

Karen is great. She focuses on your needs and your performance and gives you tips that can help you. I went with my husband after he started and she focused on both of us. Great for private sections we just could not afford it so we stopped but would like to go back sometime.

This place is terrific. I have been taking classes with Karen for almost a year. Pilates with her has eliminated my back pain, something massage, pain killers, or a chiropractor couldn’t do. She makes the workout fun, the hour goes quickly, and I’m nice and sore afterwards. Awesome!

Closed!!! Boo went all the way there to find an abandoned studio… Sad Face…

Parkside Pilates is the best pilates studio ever!!! I have been coming here for almost a year straight on Wednesday evenings and found this wonderful place on Unilocal,of course. After my beloved yoga studio (KiKi-​Yo) in Glen Park had closed a couple of years ago, I was on the hunt for a local personal studio with a great instructor.
Blane and Lizz are the owners and professional dancers, so they really are experts and in tune with students like myself. Blane is friendly, funny and a fabulous instructor. Lizz is just as fabulous and very helpful with explaining techniques. The studio is bright, classes usually have about 6 students and street parking is easy.
I’m so lucky to have found Parkside Pilates and my booty has never been perkier! This is a great supplement to my cardio workout and my core is so thankful :)

Best spot in the city for a backiotomy.

At the wonderful Parkside Pilates studio, Lizz Roman taught me how to heal my body, and we continue to work on it every week. In my mind, Lizz literally saved my life by taking my injured, broken body and teaching me how to walk and move in ways that matter greatly every minute of every day.
I began to see Lizz before most people knew what Pilates is. I had a minor running injury, and terrified that I would not be able to ‘work out’ (more on this later). I hobbled home and saw a sign for Ellie Herman’s early location in the old Sears building on Caesar Chavez. There I began with a student teacher, but I was memorized by Lizz and how she interacted with her clients. When she had space, she took me into a small group of four women with whom I worked for about 7 or so years.
If you look at my Dr. Ross post, you’ll see that I almost died from a runaway staph infection that invaded my spine, ‘exploded’ three vertebrae, and damaged my heart. My vertebrae have calcified, my heart is better, and I am now able to move freely in the world thanks to Lizz.
On the earlier point of ‘working out.’ Lizz can give you a great one. One of the main things she has taught me – and I was a very difficult student on this point — is for me, that Pilates is not about working out; it’s about coming to know, understand and perhaps most important, listen to my body … and of course finding and using my core. If I had to use the ‘work out’ language for my own process, I’d call what we do ‘working in.’ After my injury, I rediscovered my own Pilates as part of my healing process, of becoming more mindful of my body. Since I found myself barely able to walk, and also lucky enough to work with Lizz one-​on-​one, this rings true for me every time I see her.
Lizz is tough and loving, demanding (have you already forgotten what we did last week?) and forgiving, and a truly great person in the world. I thank (hmmm, I don’t know who because I am an atheist). Well, I thank myself for being good to my body, seeing Lizz without fail every week, and learning to listen. But most of all I thank Lizz for caring for me so well, and for teaching me how to care for myself.
I give Lizz AND Parkside Pilates five stars because they have earned them and they deserve the highest rating for their lovely and inviting studio and their excellent services and staff.
PS: If you haven’t seen Lizz Roman Dancers, keep an eye out for their next outstanding, off-​the-​ground performance. They really do fly.

So I started Pilates a few years ago through watching DVDs. They’ve been great, but I wanted to take an actual class for once. I found Parkside Pilates through the following reviews here on Unilocal and I’m glad that I did.
I arrived at my first drop-​in session with Blane, and luckily, there was only one other person in the class. Blane was great, very patient with me, and definitely was very helpful in trying to get my breathing coordinated. The DVDs mentioned breathing, but it was through taking the class with Blane that I realized just how important exhaling first, and inhaling second is. Definitely made the pilates session a lot more intense and I’m glad that it did. Pilates definitely is a tough work out and works your whole body in a slow way.
I really appreicate Parkside’s use of different apparatuses. We started off with a foam cylinder, then made out way to the spring board. I had no idea that Pilates involved so many different pieces of equipment. Definitely makes it more fun than mat exercises that the DVDs include.
I would like to take more classes at Parkside, but scheduling can sometimes be a problem. They only have 1 – 3 classes on a few days a week. And most days, only one time available. So it makes it a bit hard for me to a fit pilates session into my day. I hope to find some time to go back soon though since it’s in my neighborhood.
The whole 1 hour session was relaxing, and hard work at the same time. I loved the personalize attention that I received here. Parkside only accepts a maximum of 8 people per session I believe.
I enjoyed my first Pilates class very much.

I am new to Pilates but decided to try Parkside Pilates after seeing the reviews here on Unilocal and it’s close to my house. I have had 3 one on one sessions w/​Ann Beck and I am excited to try the group classes next. Ann is very patient and caring. I’m a convert.

Blane and his staff are great. They really are really excellent when working with injuries. I am just a beginner but they got me in shape and helped me recover from a back injury at the same time!

i started with Parkside Pilates as a referal because i was having recurring neck/​shoulder issues due to stress from my job. After some private sessions to learn my ‘core was not working properly’ I got hooked on the morning classes. I feel much stronger and now realize how to take care of my body better.
Cheers to Parkside Pilates… and to Golden State Health Massage and Accupuncture (they share office space) for making the recommendation!

I am so lucky having this studio near my area. Its a small studio, but tons of attention. I have my session with Blane, who like to to shock us with a new pose. Girls, this place is worth your time.

I have been with Parkside pilates for over a year now. It’s a small studio where you get a lot of individual attention.
I started doing individual session with Blane and I am now also doing group sessions with Liz.
Both are very good, love what they do and really know pilates.
They make sure you do the positions the right way and challenge you progressively.
I feel that I made so much improvement since I joined Parkside.
I also love that after more than a year, I am still learning new positions and am still very much challenged!
Finally one fitness place I am not flaking on!