Pilates

If you asked someone what ballerinas and soldiers have in common, it would sound like the setup for a joke. Bad punch lines aside, "Pilates" would be a valid answer. Initially, Joseph Pilates' fitness system was used in army hospitals to rehabilitate soldiers and in dance studios to tone and stretch ballerinas. At Pilates of Stamford, Pam Giambrone applies her expertise just as broadly, strengthening and lengthening the muscles of beginner and veteran athletes alike.

Pam and her team of instructors have all been certified to impart Pilates techniques with a variety of equipment. Their mat classes cover focused stretches and the use of several props, from arm weights to stability balls and magic circles. Alternatively, Reformer classes provide highly personalized resistance-apparatus demonstrations. Whether guests drop in to a group lesson or schedule private training, teachers adjust their exercises to fit each person's pace, fostering an atmosphere of support and continual growth rather than one of competition and slap-fights.