Poway Pilates, Poway

Poway Pilates owner and head instructor Jennifer Richards and her team of Pilates Method Association-certified staff chisel their clients into shape using the Stott Pilates technique. The style, which blends principles of sports medicine with physical therapy and modern fitness, works to strengthen specific joints at the same time as the whole body—creating long, lean muscles and improving overall stability.

Inside the 1,600-square foot studio, walls painted in soothing earth tones provide a pleasant contrast from rows and racks of sweat-inducing Stott Pilates gear. Private and group sessions guide guests through core-strengthening Pilates mat and reformer exercises, during which instructors use verbal cues to tell participants when to change positions. Other sessions combine the basics with boot-camp, barre, and kettlebell workouts.