Sumbody Studio, Santa Monica

International Pilates master instructor Heather Leon began her 35-year career in the fitness and movement disciplines onstage. In addition to formally studying ballet, jazz, and modern dance, as well as performing professionally throughout the Los Angeles area, Heather sought out workout regimens that complemented her dance training. She fell in love with Pilates and eventually founded Sumbody Studio as a way to share the practice's invigorating benefits with the public. With 25 years of classical Pilates teaching experience, she is now the proud owner and operator of two studios in Los Angeles.

Although Pilates sessions can incorporate a number of different apparatuses—including the Reformer, the Wunda Chair, and the Cadillac—they all maintain a similar commitment to low-impact exercises that build strength and flexibility. The motions emphasize control and technique over brute force, creating long, lean muscles instead of bulky biceps and washboard foreheads. Gyrotonic and gyrokinesis practices are similar, but also incorporate elements of yoga, dance, and tai chi. The studio's reiki therapist and orthopedic acupuncturist further help clients by treating mental and energetic imbalances.