Pilates for Everybody 

Testimonials from private, mat, and rehab clients. 

​

Private clients say:

“I have private Zoom classes with her twice a week.  It has been a lifeline during COVID times.” LJ

*   *   *   *

 

“When it comes to expanding range of movement, body transformation and alignment, Loretta makes it happen. Not only are her courses fun and challenging, but her personal feedback and suggestions for alleviating any injuries or tension or soreness I may have are invaluable and they work magic. She has a calm and logical method to teaching the exercises that truly connects with me, and I leave each of her classes feeling so good it’s inspiring. I highly recommend all her courses, in person, online, private and group.” DdB

​

*   *   *   *

 

“Zo'n twee jaar geleden hoorde ik van een collega over Pilates. De methode sprak me aan en ik deed een proefles. Eindelijk had ik iets gevonden dat ik leuk vond om te doen en me een heel goed gevoel gaf.

In het begin bleek m'n 46-jarige lijf bijzonder stijf en niet erg sterk, maar door de sfeer in de groepsessies voelde ik me daarmee niet opgelaten. Aanvankelijk gaven de wekelijkse lessen me vooral een prettig gevoel in m'n spieren en gewrichten, maar toen het door de komst van Loretta mogelijk werd om twee maal per week een sessie te doen, werden de verbeteringen in m'n lichaam pas goed merkbaar.

Eerst waren zelfs sommige simpele bewegingen moeilijk door oude ingesleten gewoontes, bijvoorbeeld het onbedoeld aanspannen van bepaalde spieren op een moment dat je ze niet nodig hebt en je beweging beperken. Lastig om af te leren, maar Loretta past dan variaties en omweggetjes toe waardoor je uiteindelijk de juiste beheersing krijgt. Ook de in de lessen toegepaste visualisatie helpt daarbij.

De lessen van Loretta zijn heel gevarieerd. De ene week wordt uitgebreid aandacht besteed aan enkele oefeningen, een andere keer doen we een hele serie van verschillende oefeningen of veel stretchoefeningen. Soms in uitgelaten stemming en zo nu en dan heerlijk rustig. Het is merkbaar dat Loretta veel ervaring heeft in lesgeven op verschillende niveau¹s en aan groepen van heel diverse mensen. Haar kennis van het lichaam hielp ook om een behoorlijke beperking in m'n schouder, waarbij fysiotherapie weinig verbetering had gegeven, aanzienlijk te verminderen.

In Loretta's studio doe ik nu ook privésessies op de reformer en de combo chair. De oefeningen zijn op de apparaten nog intensiever en tijdens de privésessies is er speciale aandacht voor mijn specifieke zwakke of nog wat roestige plekken.

Langzaam word ik sterker, krijg ik een veel betere houding en strakkere lichaamscontouren. Bovendien ben ik inmiddels soepeler dan zo'n twintig jaar geleden. Een geweldig resultaat dankzij Pilates en een geweldige lerares.” MdR

​

*   *   *   *

“I met Loretta in my mid-thirties, I ‘knew’ that I wasn’t athletic, supple or graceful but Loretta insisted that pilates would work for me.  I attended some beginner mat classes and she was unfazed by my stubborn physical inflexibility and terrible memory for movements.  Soon I was attending regular sessions on equipment at her studio with one or two other women.  I can barely make some of the ‘start’ positions for classic pilates exercises because I am ‘short’ coupled, or have terrible balance, but Loretta redesigned exercises on the fly until, years later, we were inventing new movements to maximise my personal body potential, and explore my strengths, while shoring up my weaknesses.  Never once has she made me feel ‘less’ because I don’t move like a dancer or an athlete.

Ironically, I do move better now.  My relationship with my body has been changed, my work with Loretta will inform my movement, and my approach to all physical disciplines, for the rest of my life.  I have been to lessons when I am tired, injured, recovering or just utterly demotivated, and every time, Loretta has found something for me, something new, something repurposed, something to move me on, to show me progress.  We have worked to combat pain, to rehab problems and to address challenges in my day to day outside the studio.

I have laughed, raged and exulted in her lessons, I have made friends for life, with others, and, with my physical self… an invaluable gift in an age obsessed only with the body as a costume, or a transport mechanism for the mind.” BB (client for fifteen years)

​

*   *   *   *

​

Group Mat clients say:

"Pilates with Loretta is a deeper, more integrated experience.  Her anatomical awareness and slower approach has started me on a healthier way of moving, a complete 'wellness' approach to using my body. Working with her has given me greater awareness about my body, allowing me to be more effective in my daily activities and in other forms of exercise. " ES

​

*   *   *   *

​

“Loretta's class has been amazing for me. My posture has improved, my body is more in alignment and my muscles and joints have become so much more flexible. My back hasn't gone out on me once since I started taking the class – and that is saying a lot!” KR

​

*   *   *   *

 

“I met Loretta in 1986, when I enrolled in her Jazz Dance Exercise class in Houston, Texas. We took classes together at Steps, a well known dance studio on Broadway in New York City. With a Masters degree in Education, Loretta employs her training to lead and teach superb movement classes with the Pilates technique. Even via Zoom classes, Loretta’s training as an educator enables her to guide her students, providing individual feedback and guidance for self improvement of our exercise technique. A one hour class with Loretta provides much needed active range of motion and stretching. At the conclusion of each class, I feel like I had a one hour deep therapeutic massage session.” Dr IF.

​

*   *   *   *

 

“Loretta is a master, and gives personal attention to your needs.” SZ

​

*   *   *   *

 

“I can recommend Loretta’s classes: small groups with personal attention, where her kind eye focuses on improving your posture.  I feel stronger thanks to her classes.” AR

​

*   *   *   *

 

“Dankzij Loretta heb ik ervaren hoe helend de juiste oefeningen met de juiste correcties kunnen zijn. Ik heb een enorme bewondering voor haar geoefend oog en voor haar diepgaande kennis van het menselijke bewegingsapparaat. 

Haar enthousiasme, creativiteit, precisie en humor maken haar groepslessen voor dansers en voor niet-dansers heel afwisselend en nooit saai!” MK

​

*   *   *   *

 

“What a blessing class was this morning! Thank you So Much! I may still appear clumsy and unable to perform some exercises properly, but the advances I can see are astonishing to me, particularly when it comes to balance. I think I've mentioned before that a few months ago, there would have been no way I could have stood on one leg, never mind turn it out and bring it somewhat gracefully to the floor without falling. And the floor work where we come up to a sitting position with our legs in the air, with the band, would have been impossible; my hip never would have complied. So thank you on so many levels.” GK

​

*   *   *   *

 

“When I moved to the Netherlands, I was looking for a Pilates teacher who could make adjustments needed for my total hip replacement. I had been doing Pilates since 1990 and knew that I wanted a master teacher with deep knowledge and a range of methods.  I found that and more with Loretta.  Not only is she knowledgeable in Pilates – that is her anchor method – but she has studied multiple other methods.  Her background as a dancer and in teaching dance give her visceral knowledge of the body in addition to her training in anatomy and medical massage.  What I appreciate most about Loretta are her powers of observation and inquiry.  She has me make minor adjustments in how I am doing an exercise and I can immediately feel the difference.  And I love how she always asks about my condition before we begin so that she knows how to tailor the session. She is a true professional!” LJ

 

*   *   *   *
 

Rehab clients say:

 

“I am a COVID-19 survivor. I went from being a 62 year old, full-time pediatrician who ran, hiked, played tennis, biked, and kayaked to a ventilator-dependent patient in the ICU, to a post COVID invalid who lost 50 pounds (22,5kg) and could barely walk and breathe.  After a five-week hospitalization (from March 2020), I came home in a wheelchair, on 10L of oxygen per nasal cannula, and mostly bedridden.  Standing and moving required more strength, muscle, and breath than I could muster.

 

My journey back to health was aided in no small part by regular zoom sessions with Loretta Simon.  Her rich background in ballet, Pilates, and psychology enabled her to design a program specifically tailored to my severely limited strength and mobility.  She was extremely astute at assessing my functional capacity and progressively maximizing my abilities. While I initially perceived my body and spirit as hopelessly ravaged by COVID, Loretta transformed my myopic view and allowed me to see the potential for a regrowth/rebirth in both mind and body. She gently encouraged me to push myself while monitoring and recording my pulse oximeter, heart rate, and breathing multiple times during each session.

    

As the weeks progressed, I gained renewed hope and confidence.  I gradually recovered muscle mass, mobility, endurance, and function. By the summer of 2020, I was exercising while standing, and Loretta began to introduce floor and ball exercises to my routine.  Loretta kept records of my progress and provided me with useful therapeutic exercises to perform between our weekly sessions. Her emphasis on posture, body neutrality, and breathing techniques was particularly beneficial to me during my recovery. I completed each session feeling more centered and energized and looked forward to what we might accomplish together at our next meeting.   

  

I would wholeheartedly encourage anyone in need of assistance with regaining strength and mobility to consider PilatesforEveryBody with Loretta and her unique skillset as an invaluable part of their rehabilitation. Simply put Loretta, I could not have overcome these hurdles without you. Thank you” - Dr. Jeff.  NB Dr Jeff is back on the hiking trails these days

​

*   *   *   *

 

I consider Ms Simon to be a very effective teacher.  Prior to leaving Houston, Ms Simon was involved in a rehabilitation exercise program for senior citizens and she was able to accomplish significant improvement in range of motion and isometric muscle strengthening in an age group that is usually ignored by other exercise programs.  Dr IF

​

*   *   *   *

 

Loretta Simon is a tremendously dedicated movement therapist. 

Three years ago, my son Randy was injured in a car accident. He was diagnosed as an incomplete paraplegic. Randy was treated at Texas Institute of Rehabilitation and released. At that time, Randy was in a wheelchair with minimal movement. I contacted Loretta to work with Randy in our home. For two and a half years Loretta worked with Randy. She not only brought her professional expertise, but also her compassion and ability to motivate. Randy is now walking with one crutch and we look forward to progressing, within a couple of months, to a cane. Please bear in mind, this is the same individual who was told he would never ever walk again. 

I also have the privilege of personally attending Loretta’s body conditioning sessions. 

I would not hesitate to recommend Loretta to anyone who needed rehabilitation or body conditioning. 

JS 1998.

 

*   *   *   *

​

Pilates for Professionals:

 

Loretta Simon introduced Pilates technique to the School of Canton Ballet in fall of 1989 through a series of master classes.  I found her to be a teacher who motivates her students and gives clear explanations of her goals and expectations.

 

The students improved markedly under her instruction as the Pilates work quickly impacted upon their ballet technique.  I was extremely pleased with her work and have invited her to expand her program during the coming year.  CC - Artistic Director, Canton Ballet School, Ohio.

 

​