REGAN BAKER & DARLEEN FRANKLIN

Regan's Story
I heard [Pilates] was an excellent form of exercise for pregnant women, and helped with labor. Prior to getting pregnant, I was running a lot. My doctor advised me that I should find a non-contact sport since I was carrying twins. Being a fit person in general, and understanding the health benefits of working out while pregnant, I decided Pilates was a perfect solution. I found out about Sanchez Studios on a run one day. I was looking for another pregnant person who might be interested in some semi-private lessons and they matched me up with Darleen, now a great friend of mine. Pilates has helped me both physically and mentally. My birth/labor was easy (I believe completely because of the pelvic floor exercises Alisa made us do), and now post pregnancy, I'm back into the same size I was prior to pregnancy. I'm looking forward to getting those abs back into shape. Mentally, Pilates has helped me understand my body and why it's important to have a good core. Carrying twins really took a toll on my body, but knowing how to address these ailments keeps me mentally aware as to what areas I need to be working on throughout the week and during a session. I love coming to Pilates because I've found a great friend and our instructor listens to our silly stories, yet keeps us on track with a workout. I know keeping Darleen and I on track can be a daunting task. Besides getting my pre-pregnancy figure back, a major physical benefit is the toning of my overall body. With just 11 Pilates sessions since the twins were born, I can already feel a difference. Due to my twin pregnancy, I had muscle separation more than typical and horrible back problems after the babies were born. Since I've started Pilates again, my abs and back are in much better shape. The ab separation is getting better and my back pain has subsided. Overall, I generally feel back to my pre-pregnancy self, and I fully believe it's because I practiced Pilates during and after my pregnancy.

Darleen's Story
I love Sanchez Street Studios! I had always wanted to try out Pilates but was intimidated and thought it would be difficult and outrageously expensive. On my 30th birthday, I figured, why not give Sanchez Street Studios a call and find out the real scoop? I was surprised to find out it was affordable. I tried a beginning series mat class and have been hooked ever since. Last year when I found out I was pregnant, I called the studio to find out my options for prenatal classes. I was lucky enough to be paired up with Regan (who was pregnant with twins!!) for semi-private classes and we became fast friends. Alisa was the most amazing, patient, and encouraging teacher. The three of us had a great time and Alisa helped us strengthen our bodies to support our pregnancies. I know for sure that it's thanks to those Pilates classes that I had a very comfortable pregnancy and comfortable (well, as comfortable as it can be!) birth. Now Regan and I are still doing our semi-privates with Alisa to get back in shape after our pregnancies. We are having fun and getting in shape, too!