Pilates Benefits Three Generations

How often is it that you get the opportunity to watch your work touch the lives of three generations, all in completely different ways? Valentin, who owns Pilates Body by Valentin in Dublin, California, got to see first hand how Pilates “transcends the disciplines of general fitness, athletic conditioning and rehabilitation.” Valentin first worked with Harland Hendrich, who had a ruptured Achilles Tendon and could no longer maneuver around his house with a non-weight bearing cast. His decreasing function spurred him to explore Pilates twice weekly. Hendrich’s daughter and son-in-law Cherie and Jim Bell, followed to pursue their own specific needs: overall fitness. The pair signed up for semi-private duets. Not to be left out, the Bell’s 15-year-old daughter Brianna, an avid skater, joined reformer classes to increase her range of motion. This “all in the family” approach fit in perfectly with the community feeling Valentin strives for in what she calls her “hybrid studio.” While she appreciated watching Pilates versatility in motion--changing people’s lives for the better--she says she also enjoyed the creativity involved in developing the custom workouts. “I had three age groups focusing on three highly different needs: conditioning, flexibility and rehabilitation. Pilates has been around for decades and so it [continues] among three generations.”