Alisa Wyatt

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CONTACT Alisa Wyatt:
phone: 917-405-2131
email: alisawyatt@gmail.com

All photos by Jack Coble

I had a baby so I started Pilates lessons to get back in shape. I find Alisa’s way to teach lovely, fun, but tough too. When I go home after a session and my butt and belly are sore, I feel better, I feel it’s working!!! I’m a professional model and shape for me is everything. Taking lessons with Alisa is enough: I enjoy it and I don’t need any diet or other sports. And my mind feels in peace and full of life!

I first started taking Pilates to get in shape for my wedding. Because I was so busy with wedding details, I didn’t have much time to do any other type of workout. It was wonderful – I always left feeling mentally refreshed and that my body had been realigned. But I first noticed the physical change about 6 months into my sessions when I was trying on bathing suits for my honeymoon. Wow! I had become stronger, leaner and longer! I looked great!

Alisa is an exceptional teacher and trainer – not only does she seem to have an encyclopedic knowledge of Pilates – she expertly combines her knowledge with an intuitive understanding of what I need, both physically and emotionally. My workouts with Alisa are demanding, educational, fun, and rewarding all at the same time.

I don’t have to think about standing up straight anymore. Pilates has strengthened my muscles and corrected my posture. Alisa makes Pilates fun – it’s the fastest hour in my week!

Check out my recent interview on TheStreet.com. I got to teach Pilates to the anchors who report on Wall Street financial news:

Here’s the video. It will appear on the left side of your screen.

And you can also read the article.

Thanks to Ana Dane at TheStreet.com for a fantastic piece!

As an Ambassador for Lululemon Athletica I’ve had the pleasure of joining the company in building a community that encourages healthy movement. The folks at Lulu have introduced me to many amazing people and supported me in my own endeavors.

If you haven’t yet experienced Lululemon’s fantastic clothing, they’re opening stores all over the country. I cannot say enough for how great this line is—the fit, the incredible colors and styles, the functionality, the company’s philosophy. Lululemon rocks! My workout clothes used to make me want to go shopping, now they make me want to work out.

Hi Friends! Eight years ago, I left the corporate world to spread the joy of Pilates. In these eight years, I’ve been rewarded with the wonderful changes I’ve seen happen in bodies and minds. I’ve watched spines become flexible again, legs straighten out, new life breathed into old lungs, and minds empowered by movement. I learn something new from my inspiring clients each day and have come to understand why Joe called his method The Art of Control. In a world in which we have so little control of everything else, it’s exciting to see the confidence that comes from bodies achieving their fullest potential. It is my hope that this confidence creeps into other areas of your lives as well.

Click on the RETREATS & WORKSHOPS page to see more photos of the first ever Pilates and Surfing retreat in Sayulita, Mexico. It was crazy fun!

Next year’s dates are: Feb 8 to Feb 14th 2009.
Contact ViaYoga to sign up: 800-603-9642.
Get on their list early, this retreat was SOLD OUT.

For info on not-yet-booked retreats, email me to join my event list.

For two weeks last summer I taught Pilates to a group of 26 High School girls in the Bronx. I was inspired to volunteer my skills by the PMA’s in the Schools Program”:http://www.pilatesday.com/pits.html, whose goal is to help children create better fitness habits for life.

As part of a research initiative to show how Pilates can improve fitness in kids, I took measurements before and after the program to see if Pilates really does make a difference. Excerpts from my journal follow here. I hope their story will capture the interest of other teachers to bring Pilates to children through volunteer teaching. I’m grateful to my photographer husband, Jack Coble and cinematographer friend Robert Barocci for volunteering their incredible talents to document this groundbreaking group. Many thanks to Ken Levine and Anna Posner, both teachers at the school, who graciously welcomed me and gave me wonderful support during this first endeavor.

PS – After my move to California, I’m proud to say that Anna Posner has taken over teaching Pilates to this group, GO ANNA! I’m planning on getting another group going soon in Los Angeles. I welcome advice, questions, and comments – please feel free to email me.

I chose to volunteer in the Bronx because research shows that the epidemic of obesity and overweight in our nation is even worse in this area (1). For instance, a recent New York Magazine (Aug 20, ‘07 issue) ran a cover story about why New Yorker’s live longer than residents across the nation. Despite the positive upswing in NYC’s health, the only neighborhood where life expectancy is actually declining instead of rising is the Bronx.

Day 1 – Monday July 9, 2007
Today was the first class of my volunteer program in the Bronx. I have 28 girls entering grades 10, 11 & 12, which means they’re ages 14, 15 and 16. All of them are attending summer school for PE because they failed during the school year—mostly for non-attendance. Basically, they hate PE.

Going into class this morning was like teaching mat for the first time again. I was nervous that they wouldn’t like it or wouldn’t pay attention. Or worse, someone would backtalk me and I’d have to discipline her. Which totally freaks me out. I already think I’m too nice. Despite my fears, it was fun and rewarding even on the first day. We started with a quick dose of Pilates to get them interested. We did a few exercises, and then I stopped and took measurements for the research study. They had to hold a plank (Strength Test), try to touch their toes (Stretch Test), and balance on 1 foot (Stability Test). Some of the girls are already fairly strong but have little body awareness or discipline. Many are overweight. After testing, we did more Pilates, including Criss-Cross and Spine Stretch Forward. Everyone collapsed at the end of Criss-Cross in a laughing/screaming heap. It was the best kind of chaos. Post class, Ken Levine, the school’s PE teacher and Anna Posner (my friend who is also a teacher there) both thought the kids were attentive and excited to be doing something different. Whew.

Journal skips to Day 9 here:

Day 9, Friday, July 20, 2007
Today was the big day—testing! I left for school more nervous than the first day, thinking that there was no possible way I would see significant results in only 8 classes. Instead, I was shocked to find enormous changes in ability which of course was incredibly rewarding. It made me think of Joe and his own pictures and research with clients before and after doing Contrology. Here’s the results…

Forward Bend Test (Stretch Test)
This test had the girls perform a forward bend while seated on the floor with straight legs. 11 of the 26 girls could not touch their toes on the first day. All except 1 could touch their toes by the last day and the group averaged an increase of 4.11 inches in ability to bend forward.

Balance on One Foot Test (Stability Test)
To test pelvic stability, the girls were asked to stand on 1 foot. Test begins when foot lifts off floor. 12 of 26 girls couldn’t make it to 75 seconds pre-program, only 3 missed the 75 seconds mark post-program. ALL improved with a group average going from 61 seconds to 147 seconds post program.

Plank Test (Strength Test)
Girls were required to hold a plank (push-up) position as long as possible without any sinking in the pelvis or scapula. 10 of 26 girls couldn’t hold a plank for 30 seconds pre-program. All but 4 girls held a plank for MORE THAN A MINUTE post-program.

Day 11 – Tuesday, July 24, 2007
One of the best things about the testing day on Friday (besides the amazing results) was that the girls were cheering for each other. I loved seeing that kind of support. We did a workout with the simple handouts that I made for them so they’d have a way to continue at home. I hope more Pilates teachers will want to volunteer their skills and teach kids. The hardest part of the whole program was leaving on the last day. I can’t wait to go back. Here’s some of the comments girls wrote about their experience:

“Well, this was a first time experience and I really enjoyed it. Its something new and different. And this brings up one’s self esteem. Although I thought I couldn’t do this I was wrong. It made me stronger and believe in myself more to say that ‘I can do it!’ I’ve become stronger in myself. My body did things I thought it can never do.”

“This class was fun. I thought I was not going to be able to finish the program but I did and I feel good and I’m happy. One of the biggest changes I saw in myself is I couldn’t touch my toes before and now I can. :) I can do exercise without getting tired fast like before.”

“I really enjoyed this class because it made me more flexible and it helped me learn more about Pilates because I had seen Pilates on TV but not really worked out.”

1. Bronx District Public Health Office, Obesity in the South Bronx, A Look Across Generations, May 2007.