Meet Jen Walker
Pilates by Jen was created with the vision to bring the healing practice of Pilates and make it more accessible without losing the integrity of the method and the need for the guided one-on-one experience.
By focusing on contemporary principles of biomechanics and efficient exercises you will achieve maximum results. Pilates was fundamentally made to benefit anybody. Pilates can safely transform your mind and your body whether you are working with injury recovery, are a dancer or athlete, or training your prenatal or postnatal body.
With over 20+ years of experience and state-of-the-art equipment, we offer pilates for everybody nestled in an intimate atmosphere in the heart of Riverside in Jacksonville, Florida. At the studio, we provide a space dedicated to meeting the needs and goals of each client. Our space provides equipment and small group class space that allows for an array of small group or private sessions dedicated to guiding individuals on a path toward health and wellness. We specialize in Pilates for all. We offer one-on-one instruction for specialty focuses including Pilates athletes to custom Pilates for Prenatal and Postpartum women, injury recovery, arthritis, and scoliosis, as well as Pilates for seniors. We ensure that your sessions are efficient and custom-tailored toward your needs.
Connect. Define. Align.
The Joseph Pilates Story
Joseph Pilates was born near Düsseldorf, Germany in 1883. Little is known about his early life, but he appears to have been a frail child, suffering from asthma, rickets, and rheumatic fever. His drive and determination to overcome these ailments led him to become a competent gymnast, diver, and skier.
In 1912 Pilates lived in England working as a circus performer, boxer, and self-defense instructor. During the First World War, he was interned with other German nationals. During this time he developed his technique of physical fitness further, by teaching his fellow internees. During the latter part of the War, he served as an orderly in a hospital on the Isle of Man where he worked with patients unable to walk. He attached bed springs to the hospital beds to help support the patients’ limbs, leading to the development of his famous piece of equipment known as the ‘Cadillac. Much of his equipment, although slightly adapted, is still in use today in many Pilates Studios.
The studio featured much of the Apparatus designed to enhance his rehabilitation work. It soon became very popular, particularly with the dance community, as it offered a chance to improve technique or recover from injury. Word spread quickly and many celebrities of the day visited his studio. These included dance legends such as Ruth St. Denis, Ted Shawn, Jerome Robbins, George Balanchine, and Martha Graham, as well as the actor Jose Ferrer and the author Christopher Isherwood.
While Joe is the man behind the method, it is his wife Clara who becomes the real teacher in the studio and allows the method to be passed on to apprentices. The ‘Pilates Elders’ (the handful of people who trained directly in the first NY Studio) talk of Clara being the nurturing force behind the man; Clara established the tradition of evolving and adapting the Pilates method to suit the individual needs of clients. This is a tradition Pilates Foundation Teachers are proud to continue. The Pilates Foundation is proud to promote the tradition of hands-on teaching skills in our Teachers.
