NextStep Pilates
A client training at NextStep Pilates in Del Ray.
A 100-year-old exercise technique is helping military members and veterans recover from injuries today in Alexandria.
NextStep Pilates is the non-profit arm of Studio Body Logic, an authentic pilates studio with locations in Alexandria and Arlington. NextStep aims to give active duty military and veterans who were injured in their service the opportunity to participate in one-on-one Pilates sessions free of charge.
Clients have said that it has changed their life. “People who couldn’t do anything, no social life, couldn’t work, injured, and in pain — Pilates changed their life,” said Studio Body Logic Founder Karen Garcia.
Studio Body Logic, the first authentic Pilates studio in Alexandria, is at 2312 Mt. Vernon Ave. in Del Ray.
In the early stages of the founding of Next Step, Studio Body Logic received a grant from the Alexandria Rotary Club for a trial. Six individuals ranging in ages and injuries piloted the program to see how Pilates could benefit them. The participants found that Pilates helped significantly in mitigating their pain, even allowing them to get off medications.
Karen Garcia, NextStep Pilates
“We felt, as time went on, there was so much need for many people to have Pilates,” Garcia said.
Pilates is often thought of as a modern exercise popular among celebrities and young women, but it was created in the 1920s by German fitness expert Joseph Pilates. He created the exercise regimen to improve flexibility and the core strength of a person, focusing on soldiers, with the aim of helping soldiers recover from injuries of war.
Next Step Pilates adopted Joseph Pilate’s goal for Pilates and is giving back to the community through Pilates. To learn more about NextStep, or to donate, visit nextsteppilates.org. Military members and veterans with chronic pain can apply to the program through the website, too.
“We work with people as long as they need, it is dependent on the extent of their injuries,” Garcia said.
