This is Amanda's Pilates story (after 36 lessons). She lost about 50 pounds, and gained the strength, stamina, and confidence to take part in all kinds of physical activities. Most importantly, she feels great, holds her head high, is always smiling and radiates positive energy.

Pilates saved my life. That might seem overly dramatic, but I was really in bad shape, struggling to rebound from major surgery and an extended recovery time that left me weaker and heavier than I had ever been in my life.

I tried physical therapy, personal training, I tried everything I could think of.

Things began to turn around for me when I was introduced to Pilates by Tracy Belcher at Equinox Brickell in the Four Seasons Miami.

Combining bi-weekly pilates training with Tracy and a complete nutritional overhaul with Essence Nutrition, I found the road back to the size I was before, and even better, a path forward to be stronger and more physically confident than I have ever been.

I’ve lost about 50 pounds and counting, and I feel like a new person.

Pilates really hooked me because it engages your mind and your entire body to make it actually work better for you.

From my first few sessions, I noticed my posture improving, that my back didn’t ache when I was washing dishes, that I could feel the specific muscles I was using and was able to consciously engage them in going about my daily life.

All those small and steady improvements add up quickly, and soon I gained the strength and confidence to try mat Pilates and yoga classes, and it wasn’t long before I was actually enjoying high-impact group classes that I never would have dreamed of taking on before.

Now I’m excited to find new challenges, move in new ways and try new things.

As I continued training, I was amazed to discover how Pilates continued to challenge me.

One day I was focusing on form corrections, in a series of movements I thought had become easy for me, and I blurted out, “The better I get, the harder this is!”

Tracy guides you through the basics, and just when you think you’ve mastered something, she will adjust to add a new level of difficulty, to lengthen your stretch or engage another muscle group.

With that kind of personal guidance it never gets boring, and there’s no end to the improvements you can make to your form, and your life.