Getting To the Core with Tatiana Turan

To the Core Pilates, Tatiana Turan's training facility, is located in a lovely studio behind her home in the Sherman Oaks/Van Nuys area. Tatiana welcomed us warmly and offered a bottle of water before starting us off with some assisted stretches on the Cadillac, or trap table. This was a terrific way to loosen up the muscles before the real workout began.

We moved on to the Reformer for the main part of our one-hour session. Tatiana is certified (with a gold star – no joke) by the Pilates Method Alliance and has a background in dance, and her knowledge of anatomy was evident in her explanation of how to best position our body to target the appropriate muscles. Our workout was challenging without being grueling, and Tatiana kept a close eye to make sure we maintained the proper form and breathing rhythms throughout all exercises. Even with our limited background in Pilates, we found her instructions remarkably easy to follow.

Our hour was nearly up before we knew it, and we finished with some more deeply satisfying back and side stretches on the Wunda Chair and Cadillac. We thoroughly enjoyed our workout with Tatiana as our friendly yet authoritative guide. And best of all, we felt that we'd gotten a thorough workout.

Review originally published 2/9/06.