Evolve Pilates Celebrates 10 Years On Lyon Street

Evolve Pilates Celebrates 10 Years On Lyon StreetPhotos by Stephen Jackson/Hoodline
Stephen Jackson
Published on April 25, 2015

Alisha Engle's Pilates studio, tucked away on Lyon Street just south of Fulton, is a tiny nook of a place that you could have easily overlooked a hundred times. However, if you peer through the unassuming doors hidden on an otherwise residential street, you'll find a clean and modern pilates facility that has been serving the neighborhood for the past 10 years.

Originally from San Luis Obispo, Engle moved to San Francisco 12 years ago with the goal of getting a job and ultimately starting her own pilates studio. She ended up scoring the Lyon Street location when, while working at Club One downtown as a fitness manager, a client of hers told her about the space in the neighborhood. May 5th of this year will mark her 10th anniversary in the space, and she couldn't be happier.

Alisha offers a blend of pilates styles. "I teach classical and evolved Pilates," she told us. "We do exercises from squats to rows to lunges which incorporate each apparatus, with a focus on spinal flexibility, body alignment, and overall health and well-being. We include traditional fitness exercises with 'yogaesque' excersises."

According to Engle, classical pilates has a very set regime in terms of the workout routines and equipment used, so she prefers to blend the traditional form invented by Joseph Pilates with a more individualized approach. "It's challenging to get people to stay focused, which is why I do both evolved and classical, so I help people find their own way."

Engle herself got turned onto pilates after a mountain biking accident, has been practicing for over 15 years, and has held her certification for over 12. Before that, she worked as a fitness manager at a variety of different locations in San Luis Obispo. 

"I think that everyone can benefit from pilates, whether it's your main source of fitness, it's for rehabilitation, or it's to accent or compliment a sport you're engaged in," said Engle. "You're strengthening and lengthening from your core, or 'powerhouse'. That's kind of what's unique about pilates. We're core-based, and you are moving everywhere from the center."

As far as classes go, Engle predominantly offers a six-week "series" of weekly classes for $100 per series. When space permits, some people take multiple classes per week, and she offers a price break for those cases. However, due to demand, she's opening up a new, mixed level series on May 11th that's currently open for new clients, so be sure to contact her immediately if you're interested. All her classes are limited to five people.

Otherwise, Engle also offers a weekly drop-in "community" class at 6:35pm on Mondays for just $10. Folks are encouraged to get there early, as space fills up quickly. Additionally, Engle offers private, hour-long lessons for $65. Clients who buy bundles of these sessions are also offered a price break. 

Engle has maintained a devoted following with little to no marketing, relying on old school word-of-mouth notoriety to build her business since 2005. Most likely, it's her own love of the practice that has secured so many return customers.

"What I love about pilates is that the educational piece is unending for me. I get to be a constant student, every day is new teaching. Every body is different, and despite every exercise that you're trying to get the group to do, you're still trying to make it work for each individual body," said Engle. "There's a sense of well-being that people get when they leave pilates that just feels good, the feeling you get from moving the spine and body organically. Even though it's detail oriented, there's a sense of focus that's very meditative."

If you are interested in signing up for a private lesson, a series, or to be put on the waiting list for a series, you can call Alisha Engle at (415) 531-2433 or email her at alishaengle04 {at} yahoo {dot} com.