Is Pilates appropriate or beneficial for my level of fitness?

The beauty of the Pilates method is that it is grounded in six principles which apply to people of any ability or level of fitness: Control, Breath, Concentration, Flow, Precision, and Centering (moving from the core).

• For someone looking for a weekly full-body workout to help you become stronger, more flexible, and more coordinated, you will learn to apply these principles through exercises that build progressively over time and offer an entry point for anyone. You’ll feel and move better within weeks, no matter where your starting line is.

• For athletes & intermediate-advanced outdoor recreationalists, these principles are embodied through a program of challenging, advanced-level exercises which can be tailored to your needs, allowing you to perform at your highest level. Uniquely efficient muscle recruitment and specificity of movement will become your superpowers!

• For those recovering from injuries who have been cleared by a physical therapist to return to working out, Pilates can guide your body back into balance, help to effectively rebuild the neurological connections broken after injury, and bring you back to your original strength and range of motion- or beyond.

• Pregnant people who have been cleared to work out by their obstetrician are welcome to take classes, and can benefit significantly from Pilates. However, please let us know if you are at any stage of pregnancy or breastfeeding, as these circumstances cause looser ligaments and require modifications for some exercises to minimize the risk of certain injuries and conditions.

Is there a membership waitlist? How long will I be on it?

As of February 2024, there is currently NO waitlist, due to opening our new studio space!

What do I need to be prepared for my session?

Please wear grip socks and clothing that allows your body to move comfortably (and does not include sharp zippers, as they can damage the equipment). For clients who choose to work out in masks, we recommend K- / N95 masks for working out, or any other appropriately protective mask which does not have fabric directly touching your lips. Make sure you’ve eaten within the last couple hours, but ideally not a full meal immediately before your workout. And remember to bring your water bottle (and vaccination card if it is your first session)!

What is your cancellation policy?

No-shows or late cancellations (less than 36 hrs in advance) will still take a session credit from your monthly count. If there are more than 36 hours until your appointment, reschedule as soon as possible. Thank you for respecting our instructors’ and other clients’ time!

I’m a member and I am going on a trip. What should I do about my membership?

For travel lasting 10 days or more, email the studio with your dates and we will freeze your membership for the length of time you are away. For travel around a week long, you may book one or two extra appointments in the weeks before and after your trip to use up your monthly appointment credits. If you have unused credits at the end of your membership month, they will roll over for 30 days only.

Once I’m a member, do I attend at the same time every week?

Reserved timeslots are now available for those who are able to use them! To request a reserved timeslot, email hello@backcountrypilates.com and ask for the current calendar of available times. Please review the following policies regarding reserved timeslots:

• If your schedule allows regular daytime attendance, please leave evening appointment times available for those whose work schedule limits their attendance options.

• Clients with reserved timeslots must cancel and re-book any appointments they cannot attend as early as possible, in order to allow others to book.

• If your regular instructor will be out of town/otherwise unavailable for a reserved appointment, we will either provide another instructor or let you know as far in advance as possible to reschedule.

• Clients who frequently cancel reserved timeslots will be asked to return to ad-hoc calendar booking.

What are your COVID-19 protocols?

Updated November 2023: All participants must provide their completed vaccination card before participating in their first session. Instructors and clients are not currently required to wear a mask, but sometimes choose to, and instructors are happy to wear a mask upon client request.

• Clients should not arrive more than 5 minutes before their lesson is scheduled, to minimize shared studio time.

• Clients should sanitize their hands upon arrival.

• The apparatuses will be thoroughly cleaned between lessons.

  To keep clients with compromised immune systems safe, and to minimize instructor illness and class cancellations for the whole studio community, we’ve adjusted our policies around COVID recovery time as follows:

  If you’ve had…

  • known COVID exposure (Close quarters, unmasked, for an hour or more): reschedule any appointments that are booked within 5 days (the incubation period).

  • COVID symptoms, Day 0-3, with a negative test: reschedule for later in the week, or further out. Tests are often negative in the early days.

  • a positive COVID test: wait until EITHER 10 days after the first day with symptoms to return to the studio, OR 2 days after symptoms subside, if they last longer than 10 days.

    • If you’d like an N95 mask or would like your instructor to wear one for any reason, please don’t hesitate to ask!

Where is your studio entrance?

As you will notice if using GPS to find the studio, our address appears the same as the Hi-Spot Cafe. However, our studio is located behind the cafe, and does not have an entrance directly on 34th Ave.

We recommend parking on Union St. From Union, walk north into the alley east of 34th Ave. We are located just to the north of the Glassybaby glassblowing studios, on the west side of the alley. Ring the doorbell by the garage door for your appointment if the door is locked.

What type of equipment do you use?

The Backcountry Pilates studio is equipped with two reformer tower combos, one cadillac/trapeze table, and two Pilates chairs. We may utilize one or multiple types of equipment over the course of your session, in addition to other smaller class props like the magic circle/Pilates ring, foam roller, jumpboard, etc.

Do you offer group or mat classes?

Currently, we are primarily a private and duet lesson studio. These sessions provide a level of detail and personalization in your training that cannot be replicated in group classes.

Your photos are all outdoors. Is my session going to be outside?

Only if you bring a moving van for the reformer!

But actually, part of our studio has a 16-ft wide garage door, allowing us to open the entire east wall to the fresh air during the warmer months! It’s your choice whether you’d like to keep the wall open or closed. Either way, you’ll feel like you’re doing pilates in the trees as you watch the evergreen branches waving across the sky through our skylight.

We’re grateful to Seattle-based photographer Haley Freedlund for capturing the feeling of our PNW wilderness-inspired studio.

Got more questions? Message us!