Spencer Pilates Comes To FH

Spencer Baker is bringing Pilates to Forest Hills! On June 15, friends, supporters, and exercise enthusiasts watched Baker cut the ribbon at the grand opening of his new studio, Spencer Pilates Arts.
A fully-equipped Pilates studio, Spencer Pilates Arts specializes in both group and individual sessions. Pilates is a low impact exercise that focuses on improving core strength, flexibility, and general daily movement. Individuals can train on a mat or with a Reformer, Cadillac or Chair - the signature machines developed by Pilates founder Joseph Pilates
Baker caught the Pilates bug after moving to New York and enrolling in modern dance classes. &#8220A lot of dancers train in Pilates,” he says. A certified Pilates instructor since 2002, Baker is a member of the Pilates Method Alliance – a non-profit organization establishing and enforcing certification standards for Pilates professionals.
Baker has spent the last three years developing a Pilates program for patients in a Forest Hills rehabilitation clinic. There he has been instrumental in helping people recover from accidents and physical hindrances.
Pilates to Baker is not only an exercise but it is an outlet for creative expression. A photographer who has exhibited at the Queens Museum, Baker earned a dual BA/BFA from Cornell University and an MFA from Hunter College. He considers &#8220Pilates is an extension of my art.”
&#8220The essence of Pilates is creative,” says Baker. &#8220Everyone must find the intelligence of their own body. Every time you do Pilates you learn something new about your own body.”
According to Baker everyone could use more body awareness, which is just what Pilates achieves for participants. &#8220With Pilates” Baker says, &#8220you will stand straighter, feel better, and have a different attitude towards life.”
Spencer Pilates Arts is located at 109-09 72nd Road on the second floor. For more information, call 718-261-0596 or log onto
web.mac.com/spencerpilatesarts.