Synced Pilates with Avenne: Redefining Health and Wellness in Bernal Heights

Synced Pilates is a neighborhood studio at 3180 Mission Street, San Francisco, CA 94110.

Can you tell us a little bit about the history of Synced Pilates and how you came to be in Bernal Heights?

Synced Pilates began in 2006 as a small neighborhood studio, designed to make Pilates accessible to a wider audience. I had a full-time day job at the time, but I was passionate about Pilates and wanted to make it more mainstream. Many studios at the time were expensive or felt unwelcoming; the elitist reputation and my negative experiences at various studios made me cringe. In response, we offered small classes and affordable private sessions in an easygoing environment – no mirrors or loud music in our studio, just a local vibe where everyone was welcome.

Over time, we evolved into a studio specializing in rehabilitation, helping people recover after surgeries or childbirth. We teach people how to modify exercises to return to their favorite activity. We know that Pilates is magic. And we’ve never been about being good at Pilates; we see Pilates as a tool for overall health and wellness. We want our clients to play with their kids, compete in triathlons, and do whatever they want to do easily.

The pandemic hit us hard, and then we lost our lease; even though the common opinion was that I should close the studio due to the uncertain business environment, I decided to move to a new location and stay open, thinking that the community would need a studio as we came out of the pandemic craziness. Unable to find anything in Glen Park, I began looking on Cortland Street, knowing that the local Bernal Heights studio, Pilates Heights, had closed and was not planning on reopening. Bernal has always seemed like our kind of place (laid-back, creative, down-to-earth, and grounded), so we ended up on Mission Street, which feels Bernal adjacent. We want to find out how to integrate into the community. Relocating to Mission Street has been more challenging than anticipated.

Sadly, many of my long-time Glen Park clients haven’t followed us to Mission Street, and we need to rebuild our client base. They found the Mission Street environment too urban, too dirty, and too full of parking hassles.

What sets Synced Pilates apart from other fitness studios in the area?

What sets us apart is that we’re not a typical gym or fitness studio, where you’ll find lycra-clad individuals obsessively working out. We are ordinary people from a normal neighborhood who need some support and encouragement. Sometimes people need help after an injury, and physical therapy hasn’t gotten them where they need to be. We work with chiropractors and other healthcare providers in concert, not in opposition. That makes us awesome: we care about helping our clients improve and develop. That vibe we built over many years in Glen Park, mostly through word of mouth and client referrals.

We want the right clients for our studio. The ideal client is someone who wants to learn and understand the value of Pilates in enhancing overall well-being.

Are there any special programs or workshops Synced Pilates offers to help clients achieve their fitness goals?

We offer small reformer and mat classes and will expand the schedule as needed.

Synced Pilates with Avenne: Redefining Health and Wellness in Bernal Heights