Elise Modrovich was born and raised in Southern California, but took a brief sojourn to Portland, Oregon long enough to receive her BA in English Literature and Theater from Reed College in 1994.  She also holds a BA degree in Merchandising/Marketing from the American College, Los Angeles.

Elise Modrovich and PhysioFit Pilates provide - Kernville Pilates, Lake Isabella Pilates, Kern Valley Pilates.

Elise first discovered Pilates while vacationing at the La Costa Resort and Spa near San Diego.  I had played Soccer as a kid, Rugby in college, and had been lifting weights and doing the Aerobics thing for several years, but I had never felt anything like this.  I had always been strong, especially for my size, but flexibility had been a lifelong issue for me.  This method made me feel strong and graceful at the same time.  I don't think I'd ever felt graceful in my life before trying Pilates.  I was hooked the second I got home I started searching the Internet for a studio in my area, which was hard to find at the time. 

After being a student of Pilates for several years, Elise decided to make a drastic career switch from corporate America to be a full-time instructor in 2001. I have never had any formal dance training myself; I come to Pilates from a more sports-oriented background.  An athlete's body takes terrible abuse overusing some muscles and neglecting others can take a toll on anyone's body over time, and they can really benefit from the mindful approach to exercise and focus on the deeper core and internal musculature.  But most of the clients I meet who need Pilates the most are coming to me after years of neglecting their bodies and not doing much exercise of any kind.  Some struggle with aches and pains, others just want to lose weight and get into shape.  Having struggled with my own weight and body alignment issues my whole life, I can relate to that.  I am living proof that Pilates works for everyone not just elite athletes and dancers.  It's okay not to be perfect at first you have to start somewhere the point is just to start.  It's extremely rewarding to me to see people get stronger, leaner, improve posture, become more flexible and do things that they didn't think they could or would ever be able to do when they began."

Elise received her formal teacher certification through the New York-based PhysicalMind Institute, training with Maria Leone at Bodyline Studio in Beverly Hills. Elise is a fervent believer in continuing education and continually strives to improve her skills as a practitioner and teacher.  She has taken multiple workshops with Pilates Elders Mary Bowen and Kathy Grant, and Master Trainers and luminaries Kathy Corey, Moira Stott, Jillian Hessel, Deborah Lessen, Rael Isacowitz, Cara Reeser, Michele Larsson, Karen Clippinger, Elizabeth Larkham, Dawn-Marie Ickes, Ton Voogt and Michael Fritzke, among others.  She passed the national PMA Certification Exam and has developed and implemented Continuing Education Pilates programs for Pilates studios and Health Clubs in the Southern California area.  Elise has worked with clients from ages 13 through 80, athletes and actors, clients with cancer, MS, osteoporosis, arthritis, pre- and post-natal, and those with severe back, neck, shoulder and knee conditions/injuries.  Elise is also a certified Personal Trainer through the American Council on Exercise (ACE), as well as a member of IDEA and the Pilates Method Alliance (PMA).

"I must be right. Never an aspirin. Never injured a day in my life. The whole country, the whole world, should be doing my exercises. They'd be happier."   - Joseph Hubertus Pilates, in 1965, age 86

Around 1914, Joseph Pilates was a performer and a boxer living in England and, at the outbreak of WWI, was placed under forced internment along with other German nationals in Lancaster, England. There he taught fellow camp members the concepts and exercises developed over 20 years of self-study and apprenticeship in yoga, Zen, and ancient Greek and Roman physical regimens. It was at this time that he began devising the system of original exercises known today as "matwork", or exercises done on the floor. He called this regimen "Contrology." A few years later, he was transferred to another camp, where he became a nurse/caretaker to the many internees struck with wartime disease and physical injury. Here, he began devising equipment to rehabilitate his "patients," taking springs from the beds and rigging them to create spring resistance and "movement" for the bedridden.

In a way, Pilates equipment today is not much different than that of yesteryear. Spring tension, straps to hold feet or hands, supports for back, neck and shoulder are as important now as they were then. Because of the remarkable nature of the equipment to both challenge and support the body as it learns to move more efficiently, the inimitably designed pieces truly act as a complement to the challenging "matwork" exercises.

Practiced faithfully, Pilates yields numerous benefits. Increased lung capacity and circulation through deep, healthy breathing is a primary focus. Strength and flexibility, particularly of the abdomen and back muscles, coordination-both muscular and mental, are key components in an effective Pilates program. Posture, balance, and core strength are all heartily increased. Bone density and joint health improve, and many experience positive body awareness for the first time. Pilates teaches balance and control of the body, and that capacity spills over into other areas of one's life.

For more information about Pilates, contact the Pilates Method Alliance at www.pilatesmethodalliance.org.

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