ORA PILATES COLOGNE

A strong, flexible and balanced body, which forms a good basis for a healthy lifestyle and helps you to easily manage the small and big challenges of everyday life. In addition, Pilates brings you more energy and drive. Pilates is both preventive and rehabilitative: If you suffer from back and neck pain or similar problems, these can be alleviated and even eliminated through regular Pilates training. At the same time, the training ensures a fit, mobile and healthy body long-term. It prevents physical impairment and counteracts aging processes.

Pilates is a very special kind of full body workout. It is about concentration, control and precision rather than fast and numerous repetitions.
One of the main goals of Pilates is to train the deeper muscles through specific exercises. Through flowing movements paired with the rhythm of your breath, the focus is (re)directed to the present moment, thereby reducing stress and improving concentration.
The repertoire of Pilates exercises on all apparatus (including the mat) is diverse, which allows for very varied training. The exercise modifications and the additional use of small props also serve to tailor the program to your individual needs. In conclusion, one can say that Pilates training is just as demanding and strenuous as is necessary and desired for your goals and based on your individual needs.
I encourage you to visit my Pilates studio in Cologne for your first training session.

Yoga and Pilates are two different disciplines. These are often offered in the same studios, and mentioned side by side in ads and offers because they have some similarities. For instance, both pursuits have a holistic approach and focus on breathing.

The main differences lie in the objectives and the way of training. Yoga is traditionally practiced to prepare the body for meditation, and the training consists of static positions (asanas) and more or less dynamic transitions.
Pilates, on the other hand, consists of exercises and movements designed to improve your overall condition.

Pilates is also about the connection between body and mind, nevertheless this is achieved through body work. To learn more in detail about the differences and similarities between Pilates and yoga, I recommend reading my blog post (in German) on the topic.

The Pilates training method is truly suitable for EVERYONE. A lesson can be designed and adapted in many ways, especially via personal training. Thus, the offer is beneficial for athletes, sports lovers as well as for people who want to stay fit and improve their health.

Pilates can be adapted to any fitness level - especially in personal training. This sport works the deep muscles, requires focus, coordination and control, and can even be very athletic.

Christiano Ronaldo, Sylvester Stallone, Kobe Bryant, Tiger Woods, Lebron James, Andy Murray, David Beckham and Hugh Grant – just to name a few - are known to practice Pilates.
In addition, Josef Pilates, who developed this method, was himself a man.

If you think Pilates is too easy, whatever your gender, my equipment and I look forward to challenging you and showing you the contrary - challenge accepted!

One training session at the Ora Pilates Studio lasts 60 minutes and is prepared based on your personal goals and starting condition. Also, every session is documented and taken into account when preparing the following one, so that your progress keeps moving forward.

Therefore, regular exercise is recommended for best results. One session of 60 minutes per week is enough if you practice another activity during the week (e.g., a Pilates group course or jogging, swimming, etc.). If you are really committed and want to go all-in with Pilates personal training, 2-3 sessions per week will help you achieve your personal fitness goals effectively and in the long-term.

The personal training I offer is tailored to your personal goals. With my support and my coaching, as well as the Pilates method and the Pilates apparatus, you will notice the first results after just a few sessions. The exact timing is very individual: experience has shown one notices a positive difference after 5 sessions (when doing Pilates at least 1 per week), sometimes even after one single training.

At the same time, I would like to recommend that you focus on your own perception and experience instead of the visibility of the results. Typically reported results are: feeling stronger, standing and sitting more upright or noticing a better posture, improved. General well-being, more energy, relieved tension, etc.
Such great successes are not necessarily visible. Moreover, a specific body shape is not always indicative of health and fitness levels.
The positive external changes that you see over time are a nice “side effect” you achieve with this type of training.

Pilates is an excellent exercise during pregnancy. There are some precautions to take into account depending on the trimester. If you wish to know the details about these, you can read my blog post about the subject (in German).

In addition to my two certification programs for Mat and Studio, I have also completed several further training courses, including one regarding Prenatal Pilates. As a certified, competent and conscientious Pilates teacher, I have already supported several pregnant women with suitable trainings in order for them to stay fit and strong during this special time, and to prepare themselves physically for the time following birth. 

It is important to me that everyone feels welcome while training with me, just as they are.
The Pilates method has a strong connection to dance, as Pilates represents an excellent complementary workout to it. Unfortunately, the dance world is heavily influenced by strict expectations of body size and shape. Since many Pilates teachers have a dance background, these schemes have been passed on and have contributed to the definition of the Pilates Body: a slim, well-toned body, which has often led to discrimination in the courses.
As a matter of fact, these prejudices are very common in the whole fitness industry and in our modern society in general, supported by mainstream media and the diet industry. The latter ultimately only has an interest in people (especially women) becoming or staying overweight so that a constant and ever-increasing revenue is generated.

This is, of course, a very simplistic summary of a highly complex subject… But getting to the point: you've probably been to a gym class, where it was just natural for the instructor to talk badly about body fat and food and use that as motivation for the next set of sit-ups. Maybe you even had a personal trainer, who worked with you that way. Research and studies have shown that this type of rhetoric ruins our relationship with food and our bodies, and contributes to developing eating disorders and disordered eating behaviors.

That's why my personal training and my online class are 100% free of such negative references and expressions.

Knowing one’s own body and understanding its signals is crucial to a healthy lifestyle.

Our body actually knows exactly what we need. Nonetheless, due to our mostly hectic everyday life, increasingly taking place sitting in front of screens, we experience more and more difficulties in correctly interpreting the signals it sends us – until they manifest in more extreme ways, for instance as pain and tension. Therefore, in my personal training, conscious body-awareness plays a central role.

In my new Pilates studio in Cologne, I help you through targeted exercises to restore the connection to your body and to stay healthy and fit in the long term. 

Pilates is all (or mostly) about your core: through the training you strengthen the deep muscles of your entire body, with a special focus on your torso, but the positive effect goes far beyond that. During Pilates Training, through conscious movement and breathing, you will bring your body and mind into balance, improving your concentration levels while reducing stress.

All of these positive effects of regular training are enhanced and supported by elements of mindfulness and meditation, which are an important part of each and every one of my Pilates classes. I want you to feel completely present in the moment and connected with yourself and your body while exercising.
That's why my studio is called “Ora”, the Italian word for “now”.

The studio has been located at Magnusstraße 18a since June 2021. The entrance is through a red door, just across the wider street from the Pullman Hotel.
The studio space is very bright and airy thanks to the very high ceilings (3.5 – 6.5 meters). Since it faces the inner courtyard, it is also relatively quiet – at least for Cologne downtown standards.

Your first personal Pilates training session lasts 1 hour and 15 minutes. When you book your first session, you will receive a confirmation email with a link to a form. (You can also take a look at the form here and download it if necessary).

In my studio, I only offer personal training. This can be an individual training, or you can train in pairs. You can find the conditions for duo-trainings here.

Unfortunately, I do not have enough room for Pilates group classes in person at the studio. That's why I offer a live online option every Monday at 5 p.m.

To train with me at the studio you need:

I am aware that personal training is not a viable option for everyone, mainly for cost reasons. However, I would like to give everyone the opportunity to practice Pilates with me and therefore I offer a cheaper option, too.
Every Monday at 5 p.m. I give an online live Pilates class open to all levels, which only costs 10 €. Participation is fully flexible and does not require a subscription. 
This course is currently only offered in German.
You can find further information about the course here.

Since I only opened in 2021, my studio is still relatively new and navigating the aftermath of the pandemic has been no easy feat.

Your satisfaction and guaranteeing the highest quality service are my priorities.
If you have already trained with me (be it personal training in the studio on the equipment, online on the mat or in the live Pilates classes) or still regularly do and always look forward to your next session, I would be very grateful if you would write a review for me and shared your experience.
This supports my still young business, and makes it easier for other people with similar needs and goals to find me and my studio.

You can submit a Google review right here. If you don't have a Google account, you can leave a review here, by simply providing your name.

Thank you in advance! 😊