About Us

About LIFT Pilates

LIFT PILATES was established in 2002, and was the first Pilates studio in Davis. We are a traditional Pilates studuo additionallyspecializing in lower back pain and pain due to incorrect posture.  We also offer Pilates post-rehab training after physical therapy. LIFT Pilates is dedicated to providing you an optimal exercise program designed for your personal fitness level and needs and our goal is to help you feel good about your body!  We help you learn to move your body well and feel good about you--inside and out.

We teach you to develop and use your body as a whole. You move more easily, and with more strength, flexibility and better posture. Pilates exercises can help to repair damage from previous injuries; and your improved core strength helps lessen the chances of future injuries, whether everyday or sports-related.

Of course, Pilates also helps you to look and feel your best!

About Pilates

Pilates was developed in the early twentieth century by Joseph Pilates. This unique form of exercise has been practiced for more than 80 years - and, when taught by a qualified instructor - has proven to be a safe and highly effective form of exercise for strength and rehabilitation.

Originally popular in the dance and performing arts communities of New York, Pilates now has a world-wide following, and is practiced by star athletes, office workers, supermodels, stay-at-home parents and people from all walks of life. Everyone can benefit from Pilates! Following are some of the benefits of Pilates:

• Builds core strength and stability
• Improves posture and alignment
• Increases flexibility, balance and coordination
• Improves muscular balance and strength
• Increases endurance and muscular tone
• Prevents injury and heightens body awareness
• Enhances athletic performance
• Relieves stress and back pain

Our Instructors

Laura Cotler

Laura received her Pilates training and certification from STOTT PILATES®, known globally as the Ivy League of Pilates education. She is a Level 2 (advanced) STOTT PILATES Instructor and is currently training to become an Instructor Trainer for STOTT PILATES. Laura is an Injuries and Special Populations Pilates instructor and specializes in helping people with back and neck pain associated with most back and neck problems. She teaches you to correct your posture and how to lie down, sit, stand, lift, walk (gait training), and bend over while keeping the back in a stable position. You will learn how correct your posture and apply this to your daily activities while protecting your back. Laura has helped many of her clients alleviate their back pain caused by their normal activities such as gardening, driving a car,  doing laundry, or sitting hunched over a desk all day.

Laura found Pilates in 1999 and was immediately hooked. She brought Pilates to the Davis community in 2000 and after working with various instructors she decided to learn to teach Pilates herself.  At the time Laura was managing programs and members services at the Davis Athletic Club--Pilates was new and most people hadn't heard about it. Laura purchased a Reformer and offered Pilates private appointments in the lobby of the Davis Athletic Club (she used a shoji screen for privacy!).  Her private clientele grew and she was able to open her Pilates studio in Davis, which is now LIFT Pilates. Laura thanks her mother and her grandmother who each left her money when they died which she used to purchase Pilates equipment and open her studio.

She enjoys helping women establish a fitness program for life, and helps them continue moving their bodies as they age. She enjoys working with post-rehab clients recovering from injuries and also enjoys training new Pilates instructors. She is the owner of LIFT Pilates.

Laura continues to seek additional education in order to learn more about the body and fitness, and to add to her Pilates exercise repertoire, both for her clients and herself. Additional certifications and training include:

• Polestar Pilates: a rehabilitative approach to Pilates, which also focuses on Pilates and Osteoporosis exercise protocols.
• She has trained with Ron Fletcher, who received his training directly from Joseph and Clara Pilates, Sheri Betz, Physical Therapist and owner of TheraPilates, Brent Anderson, Physical Therapist and owner of Polestar Pilates Education, and Elizabeth Larkham of Pilates and Beyond.

Laura and her husband Steve live in Davis with their four children, ages 6 through 23. Also health- and fitness-oriented, “Coach Steve” is the owner of Goalgetters Indoor Soccer in Davis, a soccer and fitness program for children. www.goalgettersindoorsoccer.com

Hayley Alder

Hayley Alder is a STOTT PILATES® Certified Instructor in Reformer. She recently moved to Davis from Southern California to attend UCD. She loves all forms of fitness but especially loves Pilates because of the way it strengthens your core and spine, while lengthening your muscles.

Sonjia Chevalier

Sonjia Chevalier is a STOTT PILATES®-trained Pilates instructor, experienced with both mat and reformer work. Her interest in Pilates began in the ‘90s, when she added Pilates to her other fitness pursuits, including aerobics, yoga, hiking, biking, and snow-shoeing. She enjoys spending time roaming from Davis to the Sierras with her husband and their two dogs, and she also is interested in photography, music, dance, and learning about native and ancient cultures.

Sonjia’s interest in Pilates originated from an interest in various forms of movement and exercise, and also from a desire to relieve her own chronic pain, muscle weakness and imbalance, and other difficulties stemming from auto accidents. She wishes to help bring peace and balance to others by helping people focus on their goals, through sharing knowledge she has gained on her life’s journey, and through her work as a Pilates instructor.

Allison Fall

Allison Fall is constantly connecting with people through the body. She received her MFA in ceramics, performance and sculpture at the School of the Art Institute Chicago. Her work as a teacher began in 1992 teaching dance and has continually been teaching movement since. Allison received her Pilates certification in New York City at Core Pilates, NYC. She continued her education and understanding of the Pilates system while training and teaching with Peter Roel in NYC. Being a professional dancer Allison began studying Pilates in 1998, finding a way to maintain a healthy body and understand many injuries. Recovering from multiple injuries is where Allison gathered most of her knowledge in helping to understand how to heal, help and advance the bodies she works with. Allison has taught Pilates in New York City, Chicago and Berlin. Her focus is always on the body in front of her, working to give each student what he or she needs.

Gill Williams

Originally from the United Kingdom, Physical Therapist Gill Williams is a certified STOTT PILATES® instructor. Gill lives in Davis with her husband and two daughters, and works at Shriner’s Children’s Hospital as a Physical Therapist.

Michelle Wright

Michelle is a fully-trained certified STOTT PILATES® instructor, and is currently working on her STOTT PILATES® Level 2 (advanced) certification. She aspires to become a STOTT PILATES® Instructor Trainer. Michelle is also an Injuries and Special Populations instructor. A dancer for over 15 years, she believes that Pilates is the ideal discipline to condition your body holistically and prepare for the physical challenges of everyday work, life, and play. Michelle is inspired to teach Pilates because "the essential mind-body connection of this dynamic exercise increases one's body awareness, mental focus, and muscle movement required to overcome physical challenges, improve posture, excel athletically, and even heal." Outside of Pilates, Michelle pursues her other passions: dancing and promoting Argentine tango, art, and natural health & healing. She looks forward to sharing this great exercise with others!