Fitness Options Go Beyond The Traditional

Looking for a yoga or pilates class? You've come to the right spot.

With Del Ray's proximity to regimented, sometimes stuffy Washington, D.C., it might surprise some to see so many alternative, "mind and body" fitness establishments in one place. But perhaps the non-traditional West Coast mentality is just the break the D.C. professionals need.

Yoga in Daily Life, Studio Body Logic and Mind the Mat are located within three blocks of one another on Mt. Vernon Avenue. One might wonder how all three of these businesses survive in such a small neighborhood, but the owners of these establishments say that they are thriving—mainly thanks to a supportive community.

Mind the Mat was founded in 2008, when Sara VanderGoot and Megan Brown teamed up to offer yoga and pilates classes to the community. The pair noticed specific groups of people whose yoga and pilates needs were not being met. They decided to fill in the gaps.

Brown, a licensed physical therapist who teaches Mind the Mat's pilates classes, had a 2-year-old son when the studio opened and was always looking for places that would allow her to bring him along. 

"I felt like Del Ray needed a place where parents could walk to class and be able to bring their babies and toddlers," she said.

From this idea, Mind the Mat's Mommy and Tot yoga classes were developed. They also added prenatal yoga, prenatal pilates and "Mommy and Me" pilates to address the needs of area parents.

Brown also found that some doctors recommend yoga or pilates to their patients, but specify that the teachers should have specific knowledge and training on the human body. Brown and VanderGoot, a certified massage therapist, fulfill those needs.

Studio Body Logic owner Karen Garcia was the first person to offer pilates to Northern Virginia when she started in a basement in 1996. She opened her first studio in Clarendon in 1997. Her second studio has been in Del Ray since 2002.

Garcia teaches authentic pilates, which means her techniques are the same as pilates creator Joseph Pilates. Garcia was fortunate to train with Joseph Pilates' protégé, making her one of the only "third-generation" pilates instructors in the area.

Garcia said that while much of the pilates taught by others is great work, she estimates 50 to 60 percent of it is not the work Joseph Pilates created. She believes in the historical value of the work.

"It's incredible work. You can come in here [with a] wheelchair or crutches, and we can work with you," she said. "The breadth of the work is amazing."

When asked why she believes Del Ray is such a hot spot for yoga and pilates, Garcia points out that most studios are small businesses, and Del Ray is very supportive of small businesses.

"When you are a small business, you are a community business," she said.

Garcia said that while much of the money brought in by large corporations goes back to the home office, the dollars earned by small businesses stay in the neighborhood—a point she believes is not lost on Del Ray residents.

"There's this good feeling that everyone gets when they come to this neighborhood," Brown said as to why the area attracts so many wellness professional. "It's very welcoming and soothing."

Obviously, the neighbors agree. Classes fill up quickly along the avenue, and both Brown and Garcia agree that most of their students are from the neighborhood or close by. These studios are filling a definite need in the community.

The yoga and pilates studios are not the only fitness establishments serving Del Ray. For a more traditional workout, residents can visit Ultimate Results, which also advertises "holistic health coaching," and Del Ray Curves.