Founded in 1998 by Mia Scheid, Fitness Arts was born from Mia’s intention to inspire, motivate and empower her students through an education in the Pilates method. For the past eleven years, Mia and her carefully selected staff of instructors have instilled students with a keen awareness of movement, posture and mental focus. Some students have come as teachers and have left better teachers. Others find in the work, a new and exciting sense of self as old patterns of chronic pain, injury and physical limitations begin to disappear.

At the heart of Fitness Art’s teaching philosophy lies its unrivaled Essential Movement Education (EME) program. Founded on the belief that the Pilates experience extends beyond exercise, the EME program encompasses the study of movement, meaning and connection within all Classical Pilates exercises.

The movement component provides the in depth and precise instruction necessary to effectively learn and or teach the Pilates work. Our Advisory Board of licensed medical professionals and scientists take each movement we teach and examine it on a biomechanical level. Their feedback empowers Fitness Arts’ teachers to transmit a full body of knowledge with every exercise instructed. Students benefit by not only learning the exercises but are also guided in understanding how each exercise occurs and how it relates to posture and movement.

The meaning component entails an informed exploration into what influences movement and how such an understanding will assist self and others in health, fitness and freedom from pain. We touch upon topics such as diet, general exercise and attitude and how they impact our movements.

The idea of connection is threaded throughout the program as we examine the interconnectedness of body, mind and spirit. Students learn more than exercises, they become attuned to such concepts as biomechanics of movement, focus and concentration of the mind and creative expression of the spirit through teaching.

Fitness Arts’ EME program was also created to empower all students to become not just good but great teachers in Classical Pilates. We do this by first offering a curriculum rich in specific knowledge and practical insights.

Next, believing that a great education takes time and should not be rushed, we break the teachings down into smaller modules that students work through at their own pace. We understand that many great teachers-to-be are living busy lives and do not have the resources required to complete many teacher training programs. By minimizing the time and financial constraints, the EME program becomes accessible to all students without compromising the standards of educational excellence necessary to become a great Pilates teacher.

Finally, FA believes that learning is a lifelong journey. Our program doesn’t stop with a certification. We continue to offer a wide array of continuing education courses and remain committed to mentor and to support all of our students as they move through their professional development.