Frequently Asked Questions

Can I stop in and talk to someone?

While we would love for you to stop in and take a tour of one of our studios, our administration and bookings are fully online.  To keep class prices competitive, we do not maintain a full time receptionist. However, we do answer the phone (when we are not teaching) and are always happy to discuss specific questions.  If you are new to Pilates and want some dedicated guidance, you can schedule an introductory private session to address your goals, needs and concerns one-on-one.

how long are the sessions?

All sessions are 45 minutes with a 15 minute break prior to the next session to allow for sanitizing of common surfaces, to minimize the number of people in the studio at any one time and to allow for preparation for the next class.

What should I wear? And what about jewelry?

Comfortable clothing that allows for movement. Most clients wear yoga pants & a tank top or tee shirt that is neither non-constricting or too loose. Your clothing doesn’t need to be skin tight, but it does help if it is more on the fitted side (helps your instructor see the way your body moves). Socks are required – non-slip tread socks, yoga socks or grippy socks are preferred.  We have grip socks for sale with payment via Venmo and PayPal.

Please remove all jewelry including rings and earrings prior to joining class to prevent damage to our Reformers.

What is the best way to book a Private appointment?

The best way to book a Private appointment is to call us at 212 320 8399.  We can match you with an instructor who can help you get the most from your session. Once you have a regular cadence with an instructor, we can streamline the process via email / text.

Do I have to be in shape to do Pilates?

Anyone can start Pilates at any level. Sessions are catered to meet your fitness needs based on where you level of ability.  However, as with any pyhical exercise, please do speak with your instructor about any pre-existing medical condtions before the start of each session.

How often should I do Pilates?

The ideal Pilates practice is 2-3 times per week. We suggest starting with one session (100% more than you are doing now!) and adding more sessions when you can. The more sessions you do per week, the quicker you will see results.

How long do I need to take Pilates to see changes in my body?

With regular sessions, in less than one month you will see and feel a difference in your overall body strength and composure. Every body is different, but wonderful changes will happen if you commit to doing Pilates every week! As Joseph Pilates himself said, “In ten sessions, you’ll feel the difference, in twenty you’ll see the difference, and in thirty you’ll have a new body.”

What is your approach to Diversity?

We are incredibly proud of the diversity of our team which includes representation from origins around the globe and almost every key demographic you could anticipate.  We expect our staff to offer all our clients a safe, inclusive and equitable environment when they enter our studios.

We also expect our clients to offer the same respect to other clients and to our staff while in our studios and in their public comments relating to our services received from us.  Any actions to the contrary may result in a ban from attending future sessions.  Thank you for helping us create a safe environment that supports our wonderful and diverse community.

What is your approach to equity and inclusion and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)??

We believe that everyone deserves to benefit from physical fitness regardless of any limitations.  In accordance with the Americans with Disability (ADA) Act, we have several design elements in all of our studio locations to assist with access and participation:

  • Stair /step free entry via elevator
  • ADA compliant restrooms
  • Adequate spacing on walkways/hallways
  • Open accessibility to Reformers in each studio

If you have any questions about access or services we invite you to contact us at info@aveapilates.com prior to making a reservation.

Under what circumstances does the studio cancel a session?

We apologize for the rare occasions when we have to cancel a session. There are 3 situations that may cause us to cancel:

  • If a teacher is unexpectedly sick and we are unable to find a substitute;
  • In the event of terrible weather (blizzards etc);
  • If there is no one signed into a session 2 hours prior to the scheduled start.

If you are booked into a session that we need to cancel, we will reach out to you and do our best to accommodate your preferred alternative schedule.

What happens when you substitute a teacher?

We apologize for those times when we have to substitute a teacher in your class.  Planned substitutions (e.g. scheduled vacation) usually happen at least 2 weeks prior to the session. Occasionally, we have to make an emergency substitution due to teacher illness, transportation challenges or other emergencies. In those situations which are outside of our control, we do our best to notify all clients of the change via email prior to the start of the class.

Please understand that we cannot guarantee a specific teacher will be available, and your reservation with us is for a specific class and location, not for the specific teacher.  Therefore, we are unable to offer refunds or cancellations if we have to make a teacher substitution.

What are the differences between the rooms?

All of our rooms offer the same intimate, small class experience.  We’ve decided to give the rooms in our studios names so it’s easy to find your location when you arrive at the studio.  The following are the studio rooms:

East Village, Amor – front room, overlooking Tompkins Sq park

East Village, Ahava – rear room, quieter and more shade

Kips Bay, Amani – front room as you enter the studio

Kips Bay, Maluhia – rear room, past Amani

West Village – Asante room, large room in the rear of the studio, accommodates 10

West Village – Kansha room, at the front of the studio, lots of sunlight

West Village – Mahalo room, in the middle of the studio, closest to the cubbies

Can I bring a pet or service animal into the studio?

We are sorry, but we cannot accommodate pets in our studios. Service animals are welcome.  If you intend to bring a service animal to the studio, please inform us PRIOR to entering our studio due to known allergies of employees and and possibly customers. You can call studio at least 15 minutes prior to your scheduled session. Thank you for your understanding!

What are your Covid-19 Safety Policies and Precautions?

We try and maintain reasonable safety precautions relating to infectious diseases, and we appreciate your cooperation with these.  If you are symptomatic for Covid-19 or an infectious disease, please stay home.

We also follow rigorous cleaning procedures to ensure the health of our clients.  These include:

  • Cleaning towels are used once and then washed
  • Deep cleaning of each studio each night
  • Sanitizer stations available through the studio
  • Merv 13 air filters in the air conditioning units
  • Vinyl straps are used which can be effectively disinfected between use
  • All cleaning products are compliant with CDC guidelines for disinfectants

Policies

What is your late arrival policy?

Please arrive 5-10 minutes early for your session.  Late arrivals are dangerous and disruptive to all the other clients in the class.

If you are late – even 1 minute – for your session, you will not be admitted.   Arriving late means the teacher has to stop the class for all of the other participants who arrived on time.  Please be considerate to the other clients, arrive on time and do not buzz the studio if you arrive late.

Late arrivals will be marked as a no-show and are subject to no-show policies as outlined. Thank you for your understanding.  If you arrive on time but after the teacher has taken attendance, please wait after the session and ensure the teacher marks you present.

What are your change, cancellation and no-show policies for sessions?

Once you book a session with us, your spot is reserved and we never over-book clients. We have a 12-hour change/cancellation policy to allow the studio and teacher to book another client and fill the spot.  Changes within 12 hours from the start of class are not allowed and will be treated as a late cancellation.  Late cancellations made within the 12 hour window and no-shows are subject to loss of session or appointment from your account.  Cancellations within this window made with Classpass may be subject to additional cancellation fees applied by Classpass.

With both Classpass and our VIP Pass, it is important that you confirm with the teacher that you are marked present as the fees are automatically applied 24 hours after a missed or late cancelled class.

What is your pregnancy / prenatal policy?

Congratulations!  We hope your pregnancy will be a wonderful experience.  We are happy to accommodate pregnant clients in Private Sessions where we can help you modify your Pilates practice for your specific needs.  Unfortunately, because of the additional attention and modifications required, we cannot accommodate pregnant clients in group classes without prior agreement.  Please call us to discuss.

What are your additional purchase policies?

All purchases and session participation are subject to an executed liability waiver.  You will be presented with a waiver to sign when you enter the studio.  Advance copies of the waiver are available by emailing us at info@aveapilates.com.

Reservations made through Classpass and Peerfit cannot be changed directly by us.  All changes need to be submitted through those entities.

There are no refunds unless a class is cancelled by Avea Pilates.

We are not responsible or lost or stolen items.  If you have lost an item we maintain a lost and found area in each of our studios.  Any unclaimed items will be donated or disposed of if unclaimed after 45 days.

Clients may only maintain a single online account with Avea Pilates.  Multiple accounts owned by the same client are subject to both consolidation and forfeiture of any packages and sessions purchased in the second account.

Ave A Pilates reserves the right to change pricing at any time and restrict availability of memberships and special offers.  Ave A Pilates further reserves the right to refuse sales to any client based on sharing; abuse of the membership, package or purchased option; failure to pay cancellation fees; or for any reason at the discretion of Ave A Pilates.

We are an inclusive studio that values Respect, Honesty, Community and Client Transformation.  Please respect the privacy and experience of your teachers and fellow clients.  We will not tolerate harassment, bullying or discrimination at any time in our studios or in comments relating to a session taken in our studios (e.g. reviews).  Any such behavior may result in an immediate ban from attending future sessions.