Ashley Hayes, owner of Pilates of Forest Acres, began her journey in Pilates when she was 24 years old in Boulder, Colorado. She describes the experience as “life changing,”as pilates was the first modality to fully make sense to her. She was classically trained in pilates, but through her work with kinesiologists and her knowledge of experiential anatomy, she was better able to tailor her work to her specific client’s needs. Ashley also strives to guide and educate her clients in their practice and movement in an attempt to create a sense of autonomy. In addition to her work in Colorado, Ashley also spent time learning and practicing in San Francisco, California, but fortunately for us, she made it back to her hometown of Columbia.
Why Columbia? I grew up here and majored in Dance at Columbia College. I also have many close friends here
Favorite Local spot: The woods at Fort Jackson. I love to bring my dogs there.
Ashley Hayes, Pilates of Forest AcresFavorite healthy snack: An apple with almond butter
I couldn’t live without: My long-term, close friends
Nikki’s notes: I absolutely LOVED working with Ashley. Going into our session, I explained to her I have been struggling with sciatic pain that radiates through my hip. She was able to make me aware of what muscles I was using during specific movements, and she taught me how to activate my core muscles to produce the same movement. I think it is awesome how she educates her clients as well as taking them through the practice. Many times, people experience training sessions where they just go through the motions, but I find it to be extremely beneficial for clients to understand their own bodies and their own movement. Ashley also allowed me to experience three different pieces of equipment used for Pilates. It was such a blast.
