Meet Pilates Instructor Susan LeClair
Meet Pilates instructor Susan LeClair. Susan is a firm believer in proper movement being key to longevity, good health, and happiness. She finds deep fulfillment in helping her athletic, physically challenged, and aging clients alike find new body awareness in their Pilates sessions and leave feeling healthier and more open in their movement. She makes time for her own practice daily, which enhances her ability to relate and bring greater awareness to her clients in their personal growth and objectives.
STUDIO BE: Please tell your readers a little about yourself.
SUSAN: I live in Oakton with my husband, Jeff, sons Lucas and Marcus, and our two Portuguese Water Dogs, Romeo and Juliet. Originally from Rhode Island, I moved to this area 17 years ago. I love to cook, dance, read, walk and laugh. I spend a lot of time at baseball fields, watching my sons play.
STUDIO BE: When did you first become involved in Pilates? What drew you to Pilates over other forms of exercise?
SUSAN: I first discovered Pilates around 1997. I think I was reading an article about dancers and actresses using Pilates and was intrigued. I was never into gyms or group exercise and just did things on my own (walking, sit-ups, etc.). Something about Pilates just clicked. I felt it immediately and missed it when I wasn’t doing it. I became obsessed with learning everything about it and read every book I could find. The history is fascinating.
STUDIO BE: What made you decide to become a Pilates instructor?
SUSAN: About a year after I discovered Pilates, I joked to my husband and my boss that I wanted to become a Pilates instructor. I was already feeling the passion for it. There were some chuckles, and I continued in my financial profession. I then had two boys, and some time after my second son, I started to dream about teaching again. I was in the studio all the time and went on Pilates trips with instructors. I already felt like an instructor! It was after a Pilates trip to Italy with several instructors in 2010 that I decided to finally get my comprehensive training.
STUDIO BE: What are your personal and professional long-term goals with regards to Pilates?
SUSAN: I love that I continue to learn about my body and grow my own personal practice with each session. I practice nearly every day on my own and with Carla. It is important for me to continue to grow my own personal practice, as that helps me to connect with ways to better teach my clients. I hope when I’m on the Today Show’s Smucker’s 100th birthday wishes, they show a picture of me at 100 doing a teaser. Professionally, there continues to be so much to learn, from other instructor’s cueing, improving my own, anatomy and Pilates movement, etc. Additionally, I’d like to expand on Pilates and the aging community, as well as Pilates and the growing youth athlete.
STUDIO BE: Tell our readers about your strengths as a Pilates instructor or any particular areas of expertise.
SUSAN: I am passionate about Pilates and its benefits for all bodies, ages, and abilities. That passion comes through in my teaching. Additionally, I am relaxed in my teaching style, so hopefully, that provides some comfort, particularly to new clients. I am partial to the classical method and believe everyone should know and understand it. However, I also see the fun in opening up to new variations at times. I have also personally benefited from Pilates and bring that experience to teaching as well.
STUDIO BE: Are you currently taking clients? If so, what type of client would benefit most from your services?
SUSAN: I am currently taking clients. I love to work with all kinds of students, but I guess the ideal client is one who is open to discovering the method and its many benefits. I also love the challenge of changing someone’s preconceived ideas about Pilates and making them passionate about it as well.
STUDIO BE: What else would you like our readers to know about you or Pilates?
SUSAN: Pilates takes focus, so it is great for the mind as well as the body. I firmly believe proper movement is essential to healthy living and aging. Pilates can also be a powerful aid in injury prevention, as well as recovery. I have personally experienced the benefits myself in how quickly I handled and recovered from major surgery a year ago. Both doctors and nurses attributed it to my health and Pilates practice. You would be amazed at how much and easily you can incorporate Pilates into your daily routine.