After giving birth to her first son in Dubai in 2011 by cesarean section, Galiya Loustalot knew she needed a new physical challenge for her changing body. She’d had experience with prenatal and postnatal yoga, but she felt she needed to find a way to restrengthen her core muscles. Once she tried Pilates, she fell truly in love. Following a move to Houston and the birth of a second son, Galiya was introduced to Pilates Reformer and her Pilates practice ramped up from there.
“I was proud of the transformation my body went through and how far I progressed,” said Galiya. “I remember thinking, ‘Movement heals. My body can do things now that it wasn't able to do yesterday.’ Pilates helped me heal faster, gain more lean muscle, increased my flexibility and mobility, and of course, it gave me confidence and increased my vitality.”
As her love of Pilates evolved, she decided it was her calling to learn more about the intricacies of the human body and share her knowledge with the world, so she became a certified Pilates instructor in 2021 and began teaching. In 2022, she opened a boutique-style Pilates studio in Vintage Park called Pilates by Galyia’s Fitness.
Pilates is a low-impact, full mind and body workout that anyone can benefit from. It’s gentle on joints and often used for rehabilitation after injuries and has been proven to increase athletic performance. Ideal for men or women, its primary value is in strengthening the body’s core, but it also improves spine health, breathing control and aids with balance and coordination.
“Ultimately, Pilates improves flexibility and strength which is essential in our daily and athletic activity, improves posture, helps to improve mood, and relaxes your mind and body,” said Galiya. “I have been blessed to train people with osteoporosis in their 60’s and joint replacement recipients in their 70’s. I have even been told that I have been an important part of the recovery journey for several cancer patients. Beyond that, I have also trained professional Houston athletes to improve their athletic performance, and everyone in between. I am impassioned by the ability to contribute to their fitness, mobility, and wellness success.”
Pilates by Galiya’s Fitness offers classes for people of different levels of fitness. They offer both group and individual sessions to familiarize them with the different pieces of Pilates equipment: The Reformer, Pilates chair, tower, spine corrector and ladder barrel and introduce them to Pilates fundamentals. At their own pace, practitioners progress to intermediate and advanced classes at higher levels of strength and complexity.
Sessions can be purchased in group, private, or duet (2-person) formats. Private and duet classes tend to cater to the specific needs of clients with prior injury or those who desire specialized instruction. Group classes are kept to 6 people maximum which ensures that everyone can more attentive instruction. Private event sessions accommodating 3 to 6 people are also offered as a team-building fitness experience. Regardless of format, workouts are tailored to the abilities of the people in the room. At Galiya’s the focus is on proper form and technique rather than repetition of an incorrect movement as is the case in some other Pilates classes.
Galiya’s boutique studio offers a clean, modern, upscale space that welcomes visitors with a variety of classes. It’s fully furnished with top-of-the-line, brand-new equipment with ideal class times for anyone’s schedule starting at 6 a.m. through 7:30 p.m. and classes in between.
Utilizing a different payment model from other fitness entities, Galiya’s doesn’t want people to stay away from Pilates because they’re locked into a monthly membership. For that reason, Galiya’s Fitness offers competitively priced Pilates classes on a pay-as-you-go basis, though they do offer generous discounts for people who plan to attend regularly.
“Clients should come for the quality of workout they receive at Pilates by Galiya’s Fitness, but if they need a month off either physically or financially because life happens, that’s fine,” said Galiya. “ We will happily welcome them back the next time.”
I remember thinking, ‘Movement heals. My body can do things now that it wasn't able to do yesterday.'
