Though she had always led an active life and participated in a variety of sports, it was a car accident that eventually led Cindy Cook to discover her life’s work.

Cindy earned her bachelor’s degree in business administration with a minor in exercise science from the University of Nebraska at Omaha. She has worked in the fitness field since 1988 in many capacities, from working in local fitness centers to being a personal trainer. After a car accident left her in chronic pain, Cindy began working with mind-body healing including yoga, Pilates, and Reiki. “Respecting the body, focusing the mind, and enhancing one’s well-being as opposed to beating the body up and ‘feeling the burn’ has been an integral part of recovery,” she says.

Cindy started her own studio in 2001, and opened Legacy Pilates, Yoga & More in October 2005. The studio offers classes in Pilates, with both floor and reformer equipment classes, yoga, kid’s yoga, Tai Chi, kung fu, and belly dancing.

Her focus today is not only on fitness, but whole-body well-being. “It is important to teach clients about other wellness and natural care options that can enhance your lifestyle,” she says. “I love to incorporate East and West philosophies and help one understand how they complement each other and can help one understand the self better.”

Cindy says that one of the most challenging aspects of her work is educating people that they don’t have to “kill themselves” to get a good workout. She explains that it is important to perform exercises mindfully rather than just going through the movements. Her low-impact and graceful exercises challenge even the most ardent athlete, she says. “Body builders come in [to take a class], and are blown away by how sore they are the next day.”

Cindy explains that her approach to teaching and the smaller size of her classes allow the instructors more one-on-one time with students and more precise training. “We try to work with the bodies in front of us, not just the choreography and not just the workout,” she explains. “In a group of 50 people you won’t get that kind of instruction.” Legacy Pilates, Yoga & More offers private Pilates sessions. As for the group sessions, there is a maximum of six people on the reformer machines and a total of 15 people in the floor classes.

“Everyone’s body is so different, and just because someone is strong doesn’t mean they know how to do the exercises,” Cindy cautions. “Most of our instructors have been in the field for over 10 years and have a lot of experience and education behind them.”

Whether people decide to take a few foundation courses at Cindy’s studio or they choose to remain clients for several years, she feels that the most important aspect is to get a strong foundation that they can build upon. Though Cindy has seen the results of mind-body healing within herself, she especially takes pleasure in seeing how the exercises have helped her many clients. “Seeing people’s bodies change and helping people with chronic pain feel better and possibly avoid surgery has been very rewarding.” The fact that she is also able to help people build their self-esteem and self-respect as well as their body image is thrilling too, she says.

“In these exercises, the goal is to master all the muscles of the body, not just the superficial muscles you can see,” she says. “That’s a great life lesson…the superficial isn’t important; it’s the core that’s important.” Cindy explains how the smaller muscles deep inside our bodies are the ones that hold our bones in place, and as we age, these are the ones that we really need to exercise. Working these smaller muscles can help to correct scoliosis, as well as ward off bunions and rotator cuff injuries, she says.

As with any fitness regimen, Cindy says that if a client takes one class or drops into a class sporadically, it is harder for the body to remember the exercises and to get results. Regular workouts can make a big difference in both how you look and how you feel, she shares.

Joseph Pilates, the creator of Pilates, said that within 10 sessions the client will feel a difference in the body; within 20 sessions, he or she will see a difference; and after 30 sessions, they will have a whole new body. Cindy suggests that beginners take a maximum of two classes a week, while more advanced clients may want to take three or four classes a week.

One of Cindy’s longtime clients, Sally Banghart, says she averages about three to four sessions a week. “I absolutely love it!” she says. Sally, who had a 42-degree curvature in her spine prior to working with Cindy, says she started taking classes one day a week to strengthen her core muscles. “Since that time I’ve grown three-fourths of an inch, and while my back is not perfectly straight, it is a lot straighter.” She says her daughters have noticed the difference in her stature since she started taking classes. “I love how thorough they are and that there’s no pressure. The instructors are amazing. They work with me and teach me which muscles I need to strengthen and what to work on.”

Jamie Duckert has been a client of Cindy’s for seven years. “I’ve been to other bigger studios, but I’ve always come back because of the personal care I receive and the size of the classes. Everyone truly cares that you succeed in your fitness goals.” Jamie was so inspired by Cindy and her staff that she has become a yoga instructor and is currently training to become a certified Pilates instructor.

The studio is running a special promotion: For clients who purchase the eight-week unlimited floor class package by August 29th, they will receive $100 off the regular price of $200. The staff is also in the process of planning its annual “Mind-Body Retreat.” The retreat will take place in Playa del Carmen, Mexico from January 15th through January 22nd, 2011. The all-inclusive package includes airfare, hotel, food and drinks, and daily Pilates, yoga, and Tai Chi classes with the Legacy Pilates Yoga & More instructors.

The studio, which was voted KETV’s number one “A-List Pilates Studio in Omaha” for both 2008 and 2009, also offers special workshops on various healthy lifestyle topics. Check out the Web site at: www.mindbodyprograms.com to see which workshops are currently available or for more information about the studio. Legacy Pilates, Yoga & More is located at 16939 Wright Plaza, Suite 129 at the Shops at Legacy. For more information, call 502-9772.