Stable Core Pilates + Physical Therapy

I was recommended to Valerie by my chiropractor and I’m so glad! It has been a lifesaver.
I started working as an RN and had horrible back and leg pain, I was worried I would have to quit my job after trying acupuncture, massage, and all sorts of other therapies and none of them really helped me. I felt like I was going to be in pain the rest of my life until I started going to Valerie. Now I don’t even go to massages anymore and barely ever have to see my chiropractor.
I really trust Valerie with my body because of her Physical Therapy experience and she is constantly updating her skills with new training. Since going to stable core I am now pain free 99% of the time. She is able to hone in on my trouble areas and give me exercises to fix the imbalances that caused the pain. She also really listens and pays attention to what you have to say so you get personalized training to avoid injury. Now I am taking group classes there as well and am feeling so much better that I signed up for a triathlon, something I never thought I’d be able to do a year ago. It feels really good to have a PT/​Pilates studio that you can trust to help fix your injuries and get stronger so you can function at 100%
I feel human again and now I can do the activities I want to do because whatever may happen, I have the skills thanks to Valerie to troubleshoot the problem and get stronger

I had been going to Emily for Pilates. Her classes are small and she is an attentive instructor. Yesterday, though, she charged me for a class that I couldn’t attend due to illness. When I asked her about this as she hadn’t been clear about her payment policy, she didn’t answer my email. I guess I am out the money. Not great customer service. She also has outdated payment methods. She only accepts cash or check and insists on getting the cash up front, even asking you to drive the payment in prior to class. If you need more flexibility, clarity on pricing or even understanding when you don’t feel well and have to miss a class, this is not the place for you. I will be going elsewhere.

Stable Core is a great little pilates studio in the Dimond district of Oakland! Classes are small, the studio is well-​equipped, and the teachers are nice and effective. I’ve been challenged, motivated and helped by Erica. My spine and body feel years younger after just a month or two, and the self-​care I’m learning is worth the investment for sure. Pilates is not cheap, but the fees here are reasonable. A great studio for all ages and body types, and folks with «issues» or injuries. If you need physical therapy, consider this powerful low impact exercise and learn how to help yourself!

I love Pilates with Celina.
I have taken her class once a week for a year now.
I am pleasantly surprised with how strong I have gotten.
I plan my schedule around this class.
She is a genius and a pleasure to work with. :)
I am impressed with how she varies all the workouts.
They are challenging yet just the right amount of everything.
Great synergy with classmates as well.

I absolutely love this studio and cannot believe I didn’t find it earlier. I went for the past 9 months and just moved away from East Bay and still have not found a studio quite like this one. I first started coming because my physical therapist recommended that if I really want to target the source of my inflamed IT bands and prevent future pains I need to target my scoliosis and strengthen my core– so she recommended pilates.
I’ve taken classes with Celina and Emily and they have different approaches. I would say, if you want your abs to be attacked and thinking «oh my gosh. is this soreness ever going away?!» then Celina is the instructor you want. She is so funny throughout class and although she is putting your abs through a lot, it’s such a good feeling afterwards. I have to say her class was rough but motivated me to keep at it.
When I first came to stable core, I had an initial private lesson with Emily, then took her group classes and then had more private lessons. Emily is awesome, period. (But probably biased because I’ve spent lots of time with her during private lessons!) i felt like she took a lot of time to really understand my limitations and tried different approaches to strengthen my core and to try and target the different tensions, pains, muscle imbalances caused by my scoliosis.
I’ve gone to the chiropractor for a number of years for back pain and really this studio has done more for me in 9 months. The people who go to this studio are also wonderful, I think I was always the youngest one there… But anyways this place rocks and I’m still trying to find a studio that is comparable. Valerie is so on top of all the scheduling, and replies to emails quickly. I hope to move back to the area after grad school and come back! Recommend to anyone interested in pilates or with some sort of pains they are trying to alleviate!

I’ve been taking private sessions with valerie and they’ve been making a noticeable difference after just 2 sessions with my core strength and some long standing back pain.
I’ve tried everything going on 4 years to get rid of back and SI joint pain post pregnancy. My PT and orthopedist recommended pilates PT and through Unilocal I found Valerie. She is A PT by training (worked 8 yrs at kaiser) and incorporates pilates into her PT to build core strength, improve posture and reduce pain in my case. She is smart, hands on and focused on wellness.
In my first session she immediately noticed posture imbalances and muscle weakness that I haven’t been able to solve. With a few exercises she got those muscles firing i havent been able to through months of PT and I already feel stronger.
Pain is not all gone but I feel like I finally have some positive steps forward. Thanks also to amazing massage therapist patty haladay, and PT Natasha at sports and orthopedic leaders. 5 stars for them too.

stable core is so close to my work, it would almost be a crime not to try them out!
i emailed them about classes, and it seems that they are intent on creating intimate classes with great teachers. valerie was responsive and professional.
i signed up for a level 1 pilates classes with lila, and i loved it! she was so sweet and welcoming, and even when i was doing ridiculous things with my limbs (not necessarily on purpose — a common thing for me in pilates), she handled me (and my issues) with ease and kindness.
the class was small (3 people, including myself), which made for an extremely personalized class. as someone with some joint issues, i wholly appreciated it… and i felt great afterwards!
prices were relatively standard for pilates ($ 20ish/​session), and times were convenient. i wish i could go all the time, but this nonprofiteer needs to be a little more frugal. nevertheless, five solid stars for lila and stable core — i hope to see you again soon!

I went to Valerie 6 months after a kidney transplant as the doctor’s said it was fine to start excercising. After such an invasive surgery my core needed to be built back up. She showed me things that I didn’t know how to do by just laying there! It was an eye opener as to how much needed strength my core had lost. Besides being very patient and professional, she was fun to be around also. Thanks to Valerie, she gave me the start of a new life (literally)

I’ve had neck, shoulder, back, hip, hamstring, knee, ankle, and foot pain for years. I’ve been to multiple PT’s, massage therapists, chiropractors, yoga classes, a personal trainer, and an acupuncturist.
I got very little relief from the majority of them. Another friend of mine had back problems and recommended Valerie at Stable Core, so I thought I’d give it a try. She is amazing at seeing all the minute details and helping to adjust my postures and give me exercises that help strengthen the right areas without overdoing it and causing more harm.
Don’t misunderstand — this is not a quick, instant fix. It’s a process of development. And sometimes we try something, learn that it’s too much, and have a little set-​back. But this is long-​term pain that takes a while to undo.
Valerie is great at keeping me moving forward and really solving the cause of the pain.

Let me start by saying this: I have been to countless physical therapists, feldenkrais practitioners, acupuncturists, personal trainers, pilates instructors, etc etc… and Valerie exceeds any and all of these.
First — Valerie the Healer
I initially came to Valerie (owner of Stable Core Pilates) for back and wrist pain from repetitive use and from having had a baby. Valerie is amazing. I have had about 11 visits thus far with Valerie. She is able to very quickly diagnose problem areas that I may not have even been aware of. Valerie takes the time to both strengthen my body while identifying minor changes that complete improve my body mechanics. She comes with a complete toolbox of skills — physical therapy background, massage therapy experience and training, pilates certification — and a wonderful ability to offer patience and calm to my harried life.
If I miss several weeks with Valerie, I notice the difference right away. Working with her has not only diminished my pain, but has also resulted in improving my own workouts as well as my everyday posture. And how lucky do I feel to finally be working with someone who thoroughly understands the mechanics of physical therapy while at the same time specializing in an exercise methodology that is near and dear to my heart — pilates!!!
Every time I leave Valerie I feel taller, stronger and — most importantly — less pain. I can totally see the progress and feel the changes when I am just out living my regular life.
If there was a way to give Valerie (the owner of Stable Core Pilates) six stars, I would.
Second — The Payment and Scheduling Process
Valerie is such a breath of fresh air. She makes up for my own disorganization. I typically submit my receipts to my PPO plan for reimbursement and use funds out of my FSA for additional coverage. In submitting receipts for out-​of-​network coverage, I usually find that I have to remind practitioners for paperwork Not with Valerie — she is so organized and on top of things. Valerie is always one step ahead of me. She sends me receipts in a timely manner (sometimes even the same day).
Scheduling is also super easy with Valerie. She is incredibly well organized and on top of things. Enough said.
Finally — The Location
I find Stable Core Pilates to be very easy to get to in a charming part of Oakland. It is right off of the 580 (which makes for an easy commute and comes with free parking next door. I usually make a morning of it — I head to Stable Core Pilates, then to the grocery store (Farmer Joes) and then treat myself to a Peet’s and La Farine. It is an up and coming neighborhood without all the fuss of parking difficulties.
Overall, I am so grateful to others for telling me about Stable Core Pilates and cannot rave enough about my improvement and experience.

I’ve been working with Valerie for 3 years. Before starting pilates with Valerie, I had constant lower back pain. I tried physical therapy, acupuncture, chiropractors, massage therapy and yoga. Nothing helped.
It took some time and a lot of patience on Valerie’s end, but I finally started making progress. With her background in physical therapy, massage therapy and pilates, she has tailored the exercises to my specific issues.
I highly recommend Valerie and Stable Core Pilates.

How does a woman in her 50’s get her groove on again, by learning how to connect to her body again. After sitting at a desk for years, gaining weight and finding myself in pain most of the time, I finally decided to give pilates a try. Yaira is the best instructor I could have ever asked for, she’s gentle, compassionate about my pain and very mindful about my moves. The class is small, so if feels like you have a private instructor. If people who haven’t moved much the last decade are interested in living life again, consider starting pilates. Great 2010 New Year’s resolution, get up off the couch.

Stable Core in the Dimond is a total gem. I love coming here to get my butt kicked by Yaira on a regular basis. The instructors are warm and welcoming. The springboard classes are small (4 students max) and effective. Parking is easy, abundant, and free.
I almost don’t want to publish this and suddenly have the classes get too crowded! But Valerie runs a great studio and it shouldn’t be kept a secret… so here I am Unilocaling about it. Come by to see and feel your body change for the better.
I’ve been attending since May ’09 and I will continue on at Stable Core for as long as I can!

I had lessons here with Valerie after having a slow recovery from a tibial plateau (knee) fracture/​surgery. She was really great at describing the exercises and was very encouraging. She also managed to give me just the right amount of challenge so that I felt tired when I left, but also invigorated. In addition to her Pilates training, she has a Physical Therapy background, so was really able to gently guide me into the practice. After a few sessions, I was able to go home and show my husband my slowly re-​emerging 4-​pack of abs.
I just had my second knee surgery to remove the plates and screws put in during the first, but as soon as I can, I will be enrolling in a class at Stable Core. A great neighborhood spot, beautiful space. (while in the neighborhood you can also grab some coffee at Peets or if you want to balance out your work-​out with some sin– get some amazing pastries at La Farine around the corner.)
I can’t wait to make this place part of my routine!

I love this place!
I’m a novice– never done pilates before and now I can’t get enough! The place is great– lots of parking, very clean and the instructors are knowledgeable, patient and very friendly.
So glad it is in my neighborhood!

Post rollover car accident… I Unilocaled for help, recovering.
Stable Core Pilates has put me back on a health track.
Don’t think getting older will happen to you? I thought so too, until I was taught otherwise… what had been old age symptoms in hyperdrive (pain in neck, shoulders, head, back, etc, etc) is becoming more managable!
Many thanks to SCP.

Love, love, LOVE that they’ve opened up here. I just came back from my first class; it was great. Group classes are limited to four people; we got to use mat and reformer. Yaira is a wonderful teacher. I’m looking forward to signing up for another series (package of 4 or 8 classes at $ 22/​each, otherwise drop-​in is $ 25). So worth it!

I’ve been working with Valerie Loo for over a year now and I am so grateful to have found her. I have had four or five Pilates instructors in the past and there is no comparison. She’s a physical therapist, so she knows how to assess what my body needs and decide what is safe and appropriate. I have had numerous joint replacement surgeries and many physical therapists, but none has been as skilled as Valerie. She has taught me to use my breath, and has helped me to find deep muscles that I didn’t even know I had. She is great at creating a balanced workout for me.
I love working with Valerie and can’t recommend her highly enough. I feel like a different person after working with her.