Pony Pilates, formerly Pony Locale, founded in 2012, is a community oriented space dedicated to the improvement, development and empowerment of people’s lives through movement. Using Pilates and Kinesiology, the studio specializes in high performance training, restoration and rehabilitation. Our emphasis and philosophy are on functional movement and strength based on sound mechanics and a clear understanding of how the body works and moves.

Owner/operator Sarah Joy Stoker is one of the most respected and sought after movement educators in St. John’s. Along with her staff of highly trained and experienced Pilates instructors, Kinesiologists, and Exercise Physiologists, Pony offers an exceptional range and breadth of knowledge, expertise and care.

Services include private and semi private training/conditioning sessions, Group Reformer classes (Pilates Equipment) and Pilates Mat classes for multiple levels including Restorative classes designed for people with chronic pain, injury, arthritis, low bone density conditions and more, to Foundational Pilates, Intermediate level and challenging and fun Fusion and Props Pilates classes. Many of the staff are highly experienced and specialized in working one on one with seniors and those with a range of issues including mobility and balance, as well as conditions like Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson’s, Stroke and brain injury.

The work of Pony Pilates promotes movement with assurance, freedom and power. Through focused, diligent, patient practice, there will be relief of pain and tension, and an overwhelming feeling of strength and confidence in your body and its ability to support itself.

The w0rk we do at Pony trains and conditions the body, brain and nervous system for optimal movement. When we move optimally it is without pain or discomfort, it is with power, strength, confidence and ease. To achieve this we must develop an active relationship and dialogue between body and brain incorporating all aspects of our physiology. The brain and nervous system control movement, both consciously and unconsciously, automatically. Only with an active and stimulating interplay between physical body and brain can we achieve the results we want in our health and ultimately, our quality of life.

Private & Semi Private Sessions

Private & semi-private sessions are available seven days a week with our Kinesiologists and Pilates Instructors. Our staff are highly trained to recognize and identify imbalances, postural deviations, compromised and compensational function and movement patterns, and are then able to help clients move towards improving and or correcting them.

Whether a client is looking for an elevation in high performance ability, strength or endurance, or is experiencing chronic pain or a reduction in free and assured movement, private sessions are an excellent way to start the appropriate program for that individual. These sessions are recommended when a client feels like for any number of reasons that they need more focused, detailed and specific one on one attention.

Sessions are 55 minutes long, or 30 minutes are available for those with very restricted mobility and or endurance.

Group Mat and Reformer Classes

Group classes are the most effective way to get moving and keep moving. Offered all week, at peak times, our group pilates classes range from foundation and restorative mat work, to dynamic core flow, core conditioning and strength training as well as the pilates reformer machines/equipment. The majority of our staff teach group classes so they are an excellent way to experience the staff and take advantage of the great range of knowledge and teaching styles our instructors have to offer. 

Group classes are excellent environments of friendly, open support and comradary for clients. We limit our class sizes to 10 for mat work and 5 for group reformer to assure clients get the most one on one attention possible and are able to keep safe distancing. Our classes are 55 minutes long and are bone density safe and/or bone density building!

Sarah has been working with The Parkinson's Society of Newfoundland and Labrador since 2015 helping to provide weekly exercise classes for people in the community living with Parkinson's.

Movement and exercises are done to help open up and mobilize areas of the body that easily become very tight and restricted. As well we work on standing balance, strength and agility. These classes are fully subsidized by Pony Pilates and the Parkinson’s Society of NL, so they are free to all participants.

We offer two classes each week. Mondays at 2pm - this class is the more gentle and accessible class, designed for a wide range of population. Most of the time is spent working from seated positions with some standing work. Thursdays at 2pm - this is a Circuit style class which is a more vigorous one. Participants move around to different stations for interval amounts of time, using equipment and free weights with an emphasis on getting participants heart rates up.

The Monday in studio class is also made available on the Parkinson's Society Exercise Page on Facebook, and Zoom. Please contact The Parkinsons’s Society to be put on the email list for notifications of weekly class schedules and zoom links. There is also a recorded class for people living with Parkinson's on the Pony Pialtes YouTube page.