Arriving in Liverpool to study in 2008, Ladan Mofakham stayed and four years ago opened what has become a thriving Pilates studio in the city centre. Tony McDonough reports

Ladan Mofakham came to Liverpool in 2008 to study at the University of Liverpool and she quickly grew to love the city so much she stayed and has established a thriving Pilates studio.

She opened AVA Pilates Studio just off Bold Street in 2017. It offers a fully-equipped Stott Pilates studio. Stott Pilates is a specific branch of pilates which focuses on maintaining a neutral spine or natural curvature as opposed to the ‘flat back’ method of traditional classes.

Of Persian and Iranian descent, Ladan came to study human resource management. She received a Student of the Year Award, before going on to study for her post graduate degree in exercise and nutrition at the University of Chester.

She wants everyone to have the opportunity to try Stott Pilates which, she says, helps to build core strength and stability. It also helps in developing optimal strength, endurance, flexibility and posture without adding any bulk or stressing the joints.

“I simply fell in love with Liverpool and have never looked back. In 2005, I started practising pilates and it became a ritual three times a week,” said Ladan. “Since then it has been a real passion of mine and the pilates method helped me enormously in terms of my mental and physical health and made me stronger, as well as feeling more confident in my own skin.”

She believes Stott Pilates is the best in the industry and after teaching pilates in numerous gyms across the city, found that at the time, none of them offered a dedicated Pilates studio. Ladan went to London and trained to become fully certified level 1 & 2 instructor, qualified to teach across all pilates equipment, mat-based, reformer, cardillac, chair and barrels.

Stott Pilates is a contemporary approach to the original exercise method pioneered by Joseph Pilates. It’s available for everyone in terms of age and ability, and is used for rehab patients, elite athletes and prenatal clients.

Co-founders Lindsey and Moira Merrithew teamed up with a group of physical therapists, those in sports medicine and fitness professionals and spent three decades refining the Stott Pilates method.

Ladan added: “I decided to open the first fully equipped pilates studio in the heart of Liverpool city centre that focuses on pilates only where I can share my passion and help more people get fitter, stronger and become happier in their bodies.”

AVA Pilates Studio is so busy that it mostly operates on a waiting list basis, with one-to-one sessions and small group classes both proving to be incredibly popular. She said: “We train everyone here. Everyone with a positive attitude is welcome.

“From pre and post-natal clients, to athletes, footballers, dancers, A List actresses, we’ve trained them all. But as a busy mum myself, I can completely relate to my clients who struggle to fit in some time for themselves. I created Pilates Lean for anyone who struggles to get to the studio and can practice at home in their own time.”