If pilates is good enough for Madonna to rap about, then it's good enough for us.

Headed by Jaime K. Ullman, Pilatesblue offers a fully equipped studio to sculpt abs, improve posture, enhance balance and increase flexibility. Ullman believes the West Coast style addresses injuries most effectively, but the New York style provides a more strenuous workout, so she teaches both in a private studio to serious students who want to work, won't complain and don't talk much. (Those serious about progression usually adhere to the New York style; students more interested in mind and body awareness like West Coast.) Her studio has both Gratz equipment for New York-style training, in which the student must work against the tension in the springs, and a Balanced Body reformer, a bit more fluid and forgiving, for West Coast exercises. She helps students work out injuries, stay fit, or simply feel empowered. The studio is designed in calming shades of blue and green, but just because it's peaceful doesn't mean Ullman won't whip your ass into shape. —Mai Dinh