SQZ SPOTLIGHT: Honoring Pilates Principles with Functional Strength

Enjoy this interview SQZ did with Emi Frey, a Chicago based pilates instructor!

Where did you get trained, how long have you been teaching, and how would you describe your class type/teaching style?

I completed a 600-hour comprehensive Pilates certification with New York Pilates and I’m also PMA NCPT, NASM-CPT, and CFSC certified. I love Pilates and feel passionate about honoring its integrity and principles, while weaving in functional strength training to support real-life movement.

What was the moment you knew fitness would be your career?

I found Pilates at a time when I felt out of tune with my body. Experiencing that shift—working with my body instead of against it—was a true epiphany. I knew I wanted to help others find that same joy.

What’s one thing about your early days in fitness you never share online?

I look back at some of my early programs and think, what was that?! The programming just wasn’t it. A few of those day-one clients are still with me, though, and have watched me evolve. To me, that proves how crucial soft skills are—authenticity, connection, and care make you memorable and keep people coming back.

“Authenticity and connection are what make you memorable.”

Have you ever fallen out of love with fitness? How did you get back into it?

Fitness is cyclical. Sometimes you’re on top of it; other times you’re in the trenches. Being chronically online can make it seem like everyone is always in peak shape, which is unrealistic. I’ve taught across different modalities and at studios with specific methods—which can be mentally and physically challenging when it’s your job. Coming back to Pilates always grounds me and makes me feel at home in my body.

What’s one fitness trend you secretly can’t stand?

A lot of advice right now pushes people to overtrain. Fitting in six workouts a week when you have a full-time job and other responsibilities is… a lot. We need to normalize rest and make recovery sexy again.

If you weren’t a fitness instructor, what would you be doing?

I love to write, so I’d probably be working on the next best-selling thriller.

One way you’d use the SQZ ring in class

Upper-body rotation. Adding resistance to rotation feels amazing and deepens connection through the trunk and hips.

Try it:

1. Stand tall, feet under hips. Hold SQZ at chest height, gentle squeeze.

2. Exhale, rotate ribcage and shoulders over the right hip; keep pelvis quiet.

3. Inhale, return to center; repeat left.