One of the first to teach the Pilates method, Risa Sheppard received her formal training in the early 1970's under the tutelage of legendary Master Instructor Ron Fletcher in Beverly Hills, California, where she taught for five years.
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A native of Los Angeles, Risa received her BA degree from University California Los Angeles while working at the Neuropsychiatric Institute teaching creative movement to autistic children. Her work with Ron Fletcher gave her intimate knowledge of the integrated movements of the body and led to the development of The Sheppard Method, a unique blending of the body, mind and spirit. The Sheppard Method Pilates is an accumulation of nearly thirty years of personally training thousands of individuals, celebrities, professionals, children, disabled and the elderly, enabling all to develop their own physical potential.
She is the Founder of the Sheppard Method Pilates Studio based in Los Angeles, California, and the Sheppard Method Teacher Training Program, a PMA Certified program with successful graduates teaching throughout the world.
Risa's numerous television appearances include the fitness expert on TNN American Magazine, Shoppers Television Network, KTLA Morning Show, and was co-host for The Jack La Lanne Show. She was profiled on Entertainment Tonight, KABC, KCBS, and KTTV News and appeared on the Home Shopping Network with her Wheel of Fitness work out product. Risa is the Inventor of the Wheel of Fitness, now known as the Ring Flex, which is sold all over the country, and specifically at Balanced Body. The wheel was taken from the original Joseph Pilates magic circle, which was made of five bands of steel and blocks of wood that made up the handles.
Risa is the author of the book Risa Sheppard's Fitness Formula for a Firm and Flat Stomach. She has written for Muscle and Fitness, City Sports, Total Health, and Natural Body and Fitness. She was also featured in Vogue, Elle, Ladies Home Journal, Los Angeles, Magazine, City Sports, Hollywood Reporter, and American Fitness, to name a few.
Risa has been a Pilates Instructor for many clients, which include, Katherine Ross, James Earl Jones, Jack LaLanne, Reba McEntire as well as studio executives, celebrities, professional dancers, and athletes. Her work continues to inspire and touch many thousands of lives by bringing out their very highest potential.