prism pilates
PRISM Pilates is built on the belief that strength creates freedom. When we train the body with intention, control and consistency, we change more than the way we move. We build confidence, resilience and a greater capacity to enjoy our lives.
Our work is rooted in strong Pilates principles and taught by knowledgeable, dedicated teachers who know how to challenge you. Expect thoughtful programming, attention to detail and full body work that asks you to slow down, breathe deeply and work harder than you thought you could.
We believe in stability before mobility, grace in resistance and earning the advanced work. We are not interested in making Pilates easier. We are interested in teaching it well.
For more than a decade, PRISM has been part of the Cincinnati Pilates community, and that experience shows in the way we teach. Our instructors are trained to understand the body, not simply memorize exercises. Whether you join us for group reformer, private sessions or a corporate class, the goal is the same: intelligent movement, meaningful challenge and work that creates real change.
You will get stronger. You will move better. You will stand taller. And somewhere along the way, you may realize that what you build in the studio follows you far beyond it.
This is PRISM. Challenge creates freedom.
about the owner rachel appel
Rachel Appel is the founder and owner of PRISM Pilates and has spent more than 20 years studying, teaching, and working in movement and fitness.
Known for classes that are challenging, precise, and genuinely fun, Rachel has built her teaching style around a deep understanding of the body and a belief that people are capable of far more than they think. She has never been interested in making movement easier for the sake of making it comfortable. Her goal is to teach people how to move well, build real strength, and develop the control and confidence to keep progressing.
Rachel founded PRISM in 2013 and has spent the last 13 years refining not only how she teaches Pilates, but how Pilates is taught throughout the studio. Her approach is rooted in anatomy, biomechanics, strength, and the Pilates method, with stability before mobility at the center of the work.
Before Pilates became her primary focus, Rachel taught across nearly every corner of the fitness industry. She is an ACE Certified Personal Trainer, Certified Pilates Instructor, 200 hour Registered Yoga Teacher, and has extensive experience teaching strength, barre, cardio, and conditioning. That range continues to shape the way she sees bodies, movement, and the individual needs of the person in front of her.
Each winter, Rachel leads PRISM's comprehensive Teacher Training program, an intensive education across Reformer, Cadillac, Chair, and Mat. She developed the program to train thoughtful, highly skilled teachers who understand the why behind the work, not simply the choreography. Every PRISM trained instructor is taught through the same principles, standards, and commitment to exceptional teaching that have defined the studio from the beginning.
After more than two decades in this field, Rachel remains endlessly curious about people and the body. She continues to study, evolve, and refine her work, and still considers teaching the most important part of what she does.