Julie Coan
Pilates Instructor in Northfield, IL | Sandy Greiner Pilates
When you work with Pilates instructor Julie Coan, you’ll be working with someone who combines technical expertise with a supportive and personalized approach, helping you move with greater strength, confidence, and awareness in every session.
Experience & Certifications
Julie Coan is a 500-hour Comprehensive Balanced Body Certified Pilates instructor. Her training includes in-depth study of the full Pilates apparatus, movement principles, and functional anatomy, equipping her to work with a wide range of clients and movement needs.
Julie has four years of experience working with clients in a Pilates setting, guiding individuals of all levels through safe and effective movements. Her specializations include:
Alignment and body mechanics
Strength development and functional movement
Mindful movement for long-term health
Modifications and progressions for all ability levels
Philosophy & Teaching Style
Julie’s teaching style centers on precise, mindful movement with a strong emphasis on alignment, form, and biomechanics. She approaches each session with intention, making sure that every exercise serves a purpose and supports your overall movement goals.
She is highly detail-oriented and attentive. During her sessions, she takes the time to observe how each of her clients moves and gives clear guidance to help them improve. Julie believes that a strong Pilates teacher is not only knowledgeable, but also communicative, encouraging, and adaptable. She meets clients where they are, offering progressions to help build both strength and confidence, as well as modifications to make sure everyone stays safe and is able to access the session.
Her sessions prioritize long-term movement health, helping you develop better body awareness, move more efficiently, and build strength that translates into your everyday life. When you work with Julie, you can expect to feel both challenged and supported, and you’ll leave each session with a better understanding of your body and how to move it well.
Why She Loves Pilates
Movement has always played a central role in Julie’s life. Growing up as a figure skater and dancer, she developed an early appreciation for the power of intentional, disciplined movement. Those experiences shaped her understanding of how strength, control, and awareness work together to support both performance and overall well-being.
Today, as a mother of two young children, that connection to movement has taken on even greater meaning. Pilates offers her not only a way to stay physically strong and resilient, but also a way to care for her mental and emotional health. It provides space to reconnect, reset, and move through life with more balance and ease.
Julie views Pilates as the place where strength, awareness, and presence come together. It’s a practice that supports longevity, builds confidence, and helps people feel more at home in their bodies. She is passionate about sharing that experience with her clients, helping them discover that movement can be both powerful and restorative.
For Julie, Pilates is a lifelong tool for feeling better, moving better, and living well. As she says, movement is medicine!
Fun Fact / Personal Interests
Outside of the studio, Julie enjoys spending time with her family and staying active in ways that reflect her lifelong love of movement. Her background in figure skating and dance continues to influence how she understands and teaches the body in motion.
As a busy mom of two, she also values the role Pilates plays in helping her stay grounded, energized, and balanced in everyday life.
Getting Started with Our Pilates Instructors in Northfield, IL
At Sandy Greiner Pilates, we combine expertise and genuine care to create an experience that supports your body and your goals. Whether you work with Julie Coan or another member of our team, you’ll receive results-driven instruction every step of the way.
For those new to Pilates, our New Client Package is a great way to get started. You’ll work one-on-one with an experienced Pilates instructor who will guide you through the equipment, teach you foundational movements, and help you build confidence from your very first session.
Experienced in Pilates but new to our studio? If you already feel comfortable using a full range of Pilates equipment, you can jump right in with a class package. Our team will welcome you, assess your movement, and help you join our sessions easily.