In 1999, Mariska took her first Pilates class. After a 2002 diagnosis of MS, she became a devoted yoga and Pilates practitioner and taught her first class a year later. Mariska then founded Fuse Pilates, a contemporary Pilates method and studios based in Washington, D.C., for which she developed all of the group classes and training programs. Mariska is also the inventor of the patented Fuse Ladder.
Mariska completed a research project on Pilates for multiple sclerosis patients as part of her comprehensive Pilates certification through Body Arts and Science International (BASI Pilates). She later expanded that research into an in-depth multi-day Pilates for Neurological Conditions teacher training course and incorporated the latest research in neuroplasticity and neurorehabilitation into a program designed for people with MS, stroke, Parkinson’s disease, and other neurological conditions. This year, she launched the MS Master Plan – the most comprehensive single source for multiple sclerosis patients in existence, consisting of over 275 videos including interviews with experts and patients about everything from diet and exercise to understanding how MRIs work and how to read the results, from successful strategies for disability and workplace claims to the psychological ramifications of an MS life.
As a student of medical neuroscience, Mariska has also designed workshops that focus on how to integrate brain science into exercise programs to enhance performance and improve neurological function. She has worked extensively with students with MS, stroke, spinal cord injury, neuropathy, Parkinson’s disease, Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS/Lou Gehrig’s disease), and Charcot-Marie- Tooth disease. She regularly consults with Pilates teachers around the world as well as with neurologists, physical therapists, and physiatrists to help them work with clients with MS.
Mariska’s education in the movement arts is vast and includes Pilates mat certification through Power Pilates and additional apparatus, mat, and anatomy training through Balanced Body Pilates and Peak Pilates. From 2010 until his death in 2013, Mariska studied in a one-on-one mentorship with renowned Pilates Master Julian Littleford, founding member of the PhysicalMind Institute and one of the world’s most creative and innovative Pilates instructors.
Mariska is a Pilates Method Alliance (PMA®) Nationally Certified Pilates Teacher (NCPT) and Continuing Education Provider. She is a Prenatal and Postnatal Pilates Specialist, trained through the Center for Women’s Fitness directly with its founder, Carolyne Anthony, who invited her to join the organization as faculty. She is also a Post Rehabilitative Breast Cancer Exercise Specialist, trained through the Pink Ribbon Program. In 2013, she completed Pilates Studio Techniques in support of Heroes in Motion, which overviews skills to work with amputees and persons with traumatic brain injury. Additionally, she has advanced certificate training in Pilates for Injuries and Pathologies, the Pathology of Neurodegenerative Diseases, and specialized training in Pilates for athletes and for men.
Mariska also has an upcoming TEDx Talk about finding your advocacy voice.
