I need a Pilates teacher who can give it to me straight, with no chaser.  I happen to prefer my Pilates authentic. I also need a teacher who can look at me and see possibility versus limitation. I may be in my 50s and 10yrs deep into my dance retirement with residual “stuff” going on in my body; but I still have the mind of an athlete that likes to push and challenge myself. So I tend to thrive with teachers who are adept at teaching students, like me, who want to do more than just workout, sweat, and check it off my to-do list. I don’t wanna pay to plateau. I wanna train! 

I feel most comfortable in workout environments where people take training seriously without taking themselves too seriously. Where people can be competitive with themselves without being competitive with others. I prefer workout environments that foster body/mind/movement awareness and progressive training. But, with a sense of exploration and play. Like, gimme space to figure out how my body works, what feels good, and why so I can translate that into my everyday life. Oh, and the emotional space to laugh at myself versus berate myself if I don’t get it right away. Because I will, eventually!  I find it pointless and boring to grunt mindlessly through exercises  just to “feel the burn”, feel “tortured” or watch an instructor live out their performance fantasies – even if they have a banging playlist.

because the masses are rejecting their dogma. We resist the idea that exercise is a necessary punishment for the reflection we see in the mirror. We know and believe that exercise isn’t just about whittling our body down to a certain shape and size so that it’s worthy of feeling seen, loved, and sexy. Like, can’t we simply workout to feel good? Can’t we workout ‘cause we wanna feel like a super-heroes; even in our middle-aged bodies? 

If I could gain one superpower via exercise, I’d wanna teleport like Nightcrawler. I mean, how badass would that be? But that’s more mental than physical, right? So I guess I’d “settle”for Wolverine’s strength, speed, stamina, durability, agility, dexterity, and reaction time. Plus his keen senses and regenerative skills! 

Believe it or not, having super-hero aspirations is a major motivator behind my regular exercise routine. I mean, who doesn’t wanna feel ageless and invincible?

You’d never know it by current life but my favorite way to exercise is to dance. Albert Einstein said “dancers are the athletes of god” and I wholeheartedly agree. Dance is a full-body workout that requires skill, technique, strength, flexibility, grace, imagination, and vulnerability. And while it requires extreme athleticism, it somehow doesn’t feel like a “workout” because it’s also creative self-expression. 

It’s hard to stick to a fitness routine when I don’t make it a consistent, non-negotiable item on my calendar. It’s crazy how quickly life can disrupt my workout plans, no matter how important physical fitness is to me or how much I love the way I feel post-workout. And when I say “life”, that can sometimes mean scrolling social media or binge-watching House Hunters on HGTV. “Procrastination is the thief of time” and an energy zapper. Yep, even though I’m a fitness professional that loves to move – on most days – I’m not in the mood to workout.