Author Archives: TeamMona

About TeamMona

UW certificate in Sports Med. & Human Performance, ACE-certified personal trainer, apparatus-certified Pilates instructor, with experience in formats from Zumba to Kettlebells... I believe there is a move for every body, and size and age is not a barrier to joyful movement or better health. We just have to find it, the best movement for your body... I get the struggle of loving oneself enough to find way toward better health, even if it doesn't look like what media shoves down our throats... and I believe health is multi-faceted, caring for our body, mind, and spirit, and for each other.

More Booty, Less Back Ache! :-)

Here’s a short little movement sequence that can be especially helpful if you’ve been sitting too long, or in a deep squat too long (like weeding, or cleaning out low cupboards). It helps lengthen out the front of your hip … Continue reading

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A One-minute Mental Toughness Exercise with Four Great Benefits

I first met Dr. Haley Perlus years ago at the World Spinning & Sport Conference in Miami, Florida. She’s a sport psychologist, and was speaking on motivation strategies in goal achievement for athletes as well as regular, active folks. I … Continue reading

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TeamMona Movement Minute

Squats and rainbows for your Movement Minute! 🙂

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Conquer the C.R.A.P., Feel the Love

Today during my step bench workout I had an epiphany: pain in movement doesn’t mean I need to necessarily fear movement. It more likely means that I’ve stopped  paying attention  to myself. I’ve set down my  self-care, my  self-love, and let … Continue reading

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Buddy Up!

Let’s be honest… we’ve all been there, me included: the alarm goes off, it’s dark outside, and though you told yourself you’d get up and go out to exercise, you roll over and hit snooze instead. Or maybe you’ve finished … Continue reading

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Client spotlight: the one and only LT!

If you come to Pilates Northwest, you’ve probably seen my client LT.  He’s the guy who, when he’s not in the middle of his session, instantly puts everyone at ease with his friendly smile and self-deprecating quips. He’s also the … Continue reading

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Some Days Need You To Play Offense

There are days when you have a big to-do list, or just a normal list but you didn’t get enough sleep… days when you are doubting that what you want to achieve isn’t worth the effort, or that what you … Continue reading

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3 Simple Pilates Moves, courtesy of me and Premera

I had the privilege of being part of Premera’s recent effort to entice their members to try Pilates. Why would they want their members to try Pilates? Too many reasons to mention! Among other things, Pilates is great for: injury … Continue reading

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Next Health Challenge Group is open!

Nutrition, fitness, and support! • Daily check-ins using Beachbody’s Challenge Tracker app. • Anywhere-workout programs streamed via Beachbody On Demand • 28 Days of Healthy Focus! All participants are requested to use body-positive language. We celebrate the journey, not just … Continue reading

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It’s All In You

Everything you want in life is in your reach if you can master yourself. Maybe it’s your attitude, or a skill-set, or a work ethic, or even a scheduling challenge. Maybe it’s a combination of things! Just know that if … Continue reading

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