24 Apr Mentor Program Spotlight: Andrea Silver!
Meet Andrea Silver, kinected’s newest mentor student! While in the program, she will be focusing on menopause and Pilates, choreography and fine tuning the skill of teaching. She recently presented Pathology of Menopause on April 2nd to the kinected community & will present her next lecture Treatment of Menopause / East vs. West on Thursday, May 21st at 1pm (sign up here!) Read on for her mission, bio and a Q&A with us!
Her mission is as follows:
- Gain an understanding of the emotional, psychological and physical impact that aging has on the post menopausal woman in order to assist them in achieving the strongest, healthiest body for their age, doing so through in-depth research and by working with Pilates professionals
- Develop expertise in treating women over 50 through Pilates
- Teach women how to take responsibility for their own bodies, to understand, accept and learn how to deal with changes they encounter
- Help women experience the thrill of being strong, flexible and balanced no matter what injuries, obstacles they may have
Q: What first sparked your interest in Pilates?
I was diagnosed with a herniated disk and the doctor told me the only exercise I could do was Pilates. Although I had experience with Pilates mat classes I had never worked on Pilates apparatus. Once I did I was hooked.
Q: What was it that initially drew you to work with the 50 and older population?
Since I was in my 50s and suffered with some menopausal as well as structural issues, it became obvious that I could help others who also suffer from these issues. In addition, the beneficial emotional impact that came from addressing these health issues with Pilates became a driving force in my practice.
Q: What other methodologies and therapies other than Pilates have inspired and shaped your teaching?
Yoga, functional training.
Q: What was the connection you initially made between Pilates and working through menopause, and how has that grown over the course of your work?.
Pilates can assist women both physically and mentally whether they are currently experiencing menopause or have finished the process. I am learning and applying innovative Pilates based exercises on the mat and equipment as well as breathing techniques to further my clients practice.
Q: Why did you choose the topic of Pilates and Menopause?
When I originally conceived of taking this mentorship, I wanted to accomplish a few things and thought this would be an excellent vehicle to do this. My overall goal was to learn/develop the tools necessary for working with women over the age of 50 through Pilates. By gaining a deeper awareness and understanding of physical and emotional issues that older women face I would hope to be able to support this population in my Pilates practice.
Q: What inspired you to enroll in kinected’s mentor program?
This program is unique because it offers an opportunity to further advance your Pilates teaching skills, as well as become an expert in a particular field. It is a great combination of the physical and intellectual.
Q. What are some of the projects that you have been assigned in the mentor program?
1. To understand the physiology of a menopausal woman including the emotional and mental impact of menopause. What are the symptoms? How do the symptoms affect exercise?
2. To understand treatment(s) of the menopause — naturally/lifestyle, through Western medicine as well as Eastern/alternative treatments.
3. To understanding the key areas of the body that need attention during this time and design appropriate sessions that take into account the changes in a menopausal body. And to understand the need to exercise differently during this time.
Andrea Silver discovered that Pilates was the only exercise she could do besides walking while healing from a herniated disk. Once she saw the impact of Pilates in her life, she decided to become a certified instructor. It became obvious that she could help many women over the age of 50 who suffer from menopausal/structural related issues with Pilates. Additionally, the beneficial emotional impact that came from addressing these health issues with Pilates became a driving force in her practice. Today Andrea’s practice is solely dedicated to women and men over the age of 50. Andrea teaches private Pilates sessions at her studio, as well as other local studios and at the Senior Center in Weston, Connecticut. She is passionate about helping people experience the thrill of being strong, flexible and balanced. She tailors workouts for individuals and groups and is always dedicated to inspiring students to lead a healthy, active and fulfilling life. Andrea brings the professionalism she honed over years in non-profit and for-profit worlds to the relationships with her clients. Andrea completed her apparatus and mat certification through Half Moon/The Fitness Guru. She has taken advanced mat and apparatus training with master Pilates instructors in Connecticut and New York City. Throughout the past few years she has continued her studies with Rebekah Rotstein, Osteoporosis /Bone Health; Fran Hoyte, Mary Bowen, Karen Clippinger, Jennifer Kries; Evidence-based barefoot techniques; Back Care with Brent Anderson; Men’s workshop with Michael Johnson. Andrea is a Certified Speaker for American Bone Health, and a certified health coach from the Institute For Integrative Nutrition.
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