Experience & Philosophy
For the past 25 years, I have dedicated my personal and professional life to the importance of physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health.
I am an example of someone who is completely aligned with what I do for a living. In fact, I don’t do this FOR a living, I simply LIVE as a person who loves empowering others to feel healthy, happy and ALIVE. Over my 25 years in the health and fitness area I have accumulated a lot of expertise, experience and success. I have done it all from working as a corporate health promotion specialist, managing and directing commercial gyms, private clubs, to working in pilates studios and personal training privatey in the homes of celebrities, high status socialites, TV studio heads and directors, in Los Angeles. I am currently working with cutting-edge integrative celebrity doctors at The Akasha Center in Santa Monica. Cutting edge exercise, nutrition, life coaching, emotional freedom, environmental-design are all strengths I can teach you to have too.
MY APPROACH
You’ll never get bored with me, because *I* get bored easily, so I am constantly creating fun and variety in the process. If an exercise, activity or approach to eating is good enough for ME it means it is at the highest standard of health, integrity, AND enjoyment! I know how to do what you need physically while also releasing any hidden inner blocks to being completely healthy and fulfilled.
My clients consistently report that they experience:
~ weight loss and fat loss without hunger or denying themselves foods and lifestyle they want
~ more confidence in themselves, how they show up stronger and more positive in the world
~ less stress and more grounded, calmer, sharper mind esp. at work (my peak performers love this)
“I lost my stubborn weight in 3 weeks, and kept it off. Anna has made me very self-aware of how my emotional well-being is very connected with my physical well being. Before Anna, I looked at food as my weakness. After Anna, I now see how certain foods are good fuel providing the nutrients for my body to feel at my best. Now, instead of feeding my emotions in order to avoid them, I take a step back and ask myself why I feel a certain way and it’s ok to acknowledge that emotion – whether it’s happiness, sadness, anger, etc. I have learned to put myself and my needs first before others. I have to take care of myself first before I can take care of anyone else’s needs.” Christina Chang, San Francisco Bay Area, CA – Lawyer, President at Canterbury Chase
Professional Qualifications:
~ Advanced Fitness Assessment and Bioelectrical Impedance
~ High Intensity Interval Training/Athletic Conditioning
~ Muscular Realignment, Corrective Exercise, Biomechanics Specialist
~ Functional Nutrition
~ Pilates, Body Shaping, Exercise Therapy Mobility, Yoga Inspired Flexibility
~ Breathing Techniques To Connect To Your Body, Your True Nature, To Calm, Rest, digest
~ Active Aging, Post rehabilitation, Pre-Post Natal
~ Professionally Trained Life Coach (ICF Accredited)
Anna’s Professional Affiliations are:
~CEP- Certified Exercise Physiologist
~CFC- Certified Fitness Consultant
~Certified Pilates Instructor
~NASM-CPT- National Association Of Sports Medicine – Certified Personal Trainer
~CPTN- Canadian Personal Training Network Practical Assessor
~Certified Functional Nutritionist – ITN, NANP
~ICF – Graduate School of Coaching, Coachville
Overall fitness, whole food nutrition, environmental, and emotional health has been–and still is–the center of my life.
I have led and taught thousands of people to improve the quality of their bodies and lives. I have learned (and am still learning) very valuable life-lessons in self-care, health, relationships, and business. I’m always excited to share my experiences, resources and proven strategies with you. My purpose is to make a significant impact on you, so you can live an extraordinary life in excellent health (body, mind, and spirit), have a thriving business/career, and experience loving, meaningful relationships.
When you live this way, you naturally pay it forward and impact others in a positive way. you–and those you care about–deserve to live a high quality of life, and I’m here to help you create it. If it means you have to borrow the self-belief until you realize you can create the body and life of your dreams….go ahead and use me for that. What’s important, is that you practice patterns of positive thoughts and behaviors every day, until they become a natural part of who you are.
My knowledge and skills are based on an extensive background in health sciences and leadership;
kinesiology, nutrition, exercise physiology, biomechanics, and ergonomics, health promotion. Health promotion is about fitness, well-being and behavioral change, counseling for healthy living, group presentation skills.
Cardiovascular assessment, advanced fitness assessment and counseling, advanced exercise prescription and techniques for apparently healthy people, high performance and special populations. Muscle physiology, fitness marketing, personal training certificate, injury prevention and treatment, group exercise leadership, pilates instruction, and professional life coach training.
I have had a long career in the health and fitness business, and have since added professional life coaching to my programs and services because fitness goes beyond the physical and I felt an obligation to serve my clients body, mind, and spirit with proper training in place.
In the beginning, I managed and directed large corporate health promotion programs for companies like American Express, Rogers Cable and private clubs such as the University Club of Toronto. I then transitioned into running and growing my entrepreneurial fitness & lifestyle business.
My Personal Journey
I cultivated my inner and outer strength from my personal life experiences…the good, and especially the ‘seemingly’ bad.
I grew up in a Greek household with my two sisters, and grandparents.
Aunt’s, uncle’s, cousins and friends were over all the time…the movie, “My Big Fat Greek Wedding”, was a home video! Lots of food, fun, family drama…and love. My grandmother suffered with MS and was bedridden for most of her life, so we all pitched in and took care of her. Her name was Anna, and she was strong, generous, gentle, wise and ALWAYS smiling. Her light was SO bright, that she lit up every room she entered. She rarely complained about the hand she was dealt in life, and never fell victim to her circumstances…to the point that I would even forget that she was handicapped. Her influence taught me to focus on what I CAN do, not on what I CAN’T in every situation, and to make the MOST of my abilities. She was my ultimate life coach and mentor. To this day, my outlook on life is the glass is half full, not empty, and I do my best to FOCUS on the GOOD in every situation.
The life-changing lessons I learned from my grandmother’s condition, inspired me to dedicate my life to health, fitness, self-empowerment, and emotional strength, it shaped who I am today. My vow to my grandmother is simple:
“Yiayia–grandmother in Greek–it’s my mission to inspire millions of people to use their legs to make up for the lack of yours, and to focus more on what people have, and less on what they don’t.”
I value my physical capabilities, and NEVER take them for granted. I start off each morning thanking God for having the ability to get up out of bed and walk, climb stairs, run, dance and move freely…to me, physical movement is a privilege. Today, my purpose is to inspire millions to live with vitality. To love and accept yourself (ALL of you), to live life in a way that makes you feel ALIVE, FREE, and to be a living example of the change YOU want to see in the world.
Today, I live in sunny California. It was always my secret dream to move to California and pursue entrepreneurship. It’s where I believed all my dreams could come true and where anything was possible…and I was right.
I would never have made it this far without the loving support of my husband, Barry, my family, friends, coaches, and clients. I continue to take big risks–physical, emotional and spiritual–and I’m always willing to take a long hard look inside to face and own my truth–no matter how ugly–at every stage of my life.