Pilates

CAROLINE BENTON
Caroline has been with the company since 1998 and is responsible for the creation of our Pilates program. She was the first Pilates Instructor hired at the Fitness Edge and since then the program has grown tremendously with her help. She has mentored some of our members by helping them enter the certification program. Caroline studied under Romana Krywanowski, the successor of Joseph Pilates, and was certified through her program. She understand the importance of combining Pilates with Resistance Training to achieve optimal results and trains with a Personal Trainer on a regular basis.

Caroline was certified by Romana at True Pilates in NYC after completing 600 hours of study and practice. She maintains her certifications each year by attending seminars with Romana and she continues to educate herself on advanced training in the system. She specializes in Pilates for the healthy and for those with any physical ailments such as knee replacements, scoliosis, arthritis, hip replacements, etc. She believes that Pilates can benefit everyone and enjoys the challenge of transferring her passion of Pilates into her client’s daily lives.

ERICA CHATTING
Erica is an enthusiastic addition to The Fitness Edge. She earned a degree in psychology from Central Connecticut State University with a minor in Business Management. It was during college where she took up Pilates and discovered a strong passion and love for it.

Erica learned through her training that a healthy body begins with a healthy spine, all of which are achieved through Pilates. She knows that every body is different and unique. The great advantage of doing Pilates is that anyone can do it; specific programs can be designed to accommodate each individual’s body. The goal of Pilates is to achieve ideal body alignment, while toning, lengthening, and strengthening the body to aim for a longer, leaner look.

Erica has been studying, practicing, and teaching STOTT Pilates method for 2 years now. She has completed mat and reformer, Cadillac, chair, and barrel certification classes at The Pilates Certification Center in South Windsor, CT.

Erica has also taken various workshops including the use of apparatus and postural analysis to further her education and to apply to her teaching methods. She believes Pilates is something that you must do faithfully to achieve long term goals.

SIOBHAN COSTELLO
Siobhan has over 18 years of teaching and coaching physical movement and fitness. She is a former professional modern dancer, teacher and coach specializing in the Doris Humphrey-Charles Weidman technique. Her experiences include teaching and performing in New Haven and Hartford, CT as well as throughout Chicago and New York.

Siobhan recently comes from a three year project of owning and operating her own fully-equipped, including 6 Professional Reformers, Pilates studio. Prior to her opening her own business, she managed a health and wellness facility where she was employed as the principle Pilates instructor and the daily operations coordinator. She worked closely with the naturopath physicians and chiropractor to make sure all patients achieved their physical goals. Her responsibilities at both facilities included conducting group classes, private lessons and special populations related to rehabilitation of injuries, surgeries, and various disabilities.

Currently, Siobhan is a STOTT Pilates certified instructor having completed all educational requirements including advanced training in Mat, Reformer, Cadillac, Chair and all Barrels. She comes to The Edge, not only with enthusiasm and commitment, but also with over 7 years of Pilates teaching and coaching experience as well as over 500 hours of Pilates education.

ANABELLA DUCA
Anabella has been with the Fitness Edge since the summer of 2006. Her goal is to teach, educate and help clients understand their bodies, the connection between body and mind, and to improve their everyday lives through proper breathing, correct posture, improved flexibility and newly found strength.

She is a life long student in physical fitness, coming from a background of ballet, dance and gymnastics. Always having a drive for fitness and a passion to educate others, her involvement with Pilates, Yoga and Personal Training was just a natural progression in her life.

Focusing on body awareness, Anabella is a strong believer in the benefits of core conditioning, strengthening and building through Pilates. She combines diverse elements with different Pilates equipment and other gym apparatus in her One-on-One sessions. Anabella is dedicated to promoting in her clients physical, spiritual and emotional growth. She has an amazing ability to motivate each client by enthusiastically sharing her knowledge. It is her foremost goal to enrich the lives of those around her.

Anabella is a Pilates Instructor through PHI Pilates in NYC under the teachings of Christine Romani-Ruby and Marci Clark, a Yoga Instructor through YogaFit in NYC under the supervision of Beth Shaw, and a Personal Trainer certified through the National Academy of Sports Medicine. In addition she holds a PIYO certification (a fusion of Pilates and Yoga), and a BOSU-ball certification. She also has a background of Ballet, Dance and Gymnastics.

Anabella specializes in improving correct posture, core strengthening/conditioning, flexibility, muscle building/toning, general nutrition, menu creation and motivation.

AMANDA FLETCHER
Amanda joined the company mid-2006 as a Pilates One-on-One Instructor. First introduced to Pilates through physical therapy while rehabilitating after multiple knee surgeries, Amanda quickly fell in love with this method of exercise. She has taught in gym and Pilates studio atmospheres.

Her goal is to coach her clients through a workout based on their individual goals, postural and functional needs. Her enthusiasm is contagious as she applies a contemporary and anatomical approach to Pilates. She believes that practicing Pilates helps to bring an awareness of one’s own body to mind in such a way that they begin to apply Pilates to all areas of life.

Amanda is fully certified and had completed over 600 hours of Stott Pilates training through the Pilates Certification Center of Connecticut and continues to educate herself though different seminars and workshops. She is also an Instructor Trainer for Stott Pilates teaching the certification coursework to Instructors. She is trained in working with pre and post-natal as well.

JENN MCNELLIS
Jenn’s career in the fitness industry began in 1985 as a group exercise instructor and personal trainer. After obtaining her Bachelor of Science degree in Exercise Science, Jenn began to teach, train and certify instructor’s world wide for the Aerobics & Fitness Association of America.

In addition to Pilates, Jenn currently teaches many types of group classes for The Edge Fitness Clubs and holds several certifications with AFAA and ACE. She is a certified Spinning instructor and also teaches Basic Life Support & CPR as an Instructor for the American Heart Association.

In her own personal practice and experience, Jenn has found Pilates to be the most rewarding form of exercise she has ever done. Pilates has not only changed her approach to exercise, it has also changed how Jenn approaches life every day.

Jenn McNellis has been studying the Pilates method since 2001 and holds certifications with Stott Pilates and The Physical Mind Institute.

WENDI ROVERE
Wendi is a 9 year veteran of The Women’s Fitness Edge, having served in management, sales, and customer service. She i s now stepping into the role of Stott Pilates Instructor, having completed hundreds of hours of coursework, observation, seminars, and teaching.

Wendi’s fitness background reaches back to high school where she competed in Tennis and Field Hockey. In 1993, she received her BA in Psychology from Penn State and played 2 years of college field hockey. She also holds a personal training certification from NASM.

Still a competitor in triathlons and marathons, Wendi turned to Pilates after giving birth to her daughter, Aimee, two years ago to get back into shape. "Pilates strengthens you from the inside out- once I started, I got hooked! It improves stability, flexibility, and breathing, and promotes longer, stronger, leaner muscles. My body has totally changed." Wendi believes that anyone can benefit from Pilates. From beginners to lifetime fitness buffs, Pilates will make you feel stronger, energized and focused.