OVERVIEW
In 1988, Lindsay and Moira Merrithew opened their first studio in Toronto, Canada. Recognizing a growing market
demand for Pilates and a scarcity of suppliers, Mr. Merrithew, president and chief executive officer, focused on
building and diversifying the business. Ms. Merrithew, executive director of education, certified as an instructor at the
original Pilates studio in New York and began training clients. Together they recognized that Pilates had to be more
than an exercise regimen reserved for a privileged few, so the entrepreneurs set out to demystify the method and
make it available to a wider audience.
Lindsay G. Merrithew has been the driving force behind the growth of The Merrithew Health & Fitness Group, and its
premium brands STOTT PILATES®, ZEN•GA™, CORE™ Athletic Conditioning & Performance Training™ and Total Barre™. He has been
at the forefront of equipment design and manufacturing since the beginning and continues to lead its innovative
product development today. To date, he has also executive produced over 150 fitness DVDs for the professional
and consumer markets.
Along with a team of business and practitioner experts, Mr. Merrithew has created a vertical approach to their
business, wherein clients and professionals benefit from strict attention to detail at every level – from equipment
components to programming and every piece of collateral support material.
Mr. Merrithew is a member of Ontario's prestigious Innovators Alliance for Elite Entrepreneurs and is regularly
consulted by the trade and business media. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from Dalhousie University in
Halifax, Nova Scotia, and is a graduate of the Juilliard School of Performing Arts in New York City.
Moira Merrithew, together with Lindsay Merrithew, has spent over two decades promoting the benefits of
responsible exercise through their 'mindful exercise' brands. Working closely with a team of physical therapists,
sports medicine and fitness professionals, they ensure all programming is aligned with current scientific and
biomechanical research. This clear and detailed approach forms the basis for STOTT PILATES training and
certification programs.
In addition to overseeing the creation of the curricula and support materials for the company's Education &
Certification programs, Moira is a content creator and featured performer in their extensive DVD series. She has
also trained such high profile athletes as former Toronto Maple Leaf goalie Ed Belfour and tennis great Martina
Navratilova. A published author and media personality, she is actively involved in the company's Fit Kids program
and presents at numerous fitness industry events.
Building on the Merrithews' initial foundation and standard of excellence, the Merrithew Health & Fitness™ faculty
and staff have worked diligently to establish highcquality, high-precision curriculum, equipment and experience that is
renowned across the industry and around the world. For over 25 years, their premier Pilates brand, STOTT PILATES®,
has grown exponentially across the globe and has diversified its offerings across a full range of related components.
The Merrithews' ability to work together in tandem has been a key factor in the company's success to date.
COMPANY MISSION / BOILERPLATE
Merrithew Health & Fitness™ is committed to developing highcintegrity fitness programs, products and services
across a variety of disciplines that help people of all ages and abilities achieve a healthy lifestyle through their
premium brands STOTT PILATES®, ZEN•GA™, CORE™ Athletic Conditioning & Performance Training™ and Total Barre™. Merrithew's
Media Division (MMD) produces high-quality print and video-based content for professional and consumer markets.
OUR BRANDS / DESCRIPTIONS
STOTT PILATES®
STOTT PILATES® is a contemporary approach to the original exercise method pioneered by the late Joseph Pilates.
Lindsay and Moira Merrithew, along with a team of physical therapists, sports medicine and fitness professionals,
have spent over two decades refining the acclaimed STOTT PILATES method of exercise and line of equipment.
The refined method resulted in the inclusion of modern principles of exercise science and rehabilitation – making it
one of the safest and most effective methods available. STOTT PILATES is recognized as The Professional's Choice™
by studios, fitness facilities, fitness professionals and the consumer market worldwide.
CORE™ ATHLETIC CONDITIONING & PERFORMANCE TRAINING™
The CORE Athletic Conditioning & Performance Training System is developed exclusively by Merrithew Health &
Fitness™ experts. This unique training program focuses on functional fitness targeting core strength and kinesthetic
awareness leading to improvements in totalcbody strength and power. This multiclayered system is designed for both
novice and highclevel athletes. You'll enhance your performance by improving precision, control, strength, power,
and agility. Jumpstart your metabolism, optimize your athletic performance, and train smarter with our combination
of body control and power movements that transform regular training regimens into high intensity, resultscdriven
workouts. Our system will help retrain unbalanced muscles, initiate the core and build strength from within that
will transfer on and off the playing field.
ZEN•GA™
Developed by the esteemed Merrithew Health & Fitness™ team, ZEN•GA™ offers a unique blend of the foundational
principles of STOTT PILATES®, Yoga and dance. When these modalities are combined, they create an innovative fusion
workout that focuses on clarity of the mind, core stability, stamina and resilience that brings more mindful movement
to your workout. The breath is used to activate movement from the insidecout enhancing the integration of the
musculoskeletal and fascial systems. Small props and the revolutionary V2 Max Plus™ Reformer* along with
exclusive accessories are utilized to add variety and challenge to many ZEN•GA programs, while the consistency
of flow movements engage every muscle, heighten body awareness and enhance the mindcbody connection.
Total Barre™
Total Barre™ is a high-energy program that focuses on strength, flexibility, stamina and dynamic stability by combining elements from Pilates, dance, cardio and strength training. Programming is driven by music which, when used appropriately, has been proven to increase coordination, motivation and improve movement quality. Incorporating the Total Barre Foundational Principles, this program teaches choreography, exercise essence and correct biomechanics of movements as well as how to cue effectively and safely to music. Following a progressive template, suggested beats per minute are provided and close attention paid to the importance of modifying exercises for specific clientele.
STOTT PILATES® EDUCATION
Together Lindsay and Moira Merrithew realized the benefits of the concept of the original Pilates, and in
collaboration with various physical therapists and sports medicine professionals, they dissected and re-connected
this unique form of exercise into a comprehensive, systematic, contemporary approach to the original teachings.
The refined method resulted in the inclusion of modern principles of exercise science and spinal rehabilitation –
making it one of the safest and most effective methods available. This clear and detailed approach forms the basis
for STOTT PILATES training and certification programs and is used by rehab and post-rehab clients, athletes,
celebrities and everyone in between.
Realizing the need to make this updated information available to the population at large, the Merrithews' vision
was to produce a comprehensive catalogue of technical manuals and supporting visual aids including wall charts
and DVDs. The documentation of this material continues to make up the main body of work used in training and
certification courses. To become a fully certified STOTT PILATES instructor, students must complete 500-plus hours
of training along with complete evaluation and examination. Depending on their needs, students may enroll in
intensive courses, and work towards certification in stages, or they may choose a more in-depth comprehensive
program. The extensive faculty of instructor trainers continues to develop and refine the STOTT PILATES method
to ensure that it is practical, current and relevant.
Today, the company has 55 Licensed Training Centers in 23 countries worldwide, and three corporately owned
centers – in Toronto, New York City and Denver. Merrithew Health & Fitness has trained more than 356,000 students
in over 106 countries and is highly respected among the fitness community. These instructors contribute to the
company's success as they are emotionally connected to the STOTT PILATES philosophy and are motivated brand
ambassadors. STOTT PILATES is recognized as The Professionals' Choice worldwide and its dedicated staff and
ambassadors continue to promote the benefits of mindcbody exercise around the globe.
MERRITHEW HEALTH & FITNESS™ EQUIPMENT
To meet the demand of a growing popularity of Pilates exercise in North America and abroad, a new professional
quality equipment line was developed in 1992 and the manufacturing process began in 1993. The full line was
launched the following year, the same year its education division was established to train and certify instructors.
The organization's first certifications were granted in 1997, with the STOTT PILATES instructional video line and
first edition technical manuals released shortly thereafter.
Designed and engineered by Mr. Merrithew, the complete STOTT PILATES line of equipment initially caught the
attention of the Pilates and fitness industries with the company's signature piece – the Professional Reformer™ –
because of its quality and durability, adjustability and patented, whispercsmooth rolling mechanism.
Merrithew Health & Fitness has a reputation for having the highest quality fitness and Pilates equipment due to its
superior design, component parts, adjustability and durability. Today, the equipment line numbers close to 150
individual pieces of professionalcgrade large units as well as light accessories. Under Mr. Merrithew's direction, the
company stays on the cutting edge of product development by continually evaluating, enhancing and updating its
product line for use around the world by fitness, rehab and Pilates professionals as well as avid home exercisers.
VIDEOS & MANUALS
The Merrithews entered the video production business in 1997, releasing the first STOTT PILATES fitness video
entitled STOTT PILATES Essential Matwork. They launched an enhanced line of instructional videos in 1998 and today,
the company has sold millions of DVDs from a library of more than 150 fitness titles for professionals as well as
atchome exercise enthusiasts.
A full line of workout accessories and over 150 fitness DVDs from our awardcwinning library are sold directly through
www.merrithew.com, STOTT PILATES® Licensed Training Centers and major brick & mortar and online retailers across
North America. Partnerships with companies such as Kellogg's and Dasani have resulted in many successful crossc
promotions around the world. Merrithew Health & Fitness also publishes a full line of professional technical manuals
to accompany its training and certification programs, and together, the DVDs and manuals form the most detailed
documentation of Pilates exercise available.
GROWTH
Merrithew Health & Fitness™ was named one of the fastestcgrowing companies in Canada by PROFIT, The Magazine
for Canadian Entrepreneurs, five years in a row. It is the only fitness company to have made this list. The privately
held company's sales grew 742 percent from 1998 to 2003, while staff increased almost fourcfold during the same
fivecyear period. Today, the company employs over 110 people at its studio, head office, Corporate Training Centers
and manufacturing facility in Toronto, Canada.
Lindsay and Moira Merrithew were finalists for the prestigious Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award in 2003
and 2004. They were also recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records for holding the "World's Largest Pilates
Class" in August 2008 in Toronto, Canada gathering over 600 participants for a single Pilates class.
The Merrithews attribute their company's success to the passionate staff and customers who have wholeheartedly
embraced and committed themselves to promoting the benefits of mindful exercise worldwide. Together it's their
passion to help others, as well as their industry experience that motivates them to pursue excellence in their field –
but its Mr. Merrithew's intuitive business sense and strong desire to push the envelope with product development
that allows their brands to flourish in all aspects. For more information contact our communications department
at communications@merrithew.com.