Instructor Trainer bios

Pilar worked for more than 18 years in high performance sports as a gymnast trainer and coordinator of technical programs that develop efficiency and safety for competitive gymnasts. In 2003, she first experienced Pilates, and saw how it could improve athletic performance. She decided to certify in classic Pilates, and began applying what she learned to gymnasts as a complement to their workouts with excellent results.

Years later, she was working in a fitness club and spa as a personal trainer, and focused on injury prevention and post-rehab using Pilates. She chose to obtain STOTT PILATES^® Certification in order to add to her knowledge base and learn a more efficient and intelligent method of movement. STOTT PILATES provided her with a full and complete understanding of the biomechanics involved in all forms of exercise. As a STOTT PILATES Instructor Trainer, Pilar teaches courses in Spain and Portugal.

Pilar has been involved with movement from an early age. She began competing in rhythmic gymnastics at the age of 8, and later trained in professional ballet. Pilar abandoned her ballet career due to a knee injury and enrolled at university. She has a degree in Physical Education and a Masters degree in Health and Exercise. Pilar was introduced to Pilates in 2006 and has been teaching ever since. She is a Merrithew^® Instructor Trainer in STOTT PILATES^® Mat and Reformer. She owns a studio in Ibiza, Spain.

PJ is a highly sought after, internationally recognized, award-winning health and fitness icon. She has published numerous fitness and therapeutic programs spanning many disciplines, including Pilates for Breast Cancer Rehabilitation, Fascia and Movement, and Athletic Performance for Cyclists. In addition to being a leader in the mindful movement field since the 1980s, PJ is also a local of Beverly who has trained generations of North Shore residents and their families for decades.

She is well known in both the consumer and professional markets as a movement innovator and Merrithew^® Master Instructor Trainer, inspiring her local clients and fitness professionals from around the world. PJ specializes in STOTT PILATES^® and TRX^®, and has appeared in well over 80 fitness DVDs and digital platforms. She is highly driven, extremely passionate, and committed to all aspects of health and wellness. In her spare time, PJ, along with her husband, is an avid cyclist and participates in many charitable events.

Rachel Gleason is a physical therapist and professor at the University of Cincinnati's DPT program. Over the last several years, Rachel has completed her Full Certification with Merrithew^® becoming an Instructor Trainer in 2020 specializing in STOTT PILATES^®. Rachel is an IT for Over Fifty Fitness, where she offers courses and workshops. She also teaches Merrithew courses at the University of Cincinnati.

Rachel originally trained as a classical ballet dancer and worked in the profession from the age of nine. She started Pilates at the age of 14 as part of her rehabilitation for a prolapsed disc. After undergoing two back operations in 1996 and 2010, Pilates has enabled her to regain strength and control. It was only natural that she would end up becoming a Pilates instructor after understanding how beneficial this way of working is. Following her second back operation she became a personal trainer, a STOTT PILATES^® Certified Instructor and then a Merrithew^® Instructor Trainer. She has worked with many clients from all backgrounds and abilities, helping them achieve strength, control and flexibility. She thrives training clients and instructors to reach levels that they never thought possible. Her enthusiasm and dedication has helped many people improve their fitness and take control of their own health.