Studio BE instructor Jeri Kirschner has done it all-from ballet and hip hop to Booty Barre® and Pilates. We recently sat down with Jeri to discuss her passion for fitness, the role Pilates plays in rehab, and why you’re never too young or too old for mind-body fitness.
Studio BE: Jeri, tell us a little about yourself.
Jeri: Born and raised in LA, I naturally wanted to become involved in some aspect of the entertainment industry. For me it was dance. From my first recital at age 4, I was hooked! By my senior year of high school, I was taking eight ballet lessons, six days a week. Then at 19, it all came to a spectacular end when I blew out my knee in ballet class. Thinking it was an overstretched tendon, I spent the next eight years repeatedly blowing it out. At 27, I found out it was a torn ACL; and at 30, I had surgery.
During the year of rehabbing my knee, I decided to become a personal trainer. I found an awesome and well-respected program at UCLA and obtained my certification. I did personal training as a part-time gig until I moved to the DC area 14 years ago. After my surgery, I decided I was done with ballet and for some weird reason, really liked hip hop. I love a challenge and soon enough learned how to get low and hit hard.
I had heard about Pilates, and had started taking lessons before I left LA. I searched everywhere to find a decent studio in this area. Along came Studio Be, and I was hooked. I took private lessons to put my body back together after shredding it every week in hip hop.
In spring 2012, Carla asked me if I was interested in becoming a barre instructor. I was in! I had no idea what the workout was, but I figured that my ballet training would come in handy. I obtained my certification, started teaching, and it’s been a staple on my Sunday schedule for more than 2 ½ years.
As I thought about what I wanted to do for my second act, (Healthcare marketing is a good career but not the end all for me.) I decided that adding Pilates to the mix would help me successfully segue into a new line of work. I obtained my Peak Mat Level 1 certification. And I’m awaiting my results for the Peak Pilates® Comprehensive Level 1 test.
Studio BE: You’re a certified Booty Barre instructor and hold a PEAK Pilates Comprehensive Level 1 certification. Tell us more about your passion for fitness.
Jeri: To be honest, I didn’t have a passion for fitness until I was in my 20’s! Life for me was all about dance, which though physical, I consider more of an art form. In fact, the first time I tried aerobics, I thought I was going to keel over from an hour of sustained cardio (ballet is not nearly as aerobic).
It wasn’t until age 27, when I received a diagnosis of a torn ACL, medial and lateral meniscus tears, and a chipped bone, that I started weight training as a way to build up the muscles around my knee to try and avoid surgery. That led to 90-minute gym workouts three days a week – adding in cardio and total body weight training.
Studio BE: You attend quite a few fitness workshops and seminars. Why is continuing education so important to you?
Jeri: Growing as an instructor never stops. As we learn more about the human body and how it works, we can develop new and better ways to functionally train for performance and health. The best in the business share that knowledge in workshops and classes. It’s a privilege to learn from the masters in their field and to share that knowledge with my clients to improve their workouts, keep the routines fresh, and improve results.
Studio BE: What are your personal health and fitness goals? What does your weekly exercise routine look like?
Jeri: My personal health and fitness goals are to maintain a healthy weight, stay active and independent, and not look my age! I get a workout teaching barre because I do some of the routine with my clients. I also do Pilates twice a week, yoga once a week, and sneak in some cardio on the bike and elliptical when I can.
I’m fortunate to live in an area where there are walking paths and stores within walking distance. I take the stairs whenever I can and park in the back of the lot when I’m out and about. I guess it’s a good thing I have no patience for parking lots and just head to the back where there are always plenty of spaces. With a busy work schedule, grabbing a bit of exercise anywhere I can helps!
Studio BE: Although you enjoy working with all populations, you especially enjoy working with women over 40 and older adults. What is it about this age group that draws you?
Jeri: I’m drawn to this age group because I’m one of them! Even when I was in my 30’s, my senior clients’ motivation and hard work inspired me. They wanted to live their lives actively and independently, not to have 6-pack abs. And they were willing to do whatever it took to accomplish their goals and defy the aging process. It can be done!
Studio BE:What general health and wellness advice would you give to women over 40?
Jeri: Although I work in healthcare, I’m not a medical professional. Common sense dictates that you see your healthcare provider for regular check-ups, watch what you eat, and get regular exercise. I would also caution that unless a fitness professional has a certificate or degree in nutrition that they are not qualified to provide nutritional guidance or advice.
From a personal perspective, the equation is a simple one – balance. Eating healthy and regular exercise are extremely important, and I would say that reducing stress is right up there. I recently left an extremely stressful job. Stress was slowing down my metabolism and sapping my motivation to exercise and pursue my goals. Now that I changed jobs, I am much happier and have a lot more energy. If something isn’t right in your life, you do have the power to change it!
Studio BE: What would you say to the person interesting in Pilates for rehab?
Jeri: Pilates is the perfect form of exercise for many injuries and health conditions. It’s the reason I was able to do hip hop until the age of 47, and I hit it just as hard as dancers in their 20’s.
On the flip side, the constant load on the joints in hip hop is what led to pushing the envelope with my knee. A couple of years ago, I thought I just needed another ACL reconstruction because the parts wear out.
To my surprise, the diagnosis, on top of a stretched ACL, was full-blown osteoarthritis. Pilates and barre keep the muscles around my knee strong, helping me avoid a total knee replacement. In fact, my knee feels best after a Pilates lesson or barre class.
Unlike other forms of exercise like weight training that place heavy load on the joints, Pilates reduces the load on the joints because it uses the body’s own weight or spring resistance and works from the Powerhouse. It enables you to work smarter, not harder, and marries the mental with the physical.
Peak instructors teach to the client’s ideal and incorporate the five Pilates principles: Concentration, Centering, Control, Breathing, Precision, and Flow. Pilates requires you to be mentally present (concentration) and to focus. I always shake my head in the gym when I see people checking emails on their phones while mindlessly using weight-training machines. Now that is a recipe for injury!
Studio BE: What would you say to students who struggle with motivation?
Jeri: Keep in mind Pilates and barre are not what I refer to as “instant gratification” workouts. They both are a journey to better fitness, health, and an awesome body. Coming from the world of ballet, I was competitive at an early age. Pilates and barre are not about being the best compared to those around you; they’re about being your best on any given day.
It took me a long time to let go of being competitive, but I’ve learned it’s much better to forget about what others are doing and focus on what you’re doing. I tell new clients in my barre class that the class is about trying your best and not about doing each move perfectly.
I know there are days where the couch seems like the better alternative than taking a lesson, but it really is mind over matter. Pull yourself out of the house, come to class, and you’ll feel like a new person in an hour. I’ll even guarantee that one!
Studio BE: You do Pilates and yoga. Why both?
Jeri: I find that Pilates and yoga complement each other. Both work muscles eccentrically, require you to be present (but in different ways), and work the mind and the body. Yoga for me has a spiritual aspect, and usually makes me feel pretty Zen…until I check emails after a class.
Studio BE: What else would you like to share with our readers?
Jeri: You’re never too young or too old to engage in mind/body exercise like Pilates and barre and reap the benefits. Case in point: I recently returned from a vacation in Germany where we were climbing up and down wet cobblestone hills to tour the castles. On the first day, a man in his 70’s lost his balance, fell twice, broke his hip, and was going to be in the hospital for two weeks. Not a fun way to spend your dream vacation.
In Pilates and barre, we work on three critical concepts that are important at any age to help prevent falls, improve posture, and reduce the risk of injury: strength, flexibility, and balance.