5 LA People Who Will Change Your View of Health and Fitness

As an East Coast girl moving to Los Angeles, I have spent years feeling very 'unfit' in this Mecca of fitness fanatics. My husband used to say "You didn't get the fitness gene!" During the past year, I have worked to not only prove him wrong but also find my personal path of enjoying a more fit life and to feel healthy inside and out. For me it is not being a gym rat, doing triathlons or surfing the waves - for someone else it may be. What is important is to find what works for you and the people, time and choices that can help you stay on your path.

Denise Kaufman

Yoga Instructor, Musician, Surfer

Denise Kaufman brings a richness of life experience to her yoga practice. A musician (she was a member of The Ace of Cups, the first all-girl band in the 1960s), a surfer, a mother, a grandmother… her life has been a journey that she openly and warmly shares with everyone she encounters.

From her early training in the 1960's with Yogi Bhajan to being one of Bikram's early teachers in the 80's to her studies in Sanskrit with Vyaas Houston in the 90's she constantly strives to enhance and move forward her practice and teaching of Yoga. She has taught superstars from Madonna to Quincy Jones but experiencing her Yoga teaching feels like a VIP treatment no matter who you are.

For many years Denise has embraced the deep and nurturing practice of Yin Yoga. Deep, stretching postures which leverage open the core joints are held for long periods of time. Students safely explore their bodily boundaries and release energy flow in deep areas where chi tends to stagnate. Email here at deniseyoga@earthlink.net

Matt Seki

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Co-Founder of PROGRESSION system.

Matt is one of the Founder's of Progression… a place that offers a combination of Chiropractic care, corrective exercise and rehabilitation to take your body to the next level at your own pace. There, the ultimate goal is to help you "clean your slate and allow your body to flow and be pain-free."
Matt's goal is to educate his clients in how to free themselves of poor movement patterns due to the stress of modern habits and old injuries. Through his unique methods he helps you regain your inherit strength and physical abilities to optimize functional health.

Through my own personal experience with Matt, I recently was able to participate in my first ½ Marathon. After just a few weeks of working with Matt, my posture, pace and confidence significantly changed. More important is that something 'clicked' so that I now know this formally inconsistent and unenthusiastic fitness participant, has now incorporated fitness into my life permanently and happily.

Rosie Baldonado

Pilates Instructor | GYROTONIC® Instructor | Co-Founder of PROGRESSION system

A dancer since 3 years old, after meeting and training with her true mentor, Paula Morgan, in 2003 Rosie found her passion and purpose uniting.

Rosie has been a certified Pilates Instructor since 2003 and a GYROTONIC® Instructor since 2004. She is also a certified pre-natal and post partum Pilates instructor. Rosie continues to study with world renowned dance teachers and incorporates this work into her training. She is also helping to develop the Teacher Training Program for the Paula Morgan Technique. Within her Pilates and GYROTONIC® practice, Rosie focuses on therapeutic exercise, pre- and post-natal work, core work and flexibility training.

Rosie and Matt not only bring their combined expertise to health and fitness but also bring warmth and love. Married just a few years, this husband and wife team can truly change your relationship with fitness and your body. I have experienced their magic first hand!

Julie Amick

Pilates Instructor/Owner Align Beverly Hills Pilates

Julie is a classically trained ballerina/dancer with credentials from some of the most prestigious schools and theatres in the nation including: North Carolina School of the Arts, The London Contemporary Dance Company and the The Tisch School of the Arts. She is recognized as one of the most prominent and versatile Pilates instructor in Los Angeles. With over a decade of teaching both West and East methods of Pilates, she is a great asset to the development of Align Beverly Hills. As principal instructor and cofounder of Align Beverly Hills her prodigious dance background and in-depth Pilates instruction has created a seamless integration of these two demanding fields resulting in a powerful and unique workout.

With a dual emphasis on toning and alignment, Align's boutique atmosphere and insider exclusivity keeps it small, accessible, never crowded, and very personalized.

Ashley Koff, R.D.

Celebrity Dietitian, Author, Health & Lifestyle Contributor

Ashley's "Qualitarian" philosophy is founded on choosing to eat the highest quality food available. By choosing organic over non-organic, non-GMO over GMO, preservative and artificial ingredient-free foods and beverages, the body gets what fuels it optimally, while avoiding what can harm it. She has traveled the world identifying products that contribute to a healthy lifestyle and created The Ashley Koff Approved (AKA) Lists, a tool to help people identify products that meet a high standard of nutrition, and marketing integrity.

After meeting Ashley, I started incorporating just a few of the items on her AKA list including Hemp seeds - yes, Hemp seeds - and within a couple of weeks noticed positive changes in my digestion and energy. There are several ways to tap into the wealth of information Ashley has. Her website has information galore, she has written a book, "Mom Energy: A Simple Plan to Live Fully Charged," and she is available for private consultation.