Kelly Eggers

My Story:

Pilates is a passion of mine and I have been an instructor for ten years, currently I teach at Hart Yoga and Pilates. I love working with my clients, which range from 14 yrs old to 85 yrs old. It’s extremely rewarding to help clients achieve their fitness and health goals with a practice that is very challenging but doesn’t harm the body. I am confident I will continue practicing and teaching Pilates throughout my lifetime! I have a degree in economics and spent many years working in telecommunications consulting. I found that I missed utilizing my business and financial skills so I joined by husband’s financial services business, Legacy Retirement Planning as CFO. I enjoy utilizing the broad spectrum of skills needed to teach Pilates and work in the financial industry so I split my work week between the two professions.

My Health and Fitness Journey:

I have always strived to be healthy. I started teaching aerobics & weight training in high school and continued throughout my college years at the University of Kansas. At that time, my idea of healthy was high impact cardio that was fueled by highly processed foods and washed down with cases of Diet Coke. After college, I joined the corporate world which required heavy travel but I always found time for my workouts. I can’t think of a time in my life where staying healthy wasn’t a priority but the definition of healthy has definitely changed.

As I approached my 40’s, I realized that continuing on my current path of being a cardio junkie wasn’t something I was going to be able to continue long term. My joints, bone and spine needed less impact and my body craved better nutrition. So I looked for a fitness modality that could significantly improve my strength and health and be gentle on my body as I aged. I instantly fell in love with Pilates – I loved the variety, focus on technique, improved stability and balance, and finding those core muscles that I didn’t even know I had! I was hooked so much that I knew I wanted to teach Pilates and I began the certification process. Eventually, I quit my corporate job and focused on Pilates.

My Success Story:

In my teens, I was diagnosed with scoliosis and a hypo thyroid (slow metabolism). I knew that staying active and healthy had to be my lifestyle to keep my symptoms controlled. For over 30 years, I have been successful managing my health by SIMPLY staying active. I don’t believe in taking breaks from exercise and nutrition for long periods. Exercise and nutrition is a part of my daily living. Every week, I do a combination of running, resistance training, yoga, Pilates and hiking, even if I am on vacation.

I think education is critical to keep your mind and body stimulated. I’m continually learning and tackling new skills, exercise modalities and hobbies. I have been showing Paso Fino horses at a National level for about three years. Recently, I started a new hobby, aerial silks, at Lone Star Circus School and running half marathons. Whether I’m hanging 30 feet in the air on the silks (yes, I am afraid of heights) or performing on horseback in a national competition (yes, I’m not comfortable in crowds) or running further than I ever have. None of it comes easy but I absolutely love the feeling of accomplishment when I am done. More importantly, my mind and body are being challenged and I am ACTIVE!

My Journey with Nutrition:

I have learned that my body functions best when I focus on eating vegan, unprocessed foods, my version of clean eating. It has taken me many years to research what is healthy and realize that nutrition is critical to living healthy and feeling good. I see my success to a healthy, happy lifestyle as a triangle and each side is equally important - exercise, nutrition and education. You can’t be successful achieving a healthy way of life if you focus solely on one or two areas, you need to stay focused on all three.