Pilates for Active Grandparents
“The acquirement and enjoyment of physical well-being, mental calm, and spiritual peace are priceless to their possessors.” Joe Pilates
Experiencing This?
Back pain
Weak abs
Low energy
Stiff muscles
Incontinence
Diastasis Recti
Feeling lop-sided
Pelvic floor weakness
Mental Health challenges
The downward pull of gravity
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Joint Pain
Neck, Shoulder, Hips, Knees
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Concerned about
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being active for the grandkids
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balance / falling
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growing old un-gracefully
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increasing pain / stiffness
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Welcome, you are not alone.
Elevate Pilates is here to help.
What We Do
In-Person Sessions
Receive hands-on guidance with movement engagement while experiencing the benefits of Pilates Reformer and Tower exercises. Group sessions bring together people with shared goals into a welcoming community.
A very limited number of in-person sessions are available. Be the first to know about open spots and opportunities.
Online 1:1 Pilates
Receive personalized attention from the comfort of your home. Our Certified Pilates Trainer thoroughly educates you on each exercise. Graceful coaching and trusted guidance toward your goals.
Includes a customized home program allowing for integrated support while navigating daily life.
Seniors Say
"The pain and stiffness I used to live with is gone."
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"Before Elevate Pilates I saw a chiropractor weekly for increasing shoulder pain. It was a big stretch to go two weeks. Thanks to Dannell I have had stretches up to seven weeks without needing to see the chiropractor. The pain is now rare and much less."
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"My sessions with Dannell have been the best part of life during a pandemic."
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"I recommend Dannell to anyone. She is positive, affirming and knows what she is doing!"
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"Pilates with Dannell is body mentoring. I learn what my body needs and how to wisely use my body so I can age well. Her ability to meet my needs as they change is what makes this so effective."
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Seniors Say
"Dannell takes the time to really show you how to do the exercises properly and effectively. I can't wait until the next session!"
"I am amazed at how Dannell can see such specific details via Zoom. It is as good as being in person."
"Elevate Pilates has done more to bring awareness to key areas and taught me how to support and strengthen them than any physical therapy program I have ever been prescribed."
"I have a skincare routine that helps me feel young. Pilates is the thing that really keeps me young."
"This has been a hard week. My soul feels lifted after our sessions."
What to Expect: Private Sessions
Initial Session
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90 minute private session
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Health & Movement Review
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Assessments
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Diastasis Recti​
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Critical Connections
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Core Score
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Goals Discussion
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Consultation
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Establish Recovery Plan
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Private Sessions​
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Home Program
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Home Program
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Pilates exercises selected to meet your needs and motherhood-realities
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Effective, safe, low-repetition movements
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10-20 minute mat
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Daily Integrations bring Pilates principles off the mat and into life
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Realistic coaching for adding a Home Program into your weekly rhythms
Follow-up Sessions
25 minute sessions
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focus on Recovery Plan & what your body needs that day.
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50 minute sessions
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focus on Recovery Plan & Home Program progress
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Warm accountability with individual feedback for advancement
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Updated Home Program
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All Sessions
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Customized, Real-Time Coaching along a Guided Path
Why Movement Matters
Growing older changes our abdominal core and pelvic floor. In ways we never expected, never thought possible. Gravity begins to have its way on our muscles, alignment, balance and breathing.
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When we get so busy tending to others, it can become easy to forget about ourselves.
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When we don't invest in wisely strengthening our core, back pain can becomes our new normal.
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When we don't redevelop our pelvic floor incontinence or organ prolapse gets in the way of playing fully with our grandchildren and being our active-selves.
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When we don't take the time to discover ease of movement and re-align our skeleton we get stuck in stability / mobility imbalances that lead to long term challenges for our health.
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When we don't learn how to lengthen our spine and breathe from our diaphragm we lessen our body's access to oxygen which decreases our brain activity.
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You don't need to get stuck in these "new normals" now or ever. There is still much life to be lived.
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You need personalized support to discover new possibilities within your body. What worked for your body 5, 10, 20 years ago is no longer helpful. You need ways of moving that free you from pain, stiffness, and fatigue.​
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As the first mind-body therapy, Pilates concentrates the mind, develops the body, and elevates the soul. It works with the natural design of the body, from deep core muscles, using a specific sequence of classic Pilates exercises.
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Elevate Pilates gracefully engages your body with low-impact movements to effectively strengthen, lengthen, and align you for your greater purpose in life.
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We call this
Soulful Resilience
Meet Dannell
Dannell Shu is a Certified Pilates Trainer known as a strategic educator who inspires people to live engaged lives through soulful resilience. She is an insightful listener and coach who motivates students to physically engage with clear and focused attention.
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A Post-Birth Specialist, Dannell is trained to work with post-birth moms. She also has personal experience using Pilates for mending Diastasis Recti, post-birth recovery, bereavement, and more. Active seniors face many of the same challenges as post-birth mothers, which makes her training and experience deeply valuable.
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An Integrative Provider with Pregnancy and Postpartum Support MN (PPSM), Dannell is the first movement specialist to be included in this vetted list of providers who are trained to support moms with mental health needs. Anxiety and depression are common challenges faced by seniors as well.
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A veteran professional dancer, Dannell holds a BFA in Dance, a Masters in Christian Worship Studies, an expansive somatic movement training, and a professional dance career spanning two decades.
Mother of two boys; one on earth, one in heaven.
