Today we’d like to introduce you to Laura Gideon.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Laura. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I began my Career in the Fitness industry in 1981 as an “Aerobics Instructor” and then studio owner when I lived in a small shoreline town in Connecticut. I never realized that it would span 36 years of wearing “many hats” while earning an income helping people become healthy, vital and fit. I am grateful every day to be blessed with doing something I am very passionate about and look to continue well into many future decades helping individuals maintain optimum wellness, health and strength inside and out. Along the way on my Fitness journey I went from headbands, leg warmers and 80’s disco to earning a B.S. Degree in Public Health and Master’s Degree in Exercise Science, in addition to many fitness training certifications. This led me to opening up one of the first Personal/Pilates training gyms in Connecticut 1997, which I eventually sold and relocated to Los Angeles in 2005 upon marrying my husband Dennis Jimenez a native Angelino. He as well has had a lengthy career in fitness as an Aquatics and Scuba Diving Instructor and underwater videographer. Together we formed our company Bamboo Balance covering training on land and in the water for both adults and children! Both of us have been athletes for most of our lives, and as an avid endurance athlete I experienced a serious hip injury from a mountain bike accident which eventually made me realize the importance of an aspect of fitness that needed more attention, this being “Corrective Exercise”. I saw a lack of safe transition from post physical therapy to getting “back to the gym” and now work with clients (many older adults) in my private home studio training them to stay injury free with corrective exercise modalities such as Pilates, Fascial Release, Functional and Postural training, Building Bone and Muscular Strength along with Flexibility. We look forward to helping keep individuals “Functionally Fit” for the rest of their lives!
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
There are always bumps in the road, and zigs and zags which hopefully result in lessons learned. The toughest struggle for me was relocating to Los Angeles and establishing myself at age 45 as a Fitness Professional. After owning a very successful business, having an established career and clientele for decades in CT, starting over in LA was not easy. I equate it to coming here as an actor trying to “make it in Hollywood”. There are probably as many fitness trainers as there are actors in this town, tough to set yourself apart from the crowd especially in my mid-40’s at the time. It’s now 12 years later and it took a lot of hard work and swallowing my pride to finally get a solid clientele and reputation, but it was worth every tough gulp!
Please tell us about Bamboo Balance.
We are a husband and wife team, training on land and in the water children and adults all ages, shapes and sizes. Dennis specializes in Aquatic/swim instruction starting children at 18 months continuing onto older adulthood helping his students improve stroke technique as well as pool safety skills. In addition to training in pools, he trains in open ocean water working with tri-athletes, improving performance and technique to teaching kids how to “boogie board” and negotiate a “rip tide” safely. Dennis is a PADI Certified Scuba Diving Instructor teaching individuals (age 10 and up) and small groups open water scuba diving certification. His scuba diving has also taken him to capture the most exquisite sea life using his underwater videography skills.
I (Laura) mentioned in my intro that I now specialize in Corrective Exercise Therapy using several exercise modalities (Pilates, Fascial Release, Muscle & Bone Strength and Functional fitness exercises). I have a private home studio with many Pilates Apparatus pieces, in addition to more functional training pieces of equipment (TRX, Bosu, Medicine balls, Stability Balls).
We are proud of the joy we see in our clients/students when we have done our jobs well and they are happy with the results in how strong, vital and alive they feel.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
Having not a care in the world and just PLAYING!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.bamboobalance.com
- Phone: 310-397-6688
- Email: [email protected]
