Today we’d like to introduce you to Nonna Gleyzer, Celebrity Pilates Instructor. She and her team share her story with us below.
Can you briefly walk us through Nonna’s story?
Upon hearing her story, it’s clear that Gleyzer is a healer at her core. She’s spent her life learning how to heal herself — first, from the hits her body took training as a professional gymnast and later, from a near-death encounter with salmonella poisoning — and with Body by Nonna, she passes that knowledge onto her clients. Admittedly, some major clients… but Gleyzer was pretty much destined to be a big deal from birth.
“I am a former gymnast and I used to compete for the Ukrainian national team,” she tells of her initial love of fitness. “At the time — this was 1980 — my body was so worn out and damaged.” Gleyzer, a Jewish refugee, immigrated to the United States in 1990, and she intended to compete for the American national team… but her body had other plans. It would often fall into spasms, leaving the gymnast unable to walk for days. “When I got reinjured, a friend of mine mentioned to me to do Pilates,” she says. And the rest, as they say, is history.
In order to help other people with the same and similar health issues, in november 2008 Nonna open her very private and exclusive Pilates studio “Boby by Nonna’ in West Hollywood, Los Angeles.
Working with actors (Natalie Portman), athletes (Tom Brady), performers (Madonna), supermodels (Gisele Bündchen), influencers (Chiara Ferragni), Samuel L Jackson, Amy Adams, Gyllenhaal, Armie Hammer, Brie Larson, also I’m working with James Van Der Beek doing conditioning work for ( Dancing with the Stars) and royalty (we can’t say), celebrity Pilates instructor
Nonna Gleyzer of
Body by Nonna is famous for creating not just beautiful bodies, but healthy, balanced ones. In fact, the former gymnast and Olympic hopeful first turned to Pilates for relief from her own chronic back pain, studying under Romana Kryzanowska, the renowned protégée of Joseph Pilates and his wife Clara. Coming from a long lineage of Ukrainian Kabbalist rabbi healers, Gleyzer is equal parts celebrity Pilates instructor, energy healer and body whisperer. Though based in Los Angeles, Gleyzer, who holds a BA in physiology and specializes in preventative injury and rehabilitation, also works with clients in Italy, England and Saudi Arabia via FaceTime. Ultimately, her goal is to offer online classes so everyone can avail of her life-changing method. For now, she shares four moves anyone can do (anywhere) for a healthier, happier body.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
No, it was not easy. Immigrating to a new country without knowing the language and trying to adapt to a new culture and life style is very hard. However, there is no other country in the world where you can be an immigrant but still be accepted and treated as an equal. I can say with a lot of confidence that the United States is a land of opportunities.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into Body By Nonna story. Tell us more about the business.
Helping people to change their lives to look good and feel good was always my great passion. To give them confidence to accomplish anything they want. Nonna believes that you give to others, first you are making yourself happier. The biggest gift that one can have is to help others.
Changing people’s physical appearance to function confidently in the world and own themselves, live their lives to the fullest and be their true selves.
I can also prevent and heal injuries. I’ve done work on knee and hip replacements.
Below there are my specialties:
Pilates
-classical NY Style
-classical West coast style
-pre and post natal PilatesReflexologyChinese AccupressureAthletes
-conditioning
-injury prevention
-injury rehabilitationSpecial methods
-complete realignment of the body
-cranial sacrum work
-Toning and sculpting
-injury prevention
-Facial muscle training
-injury rehabilitation
-lymphatic draining and massage
I dedicated my life to study different modalities. That’s what sets me apart from other fitness instructors. My main goal is to make my clients to feel good physically and psychologically and aesthetic looks will come along.
Do you have any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general? What has worked well for you?
When you love what you do and your profession becomes your passion, people can tell and feel it. Practice what you preach and you will become successful. Also if you really want to learn something, make sure you learn it from the best!
Contact Info:
Image Credit:
Eugene Frankel
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