Los Altos, CA
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Meet Team PhysioFit
Meet
Physical Therapy / Occupational Therapy Team
Kim Gladfelter, MPT, OCS, FAAOMPT
Executive Director, Physical Therapist and Pilates Instructor
in Los Altos, Ca
"He who has health, has hope; and he who has hope, has everything."
Every week, for more than a decade, hundreds of people have consulted Kim Gladfelter looking for answers to their debilitating back pain and stiffness. Kim is now a trusted health advisor to doctors and other healthcare providers in the area educating them about how to reduce their back pain in their line of work as needed. Kim decided she wanted to be a physical therapist as a teen when one of her classmates was severely injured and recovered through the use of physical therapy. Nothing is more satisfying to her than knowing she is helping her patients keep doing the meaningful activities they love to do.
Credentials & Teaching Experience:
- Graduated from UCLA in 1991 with a degree in Kinesiology.
- Received her Master of Physical Therapy degree in 1994 from Mount Saint Mary’s College.
- Completed a 1-1/2 year long residency program in Advanced Orthopedic Manual Therapy in 1998.
- Certified in 2001 as an Orthopedic Clinical Specialist (OCS).
- Obtained Fellowship status in the American Academy of Orthopedic Manual Physical Therapists (FAAOMPT). Both certifications (OCS and FAAOMPT) represent recognition of advanced clinical proficiency in Orthopedic Physical Therapy practice.
- Teaching assistant for a highly regarded year-long course for manual physical therapists from 1999-2001, in addition to taking numerous long and short-term courses on various topics in Orthopedic Physical Therapy.
- Certified Practitioner in Pilates Rehabilitation, including mat and equipment, through Polestar Education. She also has special training in the area of pelvic floor therapy.
- Graston Technique Provider.
- Certified in Regenerative Therapy
Fun Tip: Ask Kim about the time she shaved off half her eyebrow trying to imitate her Dad shaving or when she ran away from a fenced-in dog and dislocated her kneecap.
5 Favorites
Vacation: Hawaii
Celebrity: Robin Williams
Book: Don't Sweat the Small Stuff
Team: My kids' teams
Hobbies: jogging and dancing
Kim Gladfelter, MPT, OCS, FAAOMPT
Executive Director
Physical Therapist
Pilates Instructor
Janet, MPT
Physical Therapist
in Los Altos, Ca
"Take care of your body. It's the only place you have to live in."
Janet has embraced a lifelong love of learning, as evidenced by her 40+ continuing education classes in physical therapy, and has been thrilled to apply her knowledge over the last 20+ years to clients of all walks of life and backgrounds. She is especially interested in using manual therapy to address orthopedic and sports-related issues, as well as treating clients with vestibular, post-partum, neurological, or lymphedema issues. Janet possesses a strong base of experience in orthopedic and sports injury treatment.
Areas of Expertise:
- Vestibular Rehab
- Lymphedema Treatment
- Orthopedics
- Neck And Shoulder
- Knee Pain
- Back Pain
Credentials & Teaching Experience:
- Undergraduate degrees in Biology and Psychology from Miami University in 1989.
- Master of Physical Therapy degree from Temple University in 1995.
- BA in Zoology (yes, we are animals) and Psychology.
- Worked for seven years in Chicago with Loyola University Medical Center treating orthopedic, vestibular, lymphedema, burn, amputee, and neurological disorders.
- Especially interested in using manual therapy to address orthopedic and sports-related issues.
- Graston Technique® Provider
Fun Tip: Ask her why her BA in Zoology made for a great beginning as a Physical Therapist.
5 Favorites
Place: New Zealand (never been but it is at the top of my list of dream places to visit).
Food: I love my husband's homemade pizza best but I miss ethnic foods such as Indian, Thai, Ethiopian, and Middle Eastern since I have picky children.
TV Show: Downton Abbey, Call the Midwife, and Game of Thrones.
Singer/Group: Annie Lennox to enjoy the music, Alanis Morissette when I want to sing loudly, Katy Perry to hang out with my daughter.
Sports: Dance and Ice skating.
Janet, MPT
Physical Therapist
Shalini, DPT
Physical Therapist
“You must also give mental and physical fitness priority.” - Jim Otto
Credentials & Teaching Experience:
- Physical Therapy degree from India
- Doctor of Physical Therapy Degree from AT Still University
- Licensed in California and New York
- Focused on Manual Therapy and Graston Techniques
- Volunteered at Stanford, El Camino Hospital, with the Boy and Girl Scouts, and for the Cupertino School District
- Proficient in English, Hindi, and Punjabi
Areas of Expertise:
- Pelvic Floor
- Elbow Pain
- Knee Pain
- Back Pain
- Orthopedics
Shalini, DPT
Physical Therapist
Sydney, DPT
Physical Therapist
“You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and
smarter than you think.” - Christopher Robin, Winnie The Pooh
Sydney is a Doctor of Physical Therapy who helps patients restore movement through personalized care. She specializes in women’s pelvic health and offers treatment for individuals experiencing issues related to pregnancy, postpartum recovery, and other pelvic conditions. She is also experienced in vestibular and balance rehabilitation, helping patients with dizziness and imbalance enhance their overall stability.
Credentials & Teaching Experience:
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American Physical Therapy Association Pelvic Health Level 1 Certification
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Doctor of Physical Therapy from California State University, Long Beach
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Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science from Northern Arizona University
Areas of Expertise:
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Pelvic Health
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Orthopedics
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Vestibular / Balance
5 Favorites:
Rock Climbing
Hiking
Camping
Reading
Painting
Sydney, DPT
Physical Therapist
Kelli, OTR/L
Occupational Therapist/Pilates Instructor
in Los Altos, Ca
Kelli is a board-certified and licensed Occupational Therapist, recognized for her exceptional achievements, including the "Outstanding Occupational Therapy Student Award" from the University of St. Augustine in Miami, FL. Based in San Diego, California, Kelli specializes in supporting individuals recovering from upper extremity injuries caused by repetitive motions, sports, and work-related incidents.
In her practice, Kelli takes a holistic approach, integrating the Pilates method into her rehabilitation program. She has honed her skills through training with renowned experts Rael Isacowitz and Annie Stewart, focusing on contemporary and classical exercises.
Outside of work, Kelli enjoys running, practicing yoga, Pilates, and snowboarding. She also loves exploring new restaurants around the San Diego area.
Areas of Expertise:
- Pilates / Pilates Rehabilitation
- Pelvic Floor
- Elbow Pain
- Hand / Wrist Pain
- Back Pain
- Foot / Ankle Pain
- Knee Pain
- Neck & Shoulder Pain
- Sport Injury Rehab
5 Favorites:
1) Hiking
2) Yoga
3) Pilates
4) Snowboarding
5) Beach Volleyball
Kelli, OTR/L
Occupational Therapist
Therapeutic Wellness Team
Lori
GYROTONIC®/Pilates Instructor-Teacher Trainer, Hanna Somatic Educator®
in Los Altos, Ca
"Make the impossible possible, the possible easy, the easy elegant."
- Moshe Feldenkrais
After being told to stop dancing by several doctors, Lori came to Pilates as a young dancer and swimmer in 1988 to rehabilitate a chronic hip injury. Over the next 2 decades of her dance career, she used Pilates to rehabilitate her back and knee injuries.
Credentials & Teaching Experience:
- Obtained first Pilates certification from the Physical Mind Institute in 1998.
- Continuing education since includes scoliosis, osteoporosis, gait, vestibular issues, disk issues, various other joint conditions, and golf.
- 2009 Apprenticeship with master trainer Kathy Corey.
- 1999 she came across GYROTONIC® and fell in love. Certified in every aspect of GYROTONIC®, level 2 Pulley Tower, Golf, Scoliosis, Pelvis and is an approved pre-trainer of level 1 GYROTONIC®.
- Certified Hanna Somatic Educator®. HSE retrains the nervous system to turn down chronic tension
Fun Facts: Lori is especially fond of the city of love, Paris!
5 Favorites:
City: Paris
Movie: Farewell My Concubine
Singer: Billie Holiday
Sport: Hockey - San Jose Sharks
Animal: Cat
Movie: Sleepless in Seattle
Lori, CHSE
Certified GYROTONIC®/Pilates Instructor-Teacher Trainer, Hanna Somatic Educator®
Alexis
Certified Pilates Instructor
Certified Buff Bones Instructor
in Los Altos, Ca
"When the body, mind and spirit are in harmony, happiness is the natural result."
-Deepak Chopra
Movement has been a lifelong passion of Alexis’. Her mission is to share that passion with her clients.
Alexis started taking dance lessons at the age of 3 and went on the train at San Francisco Ballet School, Joffrey Ballet School and American Ballet Theatre Summer Intensive. In addition to ballet, Alexis has studied classical Japanese dance, contemporary, and hula, among others. She danced professionally with the Oakland Ballet and Sacramento Ballet Companies.
Credentials & Teaching Experience:
- Bachelor of Science in Communications/Mass Media from New York University in 2002
- Certified Pilates mat and equipment instructor from the Kane School of Core Integration in 2006 and 2007
- Certified Buff Bones® Instructor in 2017
- Certified GYROKINESIS® Instructor in 2017
Fun Fact: Alexis is a huge animal lover/advocate. Ask her about her amazing experience at an elephant sanctuary in Chiang Mai, Thailand.
5 Favorites
Vacation: New Zealand
Singers: Ingrid Michaelson and Pink!
Movies: Whale Rider, The Garden State, Hula Girls, Old Boy and Slumdog Millionaire
Animals: Elephants, whales and dolphins
Hobbies: "Hiking, dancing, reading, and doing anything with my 5-year-old son."
Alexis
Certified Pilates Instructor
Certified Buff Bones Instructor
Amie
Certified Pilates Instructor
GYROTONIC® Apprentice
in Los Altos, Ca
- Joseph Pilates
Amie first came across Pilates many years ago when she was traveling as a consultant. It was the first time she fell in love with a movement method. While she continued pursuing a career in product management and marketing, Amie often considered becoming a Pilates instructor. Then, life presented an opportunity - motherhood and moving to a different country where she couldn’t take her desk job - and she embarked on her movement education journey.
Since becoming a certified Pilates instructor and teaching, movement education has become Amie’s passion. As a mom of two energetic and life-loving boys, she has a deep desire to enjoy active play with them. This means keeping fit and strong, mentally and physically, through Pilates and complementary movement methods such as Gyrotonics/Gyrokinesis, and Yoga. Amie pays special attention to alignment and form in her teaching and specializes in working with women (including prenatal and postpartum) and kids. Her mission is to share her passion and knowledge with clients so they can develop their own body awareness and movement practices to lead active and play-filled lives.
Amie obtained her Pilates certification through STOTT Pilates in 2013. She takes multiple STOTT Pilates workshops and courses each year to keep her certification updated. To deepen her knowledge and satiate her curiosity of the body and its capacity for movement, she has taken workshops in Feldenkrais Method, Move Your DNA (Nutritious Movement), Gyrokinesis, and is planning to get certified in Gyrotonics.
Fun Tips: Ask her about the time when a stingray thought she was food and actually tried to eat her leg. Luckily no teeth were involved. Geek out with her on neuroscience, anatomy, and movement.
5 Favorites
- Spending time with her kids
- Getting together with family and friends
- Traveling and exploring new places
- Watching movies
- Reading and enjoying a yummy cup of coffee alone
Amie
Certified Pilates Instructor
GYROTONIC® Apprentice
Karen
Certified Pilates Instructor
in Los Altos, Ca
“Change happens through movement and movement heals.”
- Joseph Pilates
Karen is a seasoned Pilates instructor who embarked on her journey with Pilates in 1987 at St. Francis Hospital’s Center for Sports Medicine and Dance Medicine. Initially drawn to Pilates to rehabilitate a chronic Achilles tendon injury, she quickly recognized its potential to transform her life. After dedicating over a year to mastering the method, she became a certified Pilates instructor in 1989 through the Center for Dance Medicine under Patrice Whiteside. In 1990, with encouragement from her mentors, Karen opened the first Pilates studio on the Peninsula in Palo Alto.
Credentials & Teaching Experience:
- Rehabilitation: Karen has extensive experience in using Pilates for rehabilitation, receiving referrals from osteopaths, doctors, and physical therapists.
- Teacher Training: She has a strong background in training new Pilates instructors, having been part of the first Teacher Training Course by The Institute for the Pilates Method.
- Diverse Clientele: Karen has developed expertise in working with a wide range of populations, including pregnant women, individuals with scoliosis, serious athletes, tech workers, and people with neurological conditions.
- Continuing Education: She is dedicated to continuous learning, regularly engaging with top practitioners in movement studies, bodywork, and medicine.
- Collaborative Approach: Her teaching philosophy emphasizes personalized, client-centered practice, fostering a collaborative learning environment.
Fun Facts: Karen is not only a dedicated Pilates instructor but also a poet. She teaches poetry and creative writing at the college level and has a passion for various movement practices, including hiking, yoga, tai chi, Qigong, contact improvisation, and water exercise.
Karen
Certified Pilates Instructor
Divya
Certified Yoga Instructor
Certified Hypnotherapist
in Los Altos, Ca
"Yoga is the perfect opportunity to be curious about who you are."
In 1997 when I was certified for Relax With Yoga in the Integral Yoga tradition, I had only a hint of how genuine joy would fuel my life. Since then, I've been privileged to lead tens of thousands of yoga classes. I am the conceiver, co-creator, and happy proliferator of the Meditation Sampler program, and I feel especially fortunate to offer meditation guidance for women with cancer through WomenCare of Santa Cruz. So inspired by the centering effects of yoga and meditation, in 2015 I earned certification for various methods of hypnotherapy.
Yoga has been defined by ancient texts, as controlling/calming of the thought waves of the mind. I view treasured yoga poses in the context of being one of many equally honored steps toward that calm mind.
About My Hypnotherapy Sessions
TRUST IN YOUR MIND
My session is meant to bring you to a more clear state. Where you can better understand your thoughts and feel clarity throughout your day.
SELF IMPROVEMENT
Whether it's a bad habit or a phobia, my hypnotherapy sessions are meant to help you better understand your situation and help you navigate whatever it is you are seeking to improve.
HEALING
Heal from past traumas or physical pain using hypnotherapy. Commonly, our brains tend to make things worse than they actually are or subconsciously add to the symptoms we are feeling. Hypnotherapy trains you to identify and help realign your perspectives.
About My Yoga Sessions
TRUST IN BODY
I offer clear verbal instruction, without physically "adjusting" your position, as you best know your needs, desires, limitations, and strengths on any given day.
REALNESS
Vibrant yoga practice calls us to be real with ourselves. My style is unstuffy, inclusive, occasionally irreverent, sincere, and warm. Please be who you are.
COMMUNITY
We welcome, support, and encourage each other as friendships and knowledge of yoga both deepen. It is proven that the benefits of a loving community are immeasurable.
ABUNDANT PEACE... FOR ALL
Our innate peacefulness is naturally expansive, and unifying, and shapes the world around us. Indiscriminately and unreservedly, we share with all.
Fun Tips: Here’s the wild card. Even yoga instructors can be avid ice hockey fans who sometimes yell at the TV. Divya’s favorite goalie of all time is her
teenage son. She also loves baking (and she’s been known to share).
5 Favorites
Quiet activity: Colored pencil drawing
Smell: Redwoods on a warm afternoon
Book: House on Mango Street
Sport: Ice hockey
Beverage: Soy chai latte (You know...in case you're offering.)
Divya
Certified Yoga Instructor
Certified Hypnotherapist
Kirsten
Certified Massage Therapist specializing as a Myofascial Release Therapist
in Los Altos, Ca
As a dedicated and passionate Certified Massage Therapist since 2016, this practitioner is committed to fostering healing and unlocking the innate vitality within each client. They use a gentle yet powerful whole-body approach to identify, release, and resolve deeply ingrained tension patterns that often underlie chronic discomfort, dysfunction, or lingering injuries. Their primary goal is to restore harmony and equilibrium to the body, enabling a life of wellness and rejuvenation.
Credentials & Teaching Experience:
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Certified Massage Therapist and Health Educator #70718 National Holistic Institute, 2016
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National Association of Trigger Point Therapists Training 2019
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Reiki First and Second Degree 2023
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CranioSacral Therapy 1 2023
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John Barnes Myofascial Release 2024
Areas of Expertise:
- Myofascial Therapy: Specializes in techniques that release tension within the connective tissues, helping to alleviate chronic pain and improve movement.
5 Favorites
Kirsten
Certified Massage Therapist (CMT) Specializing as a Myofascial Release Therapist
V Shelton
Certified Yoga and Pilates Instructor
Educator & Presenter
in Los Altos, Ca
V Kimbell Shelton is a master teacher of the Pilates Method, movement, and the somatic arts. A former professional modern dancer, she discovered Pilates after injuring her back while performing. Now a recognized instructor of the Pilates and experienced instructor of yoga for twenty-five years, V feels fortunate to have trained with many great instructors, including two of Joseph Pilates' original teachers, Ron Fletcher and Romana Kryzanowska. She has also studied the Feldenkrais Method with Moshe Feldenkrais, and yoga with Amrita Forest and Max Strom.
V is passionate about motivating and inspiring people of all ages and fitness levels to reach their goals and experience the benefits of Pilates. Her mission is to help all individuals learn to move with more grace, ease, and control, and to discover how enjoyable exercising and movement can be. She has presented workshops, classes, or established Pilates programs at some of the country's leading corporations, spas and athletic clubs, including the Four Seasons, the Golden Door, Warner Brothers, Cooper Aerobic Center, Yahoo, Preston Wynne Spa, Aspen's Snowmass Lodge, and Courtside Athletic Club.
Additionally, V has experience working with those who are rehabilitating from injuries, the elderly (Adaptive Fitness), pre-natal Pilates, and
has trained and consulted Olympic synchronized swimmers, professional golfers, tennis pros, dancers and equestrians.
V Shelton is certified in the Pilates Method by the PhysicalMind Institute (New York) and in the EFI Sports Medicine Gravity System. She received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology and Dance from Southern Methodist University, a Chemistry scholarship from Yale University, and has done post-graduate studies in Anatomy and Physiology.
Credentials & Teaching Experience:
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Master Teacher of the Pilates Method, movement, and the somatic arts
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Former professional modern dancer; discovered Pilates during recovery from a back injury sustained while performing
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25+ years of experience teaching Pilates and Yoga
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Trained with Pilates Elders:
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Ron Fletcher
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Romana Kryzanowska (both original students of Joseph Pilates)
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Additional Movement Training:
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Feldenkrais Method with Moshe Feldenkrais
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Yoga with Amrita Forest and Max Strom
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Certified in the Pilates Method by the PhysicalMind Institute (New York)
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Certified in the EFI Sports Medicine Gravity System
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Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Dance – Southern Methodist University
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Yale University Chemistry Scholarship recipient
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Post-graduate studies in Anatomy and Physiology
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Workshop Presenter & Program Developer for leading corporations, spas, and athletic clubs, including:
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Four Seasons
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The Golden Door
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Warner Brothers
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Cooper Aerobic Center
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Yahoo
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Preston Wynne Spa
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Aspen’s Snowmass Lodge
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Courtside Athletic Club
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Specialized Teaching Experience:
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Adaptive Fitness for older adults
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Pre-natal Pilates
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Injury rehabilitation
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Training and consulting for elite athletes, including:
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Olympic synchronized swimmers
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Professional golfers & tennis pros
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Dancers and equestrians
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Mission: To inspire people of all ages and fitness levels to move with grace, ease, and control—and to discover the joy of movement.
Areas of Expertise:
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Pilates Method instruction for all levels
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Yoga instruction and somatic movement
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Injury rehabilitation and recovery
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Adaptive Fitness for older adults
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Pre-natal Pilates
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Posture, alignment, and movement efficiency
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Sports-specific training for athletes, including:
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Olympic synchronized swimmers
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Professional golfers
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Tennis professionals
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Dancers
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Equestrians
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Workshop and program development for corporations, spas, and athletic clubs
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Enhancing grace, control, and ease of movement
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Motivating clients to reach personal fitness and wellness goals
“Yoga offers physical and mental health benefits for people of all ages. And, if you’re going through an illness, recovering from surgery, or living with a chronic condition, yoga can become an integral part of your treatment and potentially hasten healing.
A yoga therapist can work with patients and put together individualized plans that work together with their medical and surgical therapies. That way, yoga can support the healing process and help the person experience symptoms with more centeredness and less distress.”
- Johns Hopkins Medicine
V
Certified Pilates Instructor
Certified Yoga Instructor
Wellness Team
Move better.
Live better.
Move better. Live better.
PhysioFit Physical Therapy & Wellness, like Los Altos itself, combines an inviting, community environment with exceptional talent. Founded and led by Kim Gladfelter, a keen, well-rounded expert of healing through movement and a dedicated team who takes a holistic approach to optimal health.