Karen Wilder PMA-CPT
Studio Owner and Lead Teacher
NPCP
Romana’s Pilates Level V Teacher
What started out as a hobby has turned into a full-time profession. At first, Karen did Pilates for herself because she found that it helped her low back pain, improved her posture and left her feeling energized and feeling good about her body. She enjoyed it so much that in 2010 she decided to take the leap into being a teacher. She completed her training with Peak Pilates and Polestar, but still had questions that weren’t answered. Karen had always wanted to enter the Romana’s Pilates Teacher Training but it required a huge commitment and living in western Kansas back in 2010 made it impossible.
A few years later Karen moved to Kansas City and found Pure Pilates KC in Brookside, a Romana’s Pilates Training Site. She started taking private lessons with Susan Hard in 2017. Karen auditioned for the program and started her training in 2019. For the next 2 years she trained as a apprentice, working several hours a week in the Brookside studio alongside Susan to train her eye and become the best teacher she could be. She was certified by Sari Mejia Santo in February 2021. Romana’s Pilates is considered the highest quality training program in the industry.
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After her Romana’s Pilates training another milestone was when Karen made the decision to change up all of her Pilates equipment. The studio had the same equipment as most studios in town had, meaning it was not classical equipment at all. Here she went through a large transition and realized she also needed to change the equipment. Over the next few months, she ordered new pieces, she also drove to Phoenix, Colorado and Oklahoma to pick up equipment. The studio has completely transformed into all classical equipment. Romana’s Pilates follows Joseph Pilates method of teaching and holds the standard high for maintaining the integrity of Pilates.
Karen is passionate about Pilates and world travel. She loves to combine the two while going on Pilates retreats or attending international teacher training workshops.
Why I teach Pilates
In my years working as a pharmacist in the hospital setting, I saw a lot of weak, sick and helpless people suffering from preventable diseases. I wanted to do something more to help them than just provide medications. I wanted to help them before they reached the point of being hospitalized. I wanted to help teach them to be strong and stay out of the hospital for as long as possible. Don’t get me wrong, our healthcare is the best in the world, and if you need medical attention then you’re in good hands! But what if you could change some lifestyle habits and get stronger and healthier and spend less time getting medical care? I believe that we are capable of taking better care of our bodies throughout our lifetime. My mission is to help people age well so they can stay active throughout their lifetime and stay independent for as long as possible! I saw so many suffering in pain, miserable, sad and depressed. Their quality of life was greatly diminished seeing them unable to get around on their own. There is a difference between a long health span vs a long life span and it can make a big impact on the quality of your life. I want to help you be as strong as you can be for the rest of your life!
Health and wellness is not a “look”. Health and wellness are made up of many components. Such as, eating real food, getting good quality sleep, regular physical activity, having meaningful relationships with friends and family and bringing a more mindful approach to how you want to live your life.
Are you ready to make the shift and start toward a healthier you? I’m here to tell you that it’s possible, and yes, you can do this!
Do you want to join our team?
Wilder Pilates is looking for an energetic and dedicated Pilates instructor!
