Sad Girls Guide to Fitness

Fitness has a new face and it is yours and mine. With television shows like Girls, or Two Broke Girls representing a generation of woman finding them with low budgets and low self esteem, Sad Girls Guide to Fitness reaches and inspires woman at every age and attacks their goals by chipping away at the stone of fitness. This offbeat, fun, imaginative book will change their bodies and enhance the quality of their lives. Sad Girls Guide to Fitness is for people who are intimidated to take the first steps in to a gym, or have suffered from self-doubt and sad feelings at one point in their lives. The workouts will change their bodies, posture and approach to life. From hipsters to home bodies this book with cross divides to get you off the couch and on the floor toning and strengthening. It will be a vivid book of illustrations as well as photographs demonstrating exercises and the anatomy of the work. I have been teaching Pilates since 2003. I was certified by Romana Kryzowska and the Pilates Studio Inc. I have learned contemporary approaches and studied with amazing instructors like Erika Bloom, Brooke Siler, Ellie Herman and Ton Voight and Michael Fritz. I have created a physical lifestyle in my mid to late thirties and continue to improve my body, my life and myself.

I am a thirty eight year old woman and I am in the best shape of my life and look the best I have ever looked, felt the best I have ever felt and keep improving everyday. I have struggled with depression for as long as I can remember. Every person is different. Some might find an outside influence causing their sad reactions and some might find they are chemically predisposed to depression. Sad Girls Guide to Fitness is a book intended to help you begin and maintain a physical lifestyle that will enhance every aspect of your life. Giving yourself a youthful glow, high energy level and bring positive outcomes to your every aspect of your life. Whether you find yourself in a depressed mood or you simply feel intimidated to take the first steps towards fitness this book is for you. I am often intimidated to take a group class like Zumba or spinning. I feel like my work out clothes aren’t nice enough or maybe I won’t be able to keep up with the others. At times, I also don’t have the financial capability to take private lessons. Classes are great to enrich your practice, challenge you and offer you hands on stretching and alignment assistance. This book encourages and incorporates a personal practice of the art of fitness. This book includes a combination of Pilates, yoga, running, strength training, “marieisms” and options to build strength and perfect certain target areas. The book includes: Chapter Pilates Gateway Drug to Fitness Chapter The “butt series” Chapter The lazy girl work out Chapter At home boot camp Chapter Lift your mood and your body for overall wellness workout Chapter Strength training and cross training is the key to opening doors to trying new activities. This book can be read from beginning to end or you can flip through chapters to begin your workouts I was raised in Queens, New York. My only physical outlets were baton twirling and my imagination. My sisters and I did not participate in group sports or ride bikes. I didn’t learn to swim until I was eighteen or learn to ride a bike until this year.

Marie Grillo completed her master's degree January 2014 in Early Childhood Education and Special Education. Marie grew up in Queens, NY and was certified in Classical Pilates by Romana Kryzonowska in 2003. Since then she has taught around NYC, working for many amazing and brilliant people in the Pilates Industry. She also had the incredible accomplishment of owning her own Pilates studio for three years in Williamsburg, Brooklyn called Heart & Soul Pilates. Marie has developed her classical training into a specific and original approach to each workout that she is excited to share. Marie has also played drums and sang in four different rock bands as well as writing, producing and directing her original musical about the life of Joseph Pilates in various venues in New York City.