Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Elyse Sparkes. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Elyse, appreciate you joining us today. Do you think your parents have had a meaningful impact on you and your journey?

The older I get, the more I realize how my parents did so many things right! As mentors they modeled entrepreneurship, creative marketing, problem solving, providing valuable health services, and a dedicated work ethic in their business. They had open conversations and explained their process with me and my sister. My parents opened their own audiology practice, Sparkes Hearing Services, when I was about 10 years old. My dad included me in decorating the car with big ears for a local parade to build community and market their business. My mom explained that by cross-collaborating and seeing audiology patients at other clinics she could increase income and help more people. They continued to seek further certifications and specialties to increase their scope, diversify their services and products, and expand to more locations. On “bring your kid to work days” I stuffed envelopes for mailing advertisements, tidied the office, and observed their excellent level of customer service with their clientele. And when it came time for them to retire, they welcomed me in on conversations on the process they were taking to sell their business. It didn’t fully register when I was a kid (hint: a lot of eye rolling and exasperated sighs!), but now I can see how their leadership, entrepreneurial spirit, and transparency with their path shaped my own career aspirations.

Elyse, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I started out as a professional dancer and became a personal trainer to support my dance career. When I started working with clients one-on-one, I realized that I loved helping people learn about their bodies and helping them make movement a consistent part of their life again. Through my own body image struggles and being immersed in the dance + fitness industries, I also soon realized I wanted to help people exercise in a way that wasn’t ONLY about losing weight. In fact, I noticed that the pursuit of only exercising for weight loss was causing many people to either push themselves to unrealistic extremes or throw in the towel and berate themselves for ‘failing’. I created my #BeKindBodyMind method to help people be more KIND to themselves as they build strength, flexibility, balance, and confidence. I want the world to know that getting fit doesn’t have to be about pushing harder, measurements, pounds, percentages, or the latest quick fix program.

Now I specialize in movement rehabilitation for core + pelvic floor dysfunction. What is that? Someone might have core + pelvic floor dysfunction if they experience anything like diastasis recti, pelvic organ prolapse, incontinence of any kind, chronic constipation, pain with intercourse, unexplained hip, back, or pelvic pain. It’s common to assume that these issues are only for pre/postnatal folks and that kegels are the answer. Nope and nope! I’m passionate about expanding this knowledge beyond the pre/postnatal communities because every type of body can be affected by these issues, regardless of whether someone has given birth or not. Also, kegels can be a useful tool, but they are not the whole picture when it comes to healing these pelvic floor imbalances. Movement rehabilitation addresses how the core + pelvic floor communicates with the whole body. We look at movement compensation patterns, alignment, and breathing practices that help rebalance core + pelvic floor function. I am very proud to help educate people about their own anatomy and function and help them find healing to these (sometimes-embarrassing-to-talk-about) topics.

I’m also proud of the fact that I’ve been able to help so many people feel more stable, strong, mobile, confident in their bodies and have kinder thoughts about themselves. When someone says that they workout to my videos and it makes them feel great, that we’ve rehabbed an injury, brought back their function, or they have less aches + pains because of the movement we’ve done together, it makes my day! People tell me that sharing the #BeKindBodyMind phrase with their kids when their body image is low has helped them increase their confidence and that makes me feel like this work is having a very very important impact.

People can work with me through virtual and in-person private sessions, group programs, courses and workshops.

Other than training/knowledge, what do you think is most helpful for succeeding in your field?

The skill of active listening. Other than training, knowledge, and expertise, I think the ability to listen to what a client has experienced in the past and what they are presently experiencing is key. Many people who find me have already seen a slew of other practitioners and may be looking to heal from pain, discomfort, past injury, or sub-optimal functioning. Many have developed a fear of movement or lack of confidence in their body. In the medical realm they may not have had the time to tell their full story. In the fitness realm they may have been pushed to an extreme that made their symptoms worse or made them feel unsafe. They want to be seen and heard for their unique situation and their unique body.

If you could go back in time, do you think you would have chosen a different profession or specialty?

If I could go back in time, I would choose the same profession with a caveat… I would’ve encouraged my past self to go for it even sooner. I went to SUNY Purchase Dance Conservatory for my BFA and at the time the campus gym was offering a course to become a certified personal trainer. I considered it at that point, but ultimately didn’t get certified until a few years later. Not long after that I applied to a few different options for Masters Programs for Physical Therapy, Movement Psychology, and Doctor of Chiropractic. I was accepted to everything but experienced analysis paralysis at the time and chose not to get any of those degrees. Now I realize that any of those avenues still could’ve led me to pelvic health, and now that I’m a mom it’s a little bit harder to go back to school (but not impossible – maybe that’s next!). I appreciate the path I did take, as I have been able to travel and study with some of the best teachers in each specialty I’ve been interested in, have racked up esteemed continuing education certifications, and get to work with amazing clients.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.elysesparkes.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elysesparkes/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/elysesparkes.ignitehealth
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@SparkesWellness/featured

Image Credits
Stacey Millett