We recently connected with Paula Morizono and have shared our conversation below.

Paula, appreciate you joining us today. Can you share an important lesson you learned in a prior job that’s helped you in your career afterwards?

My job as an LAUSD physical and mental fitness instructor, teaching in the  largest program for older adults in the state of California, profoundly changed the way I taught and approached fitness. The knowledge and experience I gained by teaching thousands of students taught me the importance of viewing fitness from a long term, not short term perspective. I learned exercise principles applicable for life, how to quickly spot balance issues/functional weaknesses and their implications. I also strengthened my ability to anticipate potential problems, giving corrective/strengthening exercises promptly.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I started as a pilates teacher in 1999. I worked in gyms, pilates studios and physical therapy/chiropractic clinics. I trained students of all different fitness levels from injured clients to Olympic athletes. I noticed that most people came from gym backgrounds, so I studied and received my personal training credential from ACE. This strengthened my understanding of exercises being used in gyms. I also continued doing trades with chiropractors and physical therapists, where I learned invaluable rehabilitation exercises and protocols. After working in a physical therapy clinic for two years, I started working for LAUSD as a credentialed teacher in the older adults/adults with disabilities program. I saw what aging looks like—both good and not so good examples. I learned about the importance of functional strength and power in aging. I also realized that good mechanics in daily life activities is the key to injury prevention. Thus in 2022, I wrote a book called “Everyday Fitness: Strength through Daily Life Activities.” https://amzn.to/3M6cKDb I am very proud of creating a book that is practical and useful, regardless of fitness level. It has the basics of breath, core, posture and hip hinge; the movements that make us strong in everyday tasks. It is easy to read, with diagrams and exercises that can be incorporated into daily life activities. It has gotten great reviews, and there isn’t another book like it on the market. I am confident that mastering the basics laid out in this book, will help anyone create a body, that has optimal function and strength throughout life.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

I would be happy to share one of the biggest pivots in my life—putting my son as my first priority before my career. When my son was a toddler I noticed that he didn’t speak as much as the other children, but I didn’t think it was a problem. I thought he would catch up in his own time. But, when he was four and still not able to speak very well, I took him to specialists. They told me he had childhood aphasia, a severe speech and language disorder. The doctors told me he qualified for a class with autistic children. He also qualified for a special needs class of aphasiac children. When I went to visit the classes it was completely silent, no one was talking because they were all aphasiac like my son. I felt he didn’t need to be in a classroom where very little language was spoken. I felt he needed to hear language. I proposed to the doctors that I put him in a regular classroom where I would volunteer as a teacher’s aide. The doctor told me I could try it, but that if it didn’t work out I could bring him back to the special needs class. I knew I couldn’t live with myself if I didn’t try my best to help him succeed in a regular classroom setting. I enrolled him in a regular class and worked in that kindergarten all year. It was hard for him at first—hearing so much language would exhaust him. But having his mom at school the entire year was instrumental in him successfully making the adjustment. To my great relief and joy, he was able to continue in his studies without having to be in a special needs class. He went on to do well in middle school, high school, and graduate from a prestigious university majoring in computer science.

He is now a very successful professional in his field. My decision to “pivot” and put my son first in front of my career changed the trajectory of his life. I am overjoyed that I made the decision to put my son first, at a developmentally crucial time in his life.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

Throughout the years I shifted my focus from being solely a pilates teacher, to a “functional movement specialist” incorporating pilates, personal training, ergonomics and rehabilitation. This evolution happened as I became a seasoned teacher acquiring many experiences working with different students, in rehabilitation as well as fitness settings. Functional movement I discovered, is the key to injury prevention and lifelong strength. For example, lifting babies/groceries/laundry baskets, etc.—these repetitive daily life movements performed correctly create strength, whereas moving incorrectly often cause injury. With this in mind, I wrote a book explaining the basics of what is needed to build good form in daily life movements. https://amzn.to/3M6cKDb We are all taking a class called “daily life activities.” Doing daily, repetitive tasks correctly, becomes the source and the impetus, for creating a strong and resilient body—for life!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://strengthforeveryday.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/strength_for_everyday/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FunctionalPilates
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCInM4HkcXbQwfExDWrXPoAg
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/strength-for-everyday-los-angeles
• Other: https://amzn.to/3rVtrdL LInk to my book “Everyday Fitness: Strength through Daily LIfe Activities”