Karen Bowman, Pilates Instructor and Orthopedic Specialist
Originally a physical therapist, Karen graduated with her BS in Physical Therapy from The University of Connecticut in 1996. She worked in several different specialties over the next 13 years, including long term care, acute care, aquatic therapy, neurological care and orthopedic medicine in Connecticut.
She discovered her love of Pilates in 2001. A big part of her job as a physical therapist was lifting patients, which in turn led to substantial pain and discomfort in her own body. After starting Pilates she saw improvement in posture and experienced significantly less pain. By adapting the principles of Pilates, she began incorporating them into her orthopedic work and saw excellent results.
Karen moved to New Jersey and became certified in Mat Pilates, teaching out of her home . After her move to Texas in 2011, she continued to work in physical therapy at Baylor, incorporating Pilates into her orthopedic and neuro patients’ routines. With three young children, Karen decided to focus on Pilates certification through Balanced Body and taught mat, reformer and springboard classes and privates before joining Inspire to incorporate her skills in a therapeutic setting.
Karen has recently trained in Red Cord/Neurac as well as NKT so that she can continue the therapeutic exercises from her clients’ PT.
With her experience, Karen is able to modify Pilates exercises to adjust for limitations and accommodate all fitness levels. Her personal Pilates instruction philosophy is to keep the body centered and balanced to create stability then challenges to make a real change in the lives of her clients. In her off time Karen enjoys spending time with her husband and three children, hiking, cross-training and skiing with her family.