East Meets West Women's Fitness Retreat
Please contact us if you wish to receive information about our next Pacific Northwest fitness retreat.
Lori's Fitness Tips
The sound of music
Music activates the "pleasure center" of the brain. Listening to a fast-paced song you enjoy can make you more alert and motivate you. It can also help you heal. A 2010 study found that people recovering from a stroke were able to walk longer and stronger when they listened to music during physical therapy. It can also prompt relaxation. Simple tones with gentle rhythms can quell anxiety.
The Staff
Lori RedeLori has been in the fitness industry since 1982. She is certified by the American Council on Exercise, the Aerobics and Fitness Association of America, and the American Institute for Fitness Educators.
Lori studied Sports Physiology and Dance at The University of Michigan and holds a BA from San Jose State University.
She has empowered clients with fibromyalgia, MS, CP and Crohn's disease to lead healthy lifestyles. Her clients range in age from 16 to 87.
Lori's interests include cycling, hiking, kayaking and cross country skiing. A former competitive bodybuilder and distance runner, Lori is focused on proper body mechanics, core strength and balance as program building blocks for clients.
Phone: 503.819.8605
Melanie PetersonMelanie is a fitness enthusiast, who loves to run, bike snowboard, hike, scuba dive and play soccer. She studied Exercise and Movement Science at the University of Oregon and is certified to train by the National Academy of Sports Medicine. She is also a Stott Pilates instructor and loves to use the pilates reformer to balance the need for strength and flexibility.
Fitness has been a part of Melanie's life for as long as she can remember. Melanie's focus is to educate her clients on the importance of all types of conditioning including: strength, endurance, balance, flexibility, and agility. With a balance of all of these, Melanie designs programs that allow her clients to reach their goals, as well as giving them the framework to build an active, healthy lifestyle. Melanie has worked with people of all ages, from children to adults, with goals ranging from injury rehab and weight loss to sport specific endeavors.
Phone: 503.267.9261
Sara UtterbackSara is a self-described fitness fanatic who has studied and practiced yoga for over five years. Her formal yoga education began at YogaFit in Portland. Sara believes that yoga is an essential tool in physical and emotional well-being, and can be an effective supplement to an existing exercise program.
Sara specializes in Vinyasa Yoga, which is a "flow" based yoga. It is a user-friendly style of yoga that can be modified for varying levels of fitness; it is for "everybody and every body."
The benefits of yoga include increased range of motion and flexibility, stronger muscles, better body tone, a naturally defined physique, a clear and relaxed mind, reduced stress, increased body awareness, natural weight loss, improved posture, a strengthened immune system, and decreased physical effects of aging for the brain and body.
When not practicing yoga, Sara enjoys a variety of physical activities, including running, cycling and hiking. As a former golfer for the Hope College women's team, you may see her out on the green.
Phone: 503.753.7558
Jaffer BarlasJaffer Barlas has dedicated his life to helping others lead healthy lifestyles! He has been a personal trainer since 2003 and has had the opportunity to work with hundreds of people and amass over 9500 hours of training. He has successfully trained people of all ages and all levels of fitness for goals ranging from fat loss, to muscle gain, to athletic performance.
Jaffer has relocated from Seattle to Portland to pursue his Doctor of Chiropractic degree at the University of Western States while continuing personal training. Certified with the National Academy of Sports Medicine as a Certified Personal Trainer and Corrective Exercise Specialist, he loves creating progressive training programs and educating his clients on correct form while weight training and on proper nutrition for their goals.
Phone: (206)465-4075
