More about Susan Tobiessen, Body Design Founder

SUSAN TOBIESSEN

Founder and Owner of Body Design, The Women’s Athletic and Wellness Center

Susan Tobiessen founded Body Design in 1986 to partner with women to achieve their health and fitness goals in a nurturing and supportive environment. Body Design was the culmination of her dream to establish a safe, healthy and positive environment for women.

With over 25 years of experience and training, Susan is a certified Pilates Instructor as well as certified in physical therapy from Polestar Rehabilitation. In addition to also being a certified GYROTONIC® instructor, Sue is on the board of the Pilates Method Alliance (PMA) and is a committee member of the OCC Fitness Specialist Advisory Committee.

After pursuing a career in health, rehabilitation and fitness education, she now focuses on preventive medicine and helping people live a healthy and pain free life. At Body Design, she helps clients who are suffering from knee, back and neck injuries and neuromuscular disorders (MS, Fibromyalgia and Parkinsons Disease), as well as those who want to live a healthy lifestyle.

Susan is often featured in magazines and newspapers as an expert in health and fitness. She also speaks to numerous groups and affiliations about the benefits of exercising and is currently working with her daughter, Alex, to educate others on scoliosis, a curvature of the spine that inflicted her daughter.

A Newport Beach resident for over 20 years, Susan is also involved in her community by giving to numerous charities and participating in the Spirit Run and The Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure. She also dedicates her time to her daughter Alex, her son Jesse, her grand daughter Chloe and her husband Eric.

BEAT THE AFTERNOON BLAHS--GET ENERGIZED AT THE OFFICE WITH FIVE SIMPLE TIPS

Susan Tobiessen, the founder of Body Design, Orange County’s premiere fitness facility for women, has over 25 years of experience and education in weight training, Pilates, Gyrotonic and sports medicine.

She offers these easy tips to get focused and stay energized at the office:

1. Feel the sunshine: Go outside. Even if you go out for lunch, take at least five minutes to get some fresh air in the afternoon if you are feeling drained. A simple walk around the building may be all that you need. And, if you can, bring a colleague to do some business brainstorming.


2. Just breathe: Sometimes getting re-energized is as simple as remembering to breathe. Concentrate on counting to 6 slowly as you inhale and then do the same as you exhale so that you fill your body with oxygen.


3. Do the 7th inning stretch at your desk. While sitting in your chair, bend forward to touch your toes. Hold for a count of 10. Then reach your hands up in the air above your head while concentrating on your posture. Think about reaching your hands as high as they can go.

4. Do the twist: Twist your torso to right, holding on to the side of your seat with your left hand and the back of the seat with your right. Focus on a point behind you, hold for 10 seconds and then repeat to the left.


5. Make sure you eat. If you starve yourself all day you’ll have low energy and tend to over-eat in the evening when you burn few calories. Beware -- a trip to the vending machine doesn’t count. A better way to feel more productive at work is to keep stash of nuts and fruit that you can grab at a moments notice when you need a little lift.

Four Tips To Picking A Pilates Instructor

With Pilates becoming more and more popular among men and women of all ages, Susan Tobiessen, the owner of Body Design, the women’s athletic and wellness center in Newport Beach, is offering tips on how choose the right Pilates instructor.

To get the most out of your Pilates workout and not get hurt, look for the following:

1. Make sure your instructor is certified from a credible school. With weekend Pilates certification programs popping up, make sure your instructor has completed the certification process from a reputable program. Since there is no nationally recognized certification process for Pilates at this time, your best bet to finding a qualified instructor in your area is to contact The Pilates Method Alliance (http://www.pilatesmethodalliance.com/).

2. Look for an instructor with higher education or continuing education. The Pilates Method is a knowledge-based exercise program, where the more your instructor knows the better qualified they become. In addition to having completed the certification process, choose an instructor that has a degree in Kinesiology, Physical Therapy or Athletic Training or is continuing their education in Pilates with updated workshops and seminars.

3. Keep your mother’s words in mind -- Background is important. Different trainers bring different backgrounds to your work out. If you are nursing an injury, pick someone with a physical therapy background. If your goal is to have long, lean muscles, choose someone with more of a dance emphasis. If you are looking to improve your golf or tennis game, someone with a sports background who really understands the mechanics can help you improve.

4. Schedule the right time of day. It seems simple, but scheduling is one of the biggest mistakes people make. For example, if you are a morning person, make sure your instructor is too. Your instructor needs to be on their game so you can be on top of yours.

About Body Design
Body Design has been concentrating on personalized attention for over 15 years. It is located in the penthouse suite of the landmark Edwards Theaters above the Stadium Theaters at 210 Newport Center Drive, Suite 3 in Newport Beach. Body Design can be contacted by calling (949) 719-2600 or e-mailing getfit@bodydesignonline.com. For more information visit http://www.bodydesignonline.com/.