Why Women’s Health?

I'm Anna, a first-generation Polish immigrant and the founder of Uplift Pilates & Therapy, the premier Chicago Pilates studio for women. I'm a certified Pilates instructor and a kinesiologist with a special focus on women’s health. But there's more to my story than just my professional credentials.

At just nineteen, I left my homeland to make a new home in the United States. It was a leap into the unknown, driven by my lifelong desire to pursue a career in the medical field. 

To be honest, my first year in the U.S. was a challenging one, but I was determined to keep following my dream. I enrolled in massage therapy school and worked as a massage therapist in a chiropractic office with a strong focus on medical care and therapeutic massage. 

Two years later, I enrolled in a Pilates teacher training program. This decision was deeply personal, driven by my lifelong struggle with scoliosis, which had affected me since I was just six years old. 

As I continued my education, I had the incredible opportunity to shadow physicians specializing in physical therapy, non-surgical orthopedics, family medicine, and physiatry. These experiences solidified my belief in the therapeutic potential of manual therapy, Pilates, and kinesiology. More than ever, I moved forward knowing that a holistic health approach had value and limitless potential — especially for women.

I'm here to bridge the gap between medical professionals and fitness enthusiasts. 

My experiences over the past eighteen years have led me to a profound realization: women's health departments are not as interconnected as I had assumed. 

Chronic pelvic pains, intense periods, infertility, postpartum issues, and menopause — these challenges often begin at the pelvic floor but have far-reaching effects on our entire bodies, especially our mood and overall happiness. I wholeheartedly believe in our body's innate capacity for healing, managing chronic pain, and, most importantly, prevention.

Whether it's empowering women to harness the body's natural healing abilities at the right moment or offering management strategies when full recovery isn't possible, I create a holistic, person-centered environment for healing. Together, we can embrace the incredible potential of your body and discover the joy of holistic health.