Meet Our Instructors

  • Katie Rhodes - Owner

    Katie began her fitness career in 2006.  She loved how exercise made her physically and emotionally.  While working out in a YMCA, she realized that she wanted to help other people feel stronger, healthier, and happier.  She dove into personal training and left her elementary school teaching days behind.  In 2007, Katie discovered pilates and knew that it would be a great compliment to her training and also was pleased to discover that pilates alleviated her back pain.  She was hooked and began her certification. Since then, the list of benefits has grown  in  more ways than she imagined and continues to grow!

     She has dreamed of opening a studio for years and is thrilled to have found a great business partner who shares in her goals as well as the family and community support to make it a reality. 

    Katie truly loves exercise and movement.  She believes the key is finding what type of exercise makes each individual feel better in his/her body.

    Katie has four fantastic boys.  When she isn't at the studio, she can be found cheering on her boys in all of their various activities. She also enjoys playing, hiking, and working outside. Her other love is music- playing, singing, and listening.

    Certified Personal Trainer, NPCT

  • Jan Barker - Owner

    Jan grew up in Miami, Florida and graduated from both University of Florida and Western Michigan University. As a career professional with Girl Scouts, Jan began pilates later in life as a hobby to help overcome travel related stress and pain. Pilates became a powerfully effective activity that improved strength, agility, and balance and an important part of Jan’s healthy life style. So much so that Jan invested in her own machine, successfully completed pilates training, and wanted to help others become stronger and more fit and flexible.

    She and Katie enjoyed learning from one another and helping others so much that they decided to grow Core Strength and PILATES together in its new location, 52500 N Main Street, Mattawan. Jan, as a certified pilates instructor, loves helping people accomplish their fitness goals and brings enthusiasm and fun to a workout individually designed for their goals.

    In addition to happily working at Core Strength & PILATES, Jan loves traveling, cooking, learning, gardening, knitting, and spending time with her family. She has a daughter, Amelia and son Graham, both of whom she is very proud. She lives on a beautiful flower farm near Mattawan with her husband and hundreds of flowers.

    Liza and her husband of 17 years, Syl, live in Mattawan with their 2 children, Grace (15) and Nick (12).

    Certified in Primary Group Fitness

  • Lisanti Danca

    INSTRUCTOR

    Lisanti (Doris Danca)

    Lisanti is originary from Mexico. In her early twenties, she took a journey to South America, to a natural reservation in the heart of the Andes Mountains.

    Away from the distractions of modern society, she practiced deep active meditation that cleared her path and defined her life. She stayed here for three years before moving to California where she discovered Yoga. She found in Yoga the perfect tool to express her experiences living in nature and made this practice a consistent part in her daily routine.

    Moving next to New York City, she found herself in a place of stark contrast to her environment in the Mountains. She believes this gave her a greater sense of balance. While in New York, she studied various disciplines of Yoga, martial arts, meditation and chanting from renowned teachers. In 2007 she completed her first Yoga training. She has since been teaching Yoga to hundreds of people from coast to coast, finally settling here in West Michigan.

    Lisanti sees yoga as a natural tool to deepen our connection to our higher selves finding a space of beauty and peace in each breath. Her classes involve harmony, sharpness, and balance.

    Off the mat, she enjoys traveling, being active in nature, reading, music, art, and most of all, growing and evolving with her family.

  • Karen Prater

    INSTRUCTOR

    Karen has always found exercise to be crucial for maintaining a healthy lifestyle; recognizing its numerous benefits for both physical and mental wellbeing. After retiring from a long and rewarding career as a middle school teacher, she was looking for the perfect way to stay active and address specific physical needs. That's when she discovered Pilates, and it quickly became the cornerstone of her fitness routine. Having undergone both knee and hip replacement surgeries, Pilates has been  fundamental in increasing her range of motion in those joints and improving her overall flexibility. It's also been key in keeping her energy levels high enough to keep up with her three wonderful young grandsons!

    Karen's positive personal experience with Pilates inspired her to share its benefits with others. She has thoroughly enjoyed her training with PHI Pilates and feels incredibly grateful for the extensive learning and growth she has experienced under the guidance of the excellent mentor teachers at Core Strength and Pilates. Karen is genuinely excited to share the transformative power of Pilates and help others discover how mindful movement can enhance their lives, just as it has hers.

  • Sarah Hollingsworth

    INSTRUCTOR

    Sarah grew up dancing and fell in love with any fitness classes incorporating strength and flexibility. While practicing yoga and pilates in San Francisco, she discovered barre classes. After moving back home to Kalamazoo in 2013, she became passionate about bringing barre into her community. She is certified through booty barre, fusing pilates, dance, and yoga to promote strength, flexibility, and cardio. She finds the balance and healing in physical exercise to be a perfect compliment to a day of work.

    Beyond physical exercise, Sarah values practicing a natural, holistic lifestyle. She is a certified nutritionist specializing in diet as well as sports nutrition, focusing on integrated wellness. Outside of the studio, Sarah enjoys being with her family, playing outdoors, finding peace by the water, and cooking.

  • Wendy Uminn

    INTRUCTOR

    Wendy is an almost-retired homeschool mom. She has always been a lifelong learner and brings that inquisitiveness into the studio. Being a type 1 diabetic for almost 30 years, Wendy has had to become her own health advocate and assert autonomy over her own wellness journey. Because of this, she knows there is not a one-size-fits-all solution for healthy bodies.

    Wendy has trained with Balanced Body and will continue to study and strive for the most effective and soul-nourishing studio experience for everyone.

This place is amazing! The owner, Katie has a wealth of knowledge that really has helped me with getting results to help me strengthen and get rid of my low back pain! She has a group of other instructors that let the studio offer a wide range of services like yoga and bootie barre classes. Well worth the price!

— Deb Freiman