Paulette Madden grew up in Hawaii, surfing and riding horses competitively. When she moved to San Diego to get her degree from SDSU in Kinesiology with an emphasis in pre-physical therapy, she began taking Pilates and yoga classes. It was love at first class. She’s been a dedicated ashtanga yogi for the last 8 years. Paulette believes Pilates is for everyone and is dedicated to creating a program to help each person benefit from this workout. We asked Paulette what the most challenging part of her Pilates instruction career was and how she overcame it, as well as the one key factor that enhances her Pilates routine.

Pilates of San Diego: What was the most challenging part of your Pilates instruction career and how did you overcome it?

Paulette: I think one of the more difficult things I had to realize as a Pilates instructor is that you're not the perfect instructor for every client. You can have all the knowledge in the world but sometimes personalities just don't click and it's OK to refer a client to another instructor that might be a better fit.

Pilates of San Diego: What is one key factor that enhances your Pilates routine?

Paulette: I constantly keep Joe's main fundamentals in the work even though I incorporate newer exercises that provide biomechanical benefits. I find it to be a happy balance of traditional and progressive.

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