CSH My name is Christine Schwartz Hartley. A former editor and writer based in Brooklyn, New York, I decided to become an exercise instructor focused on functional fitness because this type of training saved me. I was the mother of two young children when I started experiencing intense, unrelenting pain in my back and left leg. It turned out I had three herniated discs and tons of scar tissue from past injuries. Yet the pain was not caused by the herniated discs themselves. It was the other stuff.

Several doctors, physical therapists and drug courses later, the pain persisted. My mobility was greatly impaired; my ability to take care of my family and home much diminished; my desk-bound work often felt like torture and I was very worried for my future. Thankfully, an exceptional physical therapist finally took the time to understand the ways in which my body had compensated for those earlier injuries, which muscles were greatly weakened and which of my movement patterns were incorrect.

It took a year for me to be free of pain and begin to feel stronger. Much of this improvement was the result of this professional’s expert manipulations and precisely targeted exercise prescriptions. But it was up to me to maintain the proper alignments, postures and movement patterns she had taught me so I could I remain vital and functional as I aged. That’s exactly what I did.

Since then, I have learned that maintaining or re-learning these alignments and patterns is what functional fitness is all about, which is why I have made it a specialty. Because I believe that older adults should remain as active as possible, I have made balance and fall prevention additional specialties. My hope is to pass on the knowledge I gained along my recovery and functional fitness journey as well as the many lessons I have learned since.

Certifications: Functional Aging Specialist (Dr. Dan Ritchie, Dr. Cody Sipe; Functional Aging Institute, West Lafayette, Indiana); BARE™ Workout Instructor (Dr. Emily Splichal; EBFA Global, New York, New York); Zibrio™ Balance Specialist (Dr. Katharine Ford; Zibrio, Houston, Texas); Group Exercise Instructor, ACSM (American College of Sports Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana).

Insurance: General and Professional Liability, Fitness and Wellness Insurance (Philadelphia Insurance Companies, Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania).