Harmony Mover: Rebecca Nugent

Pittsburgh is fortunate to have landed Dr. Rebecca Nugent. Good thing the city is also home to Harmony Pilates Studio, one of the keys to keeping her here. “The first thing I looked for when I moved from Seattle was a Pilates studio. I’ll cut out a lot of other things, but don’t ask me to give up Pilates. It makes everything else in my life better,” Rebecca says. Harmony assists Rebecca in her drive to do as much as she can with her energetic life. And this is no small order. At 32, Rebecca already holds a Ph.D., and is an assistant professor of statistics at Carnegie Mellon University, one of the top programs in the country. A serious athlete since she was a kid, Rebecca continues to compete in physically demanding sports like ultimate Frisbee, snowboarding, rock climbing and running, and she has coached cross country and track. Somehow she also finds time to fuel another passion, traveling to far corners of the world like Antarctica, with her husband of five years. With a mind and body in such perpetual motion, Rebecca sets very high standards for herself as a teacher, athlete and coach. Luckily, she has found a worthy and engaging “partner” in Pilates. “It’s hard. Just when you think you’ve mastered something, you find there’s a more advanced level. You can just keep progressing, and that’s what I enjoy. I love the challenge of it.” Clearly she must revel in challenge. As a graduate student at Stanford University, Rebecca continued to compete in swimming and track, despite being wracked with pain from a shoulder injury that constricted her whole body. She did yoga hoping to regain flexibility, but the pain persisted. One of the trainers working with the Stanford swimmers, was using Pilates to help them stretch and improve core strength. He suggested Rebecca give it a try. She took a mat class and was “100 percent addicted.” After moving to Seattle to start work on her Ph.D. at the University of Washington, Rebecca’s shoulder problem got worse and she had to take a hiatus from swimming. She began to take Pilates mat classes at a teaching studio twice a week, and never looked back. “I’ve always been a serious athlete, which brought injuries and pain. Pilates alleviated my pain. It made my body so much more efficient.” When she accepted the position at Carnegie Mellon, Rebecca contacted the Pittsburgh Ballet, knowing that dancers often train with top Pilates teachers. “I told them I wanted the best studio in Pittsburgh, and they directed me to Dilla Mastrangelo.” Rebecca has found a home at Harmony and appreciates its high standards and innovative approaches. “Harmony varies the workouts a lot more than other studios. The teaching staff is so creative. I really like the change-up and fresh challenges. “They also do a great job of catering to each client. When I’m competing during the club ultimate Frisbee season, I have pretty specific needs. Dilla and Sueann always ask me how I’m feeling and what I need on any given day. And they keep me honest. They watch for signs of weakness and make sure I’m not pushing myself in a harmful way.” Rebecca credits Pilates with enabling her to continue the extraordinary physical demands of her diverse avocations. She is among the first clients to arrive at Harmony on Tuesday and Thursday mornings for her small group Pilates classes, and has made forays into Gyrotonic training, too. “I like the way Gyro opens up my back and shoulders. That’s really good for me.” “Other people say, ‘you look amazing,’ and I tell them, it’s the Pilates.” She thinks it would be beneficial for kids, too, in building coordination, strength and agility. Rebecca doesn’t miss an opportunity to take her Harmony body out into the world. In December 2007 she and her husband traveled to Argentina where they boarded a Russian research vessel and headed to Antarctica. “It was surreal. I loved the experience. There’s nothing to compare it to on this planet. We actually sailed right into an active volcano.” She laughs about her strenuous travel schedule during the summer of 2008, explaining she went from a Frisbee tournament in Boston to a research conference in Prague to a Seattle Frisbee tournament, and on to an academic collaboration in Scotland. On site at the University of Glasgow for a month, Rebecca found a Pilates studio so she could continue her workouts. “The Scots certainly have their own style—fast-paced and more repetitions!” Future movement plans for the young non-stop professor include work trips to Paris and Cambridge this coming summer. “I’d also love to see the Amazon from a river barge, and maybe travel the Nile from Cairo to Luxor.” “I can’t imagine not wanting to experience as much as I possibly can. Why wouldn’t you want to keep growing and maximizing your life?” There’s no question Rebecca Nugent will continue to live her life full out, and she plans to do it with the help of Harmony. “I can’t stop Pilates. It presents a lifelong learning opportunity. And it feels too good. I intend to do it for life.”