Welcome
Transform Your Body Today
Through myofascial release and neuromuscluar repatterning, learn how to reset your body!
About Megan Niles Health and Fitness
About Megan
My Philosophy
My Philosophy
Welcome! I’m Megan, and I have a passion for movement. My mission is to empower individuals to feel their absolute best in their own bodies, which often involves shifting how we move and redefining our approach to movement itself.
Movement has always been a therapeutic haven for me. As a child, I immersed myself in dance and gymnastics, us
Welcome! I’m Megan, and I have a passion for movement. My mission is to empower individuals to feel their absolute best in their own bodies, which often involves shifting how we move and redefining our approach to movement itself.
Movement has always been a therapeutic haven for me. As a child, I immersed myself in dance and gymnastics, using these forms of expression as a way to process my emotions. In my twenties, my focus shifted toward shaping my body in a specific way. Now, in my mid-forties, I embrace movement as a source of joy, celebrating my strength and consciously training my body for sustained vitality and graceful movement well into my eighties and beyond.
After years of dancing and completing two marathons, I moved to New York City in my late twenties to further pursue my passion. However, during my first winter in the city, I encountered a challenge when my knees began to fail me. Confused and concerned, I consulted a dance injury specialist who informed me that knee degeneration was common among dancers and runners, suggesting that I return only when I could no longer walk. Unwilling to accept this fate, I delved into understanding the physiology of my body and sought a second opinion. To my relief, I learned that my knees were structurally sound; I had simply overtrained my quadriceps while neglecting my hamstrings. Through three months of dedicated fascia release and muscle balancing, I corrected the issue, and with ongoing maintenance, I have remained pain-free.
As I continued my dance journey, old hip pains resurfaced, pains that had previously halted my dancing in my late teens. Empowered by my past experiences, I was determined to uncover the root of this discomfort. This quest led me to pursue my Pilates certification with the remarkable Teri Steele. During this transformative journey, I realized that while I maintained good form, I had been using the wrong muscles for years, resulting in imbalances that caused pain. Over the next six months, I delved into studying anatomy and retrained my body to move with more balanced alignment, strengthening underused muscles, releasing tension in tight areas, and lengthening those that were shortened.
What began as an intention to educate myself quickly blossomed into an undeniable passion for empowering others.
I am now a certified Corrective Exercise Specialist, Myofascial Release Specialist, Pre/Post-Natal Exercise Specialist, Pilates Instructor, and Health Coach. Through personalized, one-on-one in-person and virtual sessions, and cultivated workshops, I guide individuals in unlocking their bodies' full potential. My holistic approach integrates myofascial release, core strength, functional movement, joint mobility, balance, and alignment to alleviate pain, prevent injury, and cultivate intuitive body awareness. I delve into fundamental movement patterns, how we breathe, walk, sit, work, and even sleep, to gently rewire old habits and build lasting, healthy foundations. With a background in health and fitness since 2004, my deepest satisfaction comes from witnessing my clients reduce their pain, develop a profound love and appreciation for their bodies, and truly revel in the effortless flow of movement.
My Philosophy
My Philosophy
My Philosophy
Human beings are inherently designed for movement. However, as society has rapidly evolved, the necessity for daily physical activity has diminished. Yet, our bodies have not adapted at the same pace. We thrive when movement is integrated into our daily lives, yet many of us struggle to cultivate this vital habit.
In our modern existence,
Human beings are inherently designed for movement. However, as society has rapidly evolved, the necessity for daily physical activity has diminished. Yet, our bodies have not adapted at the same pace. We thrive when movement is integrated into our daily lives, yet many of us struggle to cultivate this vital habit.
In our modern existence, we often fall into unbalanced patterns and routines. We tend to carry belongings on one side of our bodies, engage predominantly in a single type of exercise, be it cycling, running, swimming, or walking, and spend hours hunched over screens, neglecting the need for counterbalancing movements. Many of us breathe shallowly, experience inadequate sleep and poor eating habits, and keep our minds racing without taking the time to connect with our bodies. This can result in our bodies and movement patterns being out of balance, with certain muscles tightening and overworking while others weaken.
When the muscles surrounding our joints are imbalanced, it hinders proper movement. Pain often serves as a signal from our body, indicating this imbalance. Left unaddressed, these issues lead to compensatory behaviors that result in stress and ultimately injury. Many of us have learned to ignore our discomforts, believing that pain is normal or that it cannot be alleviated. However, this belief is a misconception.
Through intentional movement, we can retrain our bodies to restore proper movement patterns and achieve optimal alignment. By focusing on fundamental movements, such as breathing, walking, sitting, and engaging the inner core, we can align our bodies in a way that fosters ease and fluidity in every aspect of movement.
Our innate qualities of agility, flexibility, and strength can be reclaimed. My goal is to help individuals rediscover and nurture their happiest, healthiest selves.
My Method
My Philosophy
My Method
Over the past 12 years, I have refined my method based on updated research and the most effective practices I have observed with my clients. When I first encountered myofascial release, the approach was rudimentary, simply 'push where it hurts.’ Today, we possess a much deeper understanding of the body's intricate workings, including its
Over the past 12 years, I have refined my method based on updated research and the most effective practices I have observed with my clients. When I first encountered myofascial release, the approach was rudimentary, simply 'push where it hurts.’ Today, we possess a much deeper understanding of the body's intricate workings, including its neuromuscular patterning, fascial connections, and the central role of the nervous system. As we age, our movement patterns become increasingly ingrained, both physically and mentally (all the more reason to address pain as soon as we notice it).
I guide clients to identify and release points of tension through movement, consciously calming their nervous system through focused breath and body awareness. To facilitate this release, I utilize a variety of tools such as foam rollers, myofascial release balls, tennis balls, spiky balls, and rubber balls to target tight fascia and muscles throughout the body.
My approach integrates a diverse range of modalities, including Pilates, functional movement, corrective exercise, Active Isolated Stretching (AIS), Yoga, Controlled Articular Rotations (CARs), bodyweight exercises, resistance training, balance work, and kinesthetic awareness to effectively retrain neuromuscular patterns. Through slow and intentional movements, we retrain muscles that have become tight or dysfunctional, guiding them to engage efficiently through their complete range of motion, specifically, through both the concentric (shortening) and eccentric (lengthening) phases of movement.
All movements are performed slowly and with intention, allowing the brain and body ample time to communicate and integrate these new patterns. The focus isn't on achieving the biggest range of motion, the most repetitions, or lifting the heaviest weight. Instead, it's about fostering a deep awareness between the brain and body regarding how the joints, muscles, and fascia all move in concert. Once these foundational patterns become automated and integrated, more complex movements can be introduced, executed with greater speed and resistance.
Research indicates that retraining a motor pattern typically requires around 4,000 repetitions. This number can vary significantly depending on the complexity of the movement, the duration of established compensatory patterns, and the consistency of integrating new habits. Therefore, a crucial component of my method involves seamlessly integrating these new movement patterns into your daily life. We address everyday elements like your work/desk setup, sleep posture, sitting and standing habits, walking mechanics, and breathing patterns. By weaving one or two targeted exercises into your existing daily routines, we accelerate the process of establishing lasting change.