Sarah Porter is a mom to Gwennie, wife to Bill, and dog mama to Jack and Emma. She’s a former professional dancer turned fitness instructor and owner of Orlando Trigger Point Pilates. Dancing took Sarah around the globe to incredible locations including Japan, Hong Kong, China, Ibiza, and Austria. She’s also an RN… not currently practicing on the ward, but keeps up her license. This renaissance woman can do it all. I’ve trained with Sarah at Bar Method Winter Park and she has the most succinct ability to keep you smiling the whole time while she kicks your butt.
Tell us about your new venture!
It’s still in the baby-phase, I teach it mostly via an online platform (Zoom, Facebook live, and on-demand recordings). Trigger Point Pilates® has been created from years of clinical work and Pilates teaching experience by Lydia Campbell, a UK Fitness Industry expert for over 40 years and a clinical Myofascia Sports Therapist.
A Trigger Point Pilates® class combines basic Pilates’ core moves with trigger point release and clinical myofascial principles to help alleviate chronic pain conditions using equipment. The class is designed to release tight muscles, enhance functional daily movement, and restructure the body. Think of it as a self-massage rather than a “workout”.The program helps to release the body from inside to out targeting the connective tissue that surrounds every muscle and joint. This enables one to move with ease, release painful conditions, and have a better functional life.
What’s your inspiration for starting the business?
An old dancing friend told me about Lydia and said I absolutely had to look her up and think about adding TPP to my repertoire. As a Bar Method Master Trainer, she felt it would be a perfect blend and combination to my teaching… giving me the knowledge and ability to help release and relax my client’s sore bodies after kicking their bums in class!
Who can benefit from Trigger Point Pilates?
This is a class for EVERYONE, of any age and ability! For the fitness fanatic, this class will help you recover quicker from your workouts and will keep your muscles and fascia fluid and healthy! For the person who is post-rehab or has chronic pain, think of this as a self-massage and physical therapy session that you can do at home to keep your body in tip-top condition between therapy or massage sessions. This class will restore your myofasica and will stimulate your lymphatic and parasympathetic nervous systems. It’s TLC for the mind, body, and soul!
How can people take a Trigger Point Pilates class with you?
I have a group page on Facebook and I am on Instagram: OrlandoTPP. I teach mostly via Zoom. I have taught pop-up classes at the Bar Method Winter Park (thanks to my boss there, Karen Moreno!) and hope to be able to continue to do so! You can find some of my classes here on Vimeo.
What have you learned during the Pandemic?
The pandemic spurred me to expand upon my knowledge in the fitness world. TPP fascinated me immensely due to being a nurse and a fitness pro. I quickly adapted to teaching online for Bar Method and still teach via Zoom for some studios on the west coast of the country. The pandemic has certainly thrown me into the tech world and I have had to learn to hone my teaching skills to be motivating on a tiny screen and not just in the studio. It is harder than you think! I am looking forward to teaching more TPP classes in person. I miss the hands-on teacher-student connection.
How does your family participate in your business?
When the pandemic was first happening, my daughter Gwennie would do classes with me, and feature with me in my teaching videos. Now she is up to her ears in virtual school and online performance lessons, bless her. My husband owns his own business, but he is a huge supporter of mine. He has a YouTube channel for his shop, Performance Ski & Surf, and he has been posting my Orlando TPP and Yoga videos on it for his customers. He’s always the first one to give me a plug and shout-out on social media!
