Terri Lynn Heath

I have danced throughout my life and have always been a fitness enthusiast. I worked in a health club through college, minored in kinesiology and became a group fitness instructor upon graduation, but I was too shy to lead classes! I walked into an Afro Brazilian dance shortly after and felt like I had found my home. I’ve continued to study Samba and to teach dance for 25 + years.

After becoming a florist, a farmer, a mother, a general manager, a mobility specialist, a menopause coach, a personal trainer, a pelvic floor coach and a group fitness instructor (once again!), I have started my own strength, mobility and lifestyle coaching practice.

I am a self labeled Mobility Geek because I am fascinated by how our joints talk to our brains, demonstrating the utmost importance of the foundational movements of joint rotations. Through joint strength, I became drawn to menopause coaching since the loss of estrogen in our bodies affects all systems. I am passionate about nourishing our hips and pelvic floor through strength training and mobility to prevent sarcopenia and osteoporosis. My love of samba fits perfectly into this mix!

My next certification will likely be nutrition coaching because of the importance of fueling our bodies to see the results we desire. Protein, fat and carbs are vital to our performance and body composition goals.

I’m happy to be new to Sonoma County! I moved here from Mendocino County to put my daughter through high school. I am excited to build my network here and look forward to meeting Culture Fitness Members!

My lifestyle has always involved movement until I began sitting down at a desk job in 2018. It just so happened I was navigating perimenopause but didn’t know it yet. I gained some weight in light of those changes and in 2019, suffered an MCL and PCL tear (classic football injury!) when two big dogs took me out at the knee while standing on a beach.

I managed to recover without surgery and pledged to come back stronger than ever. I left my desk job in late 2022 and found mobility and joint strength in early 2023. I became a mobility specialist, group fitness instructor, menopause coach and personal trainer. I chose to specialize in working with women in perimenopause because I want to educate and inspire self confidence during this tumultuous time.

Women have been taught to stay small rather than gaining strength and growing. Until I found strength training, I was caught up in the diet culture, not understanding we actually need to fuel our bodies and grow muscle in order to see the results we desire. Now I eat what my body needs to grow muscle and I feel better than I have ever felt.

Today my goals focus on strength gains and feeling better rather than looking a certain way. Once I experienced this mindset shift, my confidence grew and my body composition began to change because of my changed focus. I want women of all ages to understand the incredible power they have over their health through muscle growth.

When I had the opportunity to decide how I wanted to live out the second half of my life, I chose coaching because I wanted to practice what I preach! I want to be here with my daughter and the people I love as long as possible and inspire others to find their lifelong passion for health through movement.

I understand now that fitness is a lifelong journey rather than a diet to ‘look good’ for summer. We can choose things that we enjoy to incorporate into our lives to hit those cardio goals like dance, walking outdoors, or pickleball!

Strength training is a non-negotiable for all people since muscle loss is a natural function of aging and muscle gains have benefits for all systems in our bodies. I want to educate and be a resource for those who need support.

I lost my parents when they were 60 and 61 to cancer, and have since dedicated my life to health and wellbeing. My ultimate goal is to have a lifespan and healthspan of 105 years, and everything I choose ladders up to that goal.

Let’s keep moving!