Q&A: Pilates with Hanneke

Hanneke Antonelli photo provided

Waking up early in the morning to hit the gym can sometimes be a drag, especially on rainy fall days. Hanneke Antonelli tries to make fitness fun again with her upbeat Pilates classes. And she plans to bring her bright, sunny outlook to a future career as a life coach, too. 

What is Pilates With Hanneke? 

Pilates with Hanneke is a brand I started in 2009 and its based on my idea that people come to my classes to enjoy it and have fun. I want fitness to motivate you and make you feel good. I want you to want to make it part of your daily routine.

What classes do you teach for Pilates With Hanneke?

I teach normal Pilates, and then Pilates HD and Pilates Strength classes of my own creation. The Strength ones are a little more rigorous; we do push ups and planks and strength bands. It’s more than your typical Pilates class. At the beginning and the end of class, usually the first and last five minutes, we do some yoga-based breathing warm-ups and exercises.

How did you start Pilates With Hanneke? 

I started teaching Pilates in 2009, before that I was a money broker. And after I started teaching, Pilates with Hanneke was really born when I started the website and the Facebook page in 2011. I did a lot of self-promotion and started a couple of blogs which really helped get my brand out there. What was really helpful for me was being able to produce and shoot my own DVD that year. I was also doing my own YouTube fitness videos sporadically at the time which helped get things going.

What is your favorite thing about your brand? 

My favorite thing is part of my mission statement: everyday life is serious enough, so fitness should be fun!  I want people to feel more relaxed and happy and to have a better life through exercise. One of the most rewarding things about being a Pilates instructor is seeing how my clients’ bodies are changing and how they’re becoming more aware of their personal exercise routine and gaining more control over their own bodies. They’re happier and more confident with themselves and that’s really great to see. Getting to experience that happiness was something I was longing for in my previous career.

Do you have any future plans for Pilates With Hanneke? 

Yes, actually, there are quite a few exciting things coming up. My second and third DVDs are coming out at the end of November, I’m hoping for a Black Friday launch. One DVD is my strength class put into DVD form, and one is Pilates for beginners. And I’m also currently busy with a life coaching course. I’m taking that so I can launch Balance With Hanneke in conjunction with Pilates With Hanneke in early 2014.