trainers

     Elizabeth Towe
Elizabeth Towe, president of Balanced Movement Studio, has a B.A. in exercise and sports science from East Carolina University. She has worked in the fitness industry since 1985, including 10 years with Pulse Athletic Clubs and five years as the program manager of a fitness center at GlaxoSmithKline. She is certified as a personal trainer by the American Council on Exercise, and is a member of the American College of Sports Medicine and IDEA Fitness Professionals Association. She has extensive experience with post-rehab personal training; her clients have included people with multiple sclerosis, fibromyalgia, and chronic pain, as well as stroke survivors. Elizabeth is also a cycling enthusiast, and a Maddog Certified Spinning Instructor.

     Michael DiStefano
Mike is certified as both an athletic trainer and a performance enhancement specialist through the National Athletic Trainer’s Association and the National Academy of Sports Medicine respectively. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in athletic training from Lenoir-Rhyne College and his Masters of Arts degree in Exercise and Sports Science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Mike’s background includes working with all types of clients ranging from post surgical patients to athletes of all ages. His training focuses on injury prevention programs as well as increasing flexibility, core stabilization, balance, strength, speed, and agility.

    Jaime Powell
Jaime Powell is a certified personal trainer and yoga instructor with a focus on holistic health, corrective, and functional exercise. By treating the body, mind, and spirit as a whole system, and actively consulting with and referring to other holistically minded health professionals, Jaime has helped people of all ages drastically improve their well being. Jaime Powell is an author, speaker, consultant, and educator and has used these modalities as vehicles to deliver the message that we have the resources within to move from mere survival to optimal health.

      Amy Vitt
Amy Vitt has been a Certified Personal Trainer with American Council on Exercise (ACE) since 1996 and a Performance Enhancement Specialist through the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) since 2005. She earned a B.A. in Journalism and Mass Communications from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC-CH) in 1993 and has taken extensive Exercise & Sports Science courses from UNC-CH since 1998. Having been a two-time All-American field hockey player at UNC-CH and a three year member of the US Team, Amy started her own personal training business in 1997, specializing in junior athletes with footwork, body control, change of direction, efficiency development, coordination, and power and explosion goals (tennis, soccer, field hockey). After having her daughter Lily in 2003, Amy added to her academic repertoire by taking extensive Holistic Life Coaching course work through New Earth Creations and teacher, Chip Richards. This new level of connection with her clients allows her to be more holistic in her approach, taking on both the body and the mind in the workouts. She has also deeply enriched her own life, and by default her clients\' lives, by practicing yoga, meditation, heart opening qi gong and other mindfulness practices through the many amazing teachers at Balanced Movement Studio.

     Libby Vaughn
Libby is certified through the American College of Sports Medicine, the Aerobic Fitness Association of America, and holds a bachelor's degree in physical education. For the past three years, Libby has primarily worked with people seeking to combat the effects of aging, including osteoporosis, weight gain and declining musculature. She has also trained a diverse population, from a new recruit wanting to pass his Marine Corps Officer Candidate School test to a grandmother who wanted to keep pace with her grandchildren. Libby's focus is on helping people with their fitness goals, whether sport-specific training, life enhancement or general health. Libby is an avid weightlifter, backpacker and cyclist who believes that physical fitness is an essential component to the best possible life one can lead.

news & links