Hi, I’m Barbara Gonzalez, founder of IMS. I am a health coach and personal trainer in Palm Beach, Fl. My work centers around helping clients move with ease by integrating strength based training, balance and mobility training with movement based explorations. I help clients to become attuned their bodies and explore their own potential with autonomy. With dedication, this will open them up to opportunities for movement that will add years and lightness to their lives.

I’ve earned nationally accredited certifications in personal training, yoga and health coaching to help me with this purpose. I also have B.A. in Psychology from Louisiana State University in 2003 that I use every day! In addition to obtaining certifications in the fitness formats listed below, I am dedicated to learning continuously about fitness anatomy, sports physiology and motivational coaching.

Flamenco Dancer Barbara Gonzalez

Barbara’s Bio

Growing up between Miami and Maracay, Venezuela, Barbara studied classical dance since the age of 10 and participated in countless productions as a performer and a producer/choreographer. Her dance training ranges from tap dancing to post-modern dance, passing through contemporary and flamenco. Click here to see a video of a collaboration with Escuela de Danzas Elide Vegas in Maracay, Venezuela. Stateside, Barbara Danced with the LSU Dance Ensemble and dance companies including: ReleaseMotion Dance Project, Of Moving Colors Productions, and Duncan Dance Chicago

In addition to dancing, Barbara is passionate about creating opportunities for people to delight in the joy of art and community. She enjoyed thoughtful and detail oriented training in the luxury hospitality industry, working at the Park Hyatt Chicago and Beaver Creek. Unfortunately, long hours combined with rigorous physical activity started to take their toll. It became impossible to manage career demands in tandem with the chronic back pain she had experienced since she was in High School. The feedback from chiropractors, physical therapists and orthopedic surgeons had always been to quit dancing. This brought her to seek out new ways to approach movement because quitting dance was never an option. Barbara’s focus shifted to anatomically sound movement systems like Feldenkreis, Bartenieff and the Alexander technique. After feeling the relief and freedom brought about from this new approach, she sought out avenues to share this information with others.

In 2010 Barbara earned her group fitness instructor certification and started teaching multiple fitness formats. At the time, her classes included cardio and strength based training, cardio dance and water aerobics. This exposed her to an infinite amount of ways the body can move to heal or hurt, the unique way each individual receives direction and the social interactions that enliven our experiences at the gym, the studio and fitness events, including this flashmob she choreographed in 2015. Barbara was also pivotal in the diffusion of fitness modalities throughout the state of Florida. In 2013, she led brand expansion for Bokwa Fitness, leading to the creation of the Palm Beach Cardio Tribe and various other community-based fitness initiatives.

Over the next few years, Barbara obtained her accredited Barre, mat Pilates and Yoga certifications. This allowed her to join the teams at local boutique studios that specialized in these formats and demanded thoughtful, elevated and efficient fitness experiences. This bridged Barbara’s training to more functional exercises the where the benefits went beyond obtaining a beautiful physique. In 2016, she obtained her personal training certification in order to help her clients address their individual need s in the context or movement, sports performance and physical fitness. In 2019 Barbara founded Imagine Movement Solutions, a service agency helping Communities achieve personal wellbeing through mindfulness and physical activities.

Education

Louisiana State University

Bachelor of Arts - Psychology

Certifications

 

Modalities

  • TPI accredited personal trainer for golfers (Level1 and Level 2)

  • Functional Training Specialist

  • Orthopedic Exercise Specialist

  • Occupational Therapy Aide

  • Special Strong (special needs fitness)

  • AFAA Health Coaching Skills

  • Power Pilates Beginner’s Mat 1

  • Power Pilates Intermediate Mat 2

  • The Barre (100 hr barre fitness training)

  • Fitour Primary Water Aerobics

  • LA Fitness Water Aerobics Certification

  • Zumba Fitness (2012-2017)

  • Bokwa Fitness Master Trainer (2013, 2014)

  • Silver Sneakers