The Pilates Truth with Lori Taranto
A monthly journal on movement, wellness, healthy aging, and the future of Pilates.
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Why I Started Pure Power Pilates
By Lori Taranto
People often assume I opened a Pilates studio because I loved fitness.
The truth is much deeper than that.
In 2009, the economy was unraveling during the mortgage crisis. At the time, I had spent 15 years building a successful career as an interior designer specializing in kitchen and bath design. I was finally making a name for myself, charging $75–$100 an hour for my work and doing what I thought would be my lifelong career.
Then everything changed.
My last design client tested every boundary I had. She called nights, weekends, and expected me to always be available. By the time I completed her projects, the housing market had collapsed. Clients who were planning renovations suddenly lost their home equity financing and postponed their projects indefinitely.
For the first time in my professional life, I wasn't sure what came next.
Instead of rushing into another job, I gave myself something I had rarely allowed before—a summer to breathe. I reflected on what I truly wanted the next chapter of my life to look like.
Ironically, while I finally had time to focus on my own health and well-being, I was also carrying the weight of losing my mother.
My mom began showing symptoms of early-onset dementia when she was only 45 years old. What followed was fifteen heartbreaking years of watching a vibrant woman slowly lose herself. The disease affected every part of our family. It exhausted my father, challenged all of us emotionally, and left us feeling helpless.
She passed away in 2007 at just 60 years old.
Her illness changed me forever.
Watching someone you love disappear a little more each day makes you realize that our health is never something to take for granted. I couldn't save my mother, and for a long time I struggled with that feeling of helplessness.
During that season of reflection, my purpose became clear.
I wanted to dedicate my life to helping people take better care of themselves—before illness forced them to.
I enrolled in STOTT Pilates certification, initially because I wanted to improve my own health. What I discovered was so much more than exercise. Pilates taught me about strength, movement, balance, resilience, and the incredible capacity our bodies have to adapt when we care for them consistently.
I realized that while I couldn't change my mother's story, I could honor her by helping others write a healthier one.
That became the foundation of Pure Power Pilates.
Every class we teach, every client we encourage, every person who regains confidence in their body, reduces pain, or simply feels stronger than they did yesterday reminds me why I started this journey.
Pure Power Pilates has never been about six-pack abs or fitting into a smaller pair of jeans.
It has always been about protecting the one thing we all too often take for granted—our health.
If sharing my mother's story inspires even one person to begin taking care of themselves today instead of waiting until tomorrow, then her legacy continues to live on.
Looking back, I realize I didn't simply change careers.
I found my purpose.
❤️ Lori Taranto
When I opened Pure Power Pilates, I thought my purpose was to teach Pilates. Over the years, I've realized it's much bigger than that. It's helping people understand that movement, strength, and healthy habits are some of the greatest investments they can make in their future. That's why I created The Pilates Truth—to share what I've learned over the years and to encourage others to take charge of their health before life forces them to.
Welcome . . .
"After more than 14 years of teaching Pilates and helping thousands of people move better, I created this journal to share the lessons I've learned—not only about Pilates, but about resilience, longevity, and living well."
Issue No. 1
Why Small Pilates Studios Matter (July 2026)
Issue No. 2
The Art of Being Present (August 2026)