Maria fell in love with group exercise while she was in college at Southern Connecticut State University and received her Primary Group Exercise Certification through AFAA (Aerobics and Fitness Association Of America) in 1992. She also received her Step Aerobics Certification and Personal Fitness Trainer Certification through AFAA. Maria also became certified in PiYo and P90X through Beachbody and is a certified Bodypump instructor through Les Mills. Other class formats that Maria has taught are: Total Body Conditioning, Boot Camp, and Cardio Kickboxing. Her favorite part of teaching is the relationships that she has cultivated with her members; Many of her closest friends are women who she has met through teaching.

In addition to teaching group fitness, Maria is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with specialized training in trauma treatment. She believes that mental health and physical health tremendously affect each other, and recommends exercise and good nutrition to all of her clients. She is also a wife and mom of two and lives with her family in Southern Connecticut.

Maria’s philosophy is that in order to grow and become a better version of yourself, it is critical to have a growth mindset; be open to expanding and learning new things even if it means being uncomfortable. The only way to truly fail is to stop trying.