What Is Generational Wellness? How Pilates can shape your family’s health in Birmingham Al.

Birmingham, AL - If you hang around me for more than five minutes, you’ll probably hear me say this: “Generational wellness is the new generational wealth.”

It sounds good, right? But what does that actually mean—especially here in the South, where we’re juggling family, faith, work, and a whole lot of history?

This is where I slow things down and explain the big idea behind Kenetic Wellness:why I care so much about how you move, and what that has to do with your kids, grandkids, aunties, uncles, play cousins, and everybody you love.

So… What Is Generational Wellness?

When I say “generational wellness,” I’m not just talking about:

• Not having diabetes

• Not having high blood pressure

• Not having back pain

We receive that—those things matter. Amen? Amen.But generational wellness is more than a lab result.

Generational wellness is:

• How you treat your body when no one is watching

• What you reach for when life gets rough

• The habits you model for the people who look up to you

It looks like:

• Your grandkids seeing you live life on your terms, not your diagnoses’ terms

• Your kids hearing, “I’m going to my Pilates session,” and learning that caring for yourself is normal, not selfish

• Family gatherings where the stories include how you’re caring for your mind and body—not just how tired you are

For Southern families especially, I think about:

• Staying strong enough to stand during all of praise and worship on Sunday

• Having the stamina to work your shift and still enjoy your weekend

• Being present at games, recitals, graduations, and Sunday dinners because you’re not in constant pain

  
  

Generational wellness is an inheritance that doesn’t just sit in a bank account.It lives in your mobility, your mindset, and your ability to keep showing up—even when progress feels slow.

Why Wellness Belongs in the Generational Wealth Conversation

For a lot of us, “generational wealth” sounds like land, a life insurance policy, and whatever is in the will.

But if we’re honest, many Southern families are also passing down:

• Bad backs and “just run in our family” knees

• Silent stress and “we don’t talk about that” anxiety

• A work ethic that doesn’t include rest, only grind

  
  

Generational wellness asks a different question:

What if the inheritance wasn’t just money, but the ability to move, breathe, and live without constant pain or exhaustion?

Because what good is leaving a house if you’re too sick, too tired, or too burned out to enjoy the front porch?

The Southern Story Nobody Put in the History Books

When I look at my own family, I see people who did not get a soft landing.

Factory work. Shift work. Ministry work. Caregiving. Raising kids on limited resources. That is labor.

Our bodies have been the engine for a lot of other people’s comfort. And historically, the systems around us weren’t designed to protect our health; they were designed to keep us working—no matter how our joints, hearts, or nervous systems felt.

Generational wellness is my way of saying:

We honor that grind,and we decide it’s not the only story.

We get to build a chapter where our bodies are not an afterthought, where rest is not a character flaw, and where the next generation sees us choosing something different.

Why the South Needs a Wellness Reset

(No Shade, Just Truth)

Down here, when we do life, we do life big:

• Big plates

• Big gatherings

• Big responsibilities

We’re known for our hospitality, our food, and our faith… not always for taking time to stretch, breathe, and strengthen our cores.

We also know:

• Our region carries some heavy health stats

• Many families are juggling multiple chronic conditions

• Folks are overwhelmed long before they’re ever offered realistic support

This is not about shaming anybody.

We’re not side-eyeing your mac and cheese, your peach cobbler, or your “I’ll sleep when I’m dead” mentality. We’re just asking:

What if we could have all this life… and more years to enjoy it?

To me, a Southern wellness reset for states like Alabama, Georgia, and Mississippi looks like:

• Access – Movement options in our neighborhoods and small towns that feel approachable, not intimidating

• Education – Understanding why your joints hurt, why posture matters, and why stress shows up in your neck, jaw, and hips

• Inviting spaces – Places that feel warm, grounded, and culturally aware—not cold, exclusive, or performative

We don’t need more guilt.We need more realistic, welcoming guides.

That’s where Kenetic Wellness comes in.

How Pilates Fits Into Generational Wellness

So why Pilates? Why not just “go to the gym” or “walk more”?

I love walking. I love lifting weights. But Pilates brings some special ingredients that line up beautifully with generational wellness, especially here in Birmingham.

1. Joint Health & Longevity

Pilates focuses on:

• Alignment

• Joint integrity

• Balanced strength around hips, knees, shoulders, and spine

We’re not chasing “no days off.”We’re building bodies that last.

That means helping you:

• Climb stairs without your knees screaming

• Get on and off the floor without grabbing onto furniture

• Carry grandbabies, groceries, and luggage into retirement without your back giving out

2. Core Strength That Actually Matters

In Pilates, your core isn’t just “abs” for summer photos. It’s your entire center:

• Deep abdominal muscles

• Pelvic floor

• Back muscles that support your spine

When your center is strong and awake, everything improves—posture, balance, breathing, even digestion.

That’s fall prevention.That’s walking into your 50-year high school reunion in 3-inch heels if you feel like it.That’s confidence. That’s independence.

3. Nervous System Regulation

Pilates is mind + body work.

With:

• Intentional breathing

• Controlled, rhythmic movement

• Focused concentration

…your nervous system gets a reset. You leave class not just stretched and strengthened, but more regulated. Less burned out. More grounded.

For people carrying a lot—work stress, caregiving stress, financial stress—that regulation is priceless. It changes:

• How you move through conflict

• How you wind down after long days

• How much patience and presence you actually have left for the people you love

4. Realistic for All Ages & Stages

Pilates is highly modifiable:

• You can be 25 or 75 and still get a full, effective workout

• You can work around injuries, surgeries, and chronic conditions

• You can build strength slowly, without feeling “behind”

Generational wellness needs tools that work across generations. Pilates is one of those tools.

Kenetic Wellness as a Quiet Public Health Initiative

Here’s where my healthcare brain and my Pilates heart meet.

I don’t just see Kenetic Wellness as a “cute studio.”I see it as a public health intervention tucked inside a warm, welcoming space in Birmingham.

1. Classes That Teach While You Move

We’re not just counting reps. While you’re moving, you’re learning:

• Why full-body mobility is the key to aging well

• How a strong center supports your back, hips, and knees

• What “breathing wide” means and how it helps your lungs do their best work

That education comes home with you.You pass it down without even realizing it—through your language, your choices, and your routines.

2. Corporate & Community Partnerships

When we bring Pilates-based movement into workplaces, campuses, and community spaces, we’re doing more than running a class. We’re:

• Starting conversations about stress, recovery, and team care

• Giving people a shared language around wellness

• Making movement normal in environments that used to glorify burnout

That’s culture change, one hour at a time.

3. A Bridge Between Movement and Medicine

Because of my background in healthcare, I’m always thinking:

• How does this support what your doctor is asking you to do?

• How can we respect your diagnosis and still help you move more?

• How do we communicate clearly when you’re managing health conditions?

My dream is for Kenetic Wellness to be part of your care team—the place that helps you actually live out the changes your body needs, not just read them on a discharge summary.

What Does Generational Wellness Mean to You?

I’ll leave you with the same question I ask myself:

What does generational wellness mean to you and your family?

Is it:

• Seeing your grandparents walk into the church sanctuary without help?

• Breaking a cycle of “We don’t talk about mental health”?

• Your kids growing up thinking movement is a normal, joyful part of life—not a punishment for what they ate?

Take a minute and really sit with that.

Because once you define it, you can start building it—step by step, choice by choice, class by class.

Three Ways to Start Generational Wellness This Month

You don’t have to overhaul your life to begin. Here’s where you can start:

1. Choose One Weekly Movement Non-Negotiable

Maybe it’s:

• A weekly Kenetic Wellness session in downtown Birmingham

• A Sunday family walk after dinner

• Ten minutes of stretching before bed

Put it on the calendar like a bill that must be paid.You’re paying your future self.

2. Tell One New Story Out Loud

Instead of:

“Our knees are just bad in this family.”

Try:

“We’re the generation that’s learning to care for our knees.”

Language shapes identity. Your words are part of the inheritance.

3. Invite One Person Into Your Movement

Bring a sibling to a semi-private, invite a coworker to corporate Pilates, or do your home exercises where your kids can see you. Let them watch you choose yourself.

Your Next Step: Start Writing Your Wellness Inheritance

If this idea of generational wellness is tugging at you, here’s how to lean in:

• Share your definition.Tell somebody—text a cousin, journal it, or reply to the Kenetic newsletter: What does generational wellness look like in your family?

• Join the Kenetic community.Get on the email list so you don’t miss upcoming classes, workshops, and resources focused on movement and generational wellness in Birmingham.[Join the Kenetic Newsletter]

• Take one concrete step in your own body.Ask yourself:

  • How is my body really feeling?

  • What am I modeling for the people who watch me?

  • What’s one small change I can make this month?

• Then turn that reflection into action:[Book a Kenetic Session at Pala Pilates] – private, duet, or semi-private – and let’s begin building your wellness inheritance together.

Until then, know this:

You are not selfish for wanting to feel better.You are not late.

You are starting a new chapter—for you, and for everyone who comes after you.