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Shari Russell CPT, LMT

As a Certified Personal Trainer and Licensed Massage Therapist, Shari Russell is one of San Diego’s elite fitness professionals and healthy lifestyle specialists. She has been changing people’s lives since 1995.

As an avid sport and fitness athlete, Shari ‘walks the talk’ and provides private personal training and therapeutic bodywork services to athletes of all levels.

“To me, everyone is an athlete and I am here to help them discover ways in which to increase their performance in their sports and life.”

Shari’s business, Performance Fitness & Bodywork, is a private fitness training and therapeutic bodywork company offering a completely individually-tailored health and fitness experience. She offers specific fitness programs to develop athletic performance, recover from acute and chronic injury, and create overall function and vitality in movement. Shari also offers therapeutic bodywork in a variety of styles: Traditional Swedish (circulatory) Massage, Deep Tissue, Neuromuscular Therapy and some Structural Integration. Performance Fitness & Bodywork follows the latest industry research including trends and techniques, but never utilizes equipment or protocol that does not improve a client’s well-being.

"What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

about me

About Me

“In my 15+ years of experience in the health and fitness industry, I have worked with groups as well as individuals of all ages and walks of life. My specialty is in assessment of client fitness and movement patterns, evaluating causal patterns of dysfunction, and finding the best blend of exercises and balance of techniques to increase overall strength, function and pain-free movement.

My blend of fitness and bodywork education within each client session promotes a holistic approach toward wellness through movement and learning of self-care.

My passion is working with clients who are eager to take responsibility for their own wellness by not only encouraging them toward awareness of truly being “in” their bodies, but in educating them in the development of self-care techniques, behaviors and habits. This ultimately allows them to create more productive, energetic and pain-free lives.

By balancing our own mental, physical and emotional selves, we are able to contribute positive energy to the world around us and decrease the probability of creating disease within our own bodies.”

Certifications & Affiliations:

American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM)

American Council on Exercise (ACE)

Aerobics & Fitness Association of America (AFAA)

California Massage Therapy Council (CMTC)

Spinning® & Schwinn Cycling Instructor

American Heart Association CPR, AED, First Aid

body work
Therapeutic Bodywork SPECIALTIESThe development of one's physical awareness is enhanced by the inclusion of bodywork therapies. To be touched and cared for is one of the most important aspects of being alive. It teaches us about connection, vulnerability and trust in ourselves and others. These therapies can be utilized to continue development of client awareness, self-care and emotional well-being. Bodywork therapy is specific to an individual’s needs, so I design each session during our consultation that day. I use my collective knowledge of various soft tissue modalities, including passive and active movement re-education during each session.Deep Tissue: Slow-moving with deep pressure (relative to each client), this technique focuses on specific areas of the body in an attempt to break-up adhesions and scar tissue caused by chronic overuse, injury, surgery or impaired movement. The objective is to restore normal range of motion in the joints and to bring nutrients to the regions in order to re-balance the system. Sports/Neuromuscular Therapy: Maintenance:  Helps to repair fatigued and/or injured muscle tissue used during activity. Allows the body to maintain its ability to train and compete at optimum levels while reducing the possibility of injury.Pre-event: Quick-paced massage using compression, joint range of motion, and rocking to enhance circulation and warm up the body to prepare for activity.Post-event: Reduce post event soreness by assisting the body’s ability to circulate essential nutrients and oxygen to tissues, promote lymph drainage, and decrease inflammation.Myo-fascial Release:Fascia, which surrounds muscle fibers and attaches to all structures, plays an important role in the support and function of our bodies. Overuse, injury, and trauma can create myofascial restrictions. Gentle sustained pressure is applied to connective tissue to reduce these restrictions, eliminate pain and restore natural motion. Clients can play an active role in movement during this kind of therapy.Assisted PNF Stretching:  PNF (proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation) is a procedure used by combining passive stretching and isometric (static/holding) contractions to increase a joint’s range of motion for better biomechanics, reduction of fatigue and prevention of overuse/improper alignment injuries.

Body Work

RATES:

In Office: 30min $45

60min $80

90min $115

Packages 4 - 60min $300

4 - 90min $420

Outcalls: 60min $115

90min $165

Packages 4 - 60min $420

4 - 90min $600

fitness training

Fitness Training

RATES:

In Office: 30min $45

60min $80

90min $115

Packages 4 - 60min $300

4 - 90min $420

Outcalls: 60min $115

90min $165

Packages 4 - 60min $420

4 - 90min $600

At Performance Fitness & Bodywork, personalized fitness & postural assessment, fitness training and bodywork therapies will all be utilized for individuals and small groups. Each program will be designed based on client goals and outcome of initial assessment, but will include a variety of cardiovascular, muscular strength and flexibility fitness training and testing, as well as soft tissue release bodywork.

"I encourage others to live healthier by developing individually tailored fitness plans that improve one's postural alignment, biomechanical efficiency and overall strength which alleviates chronic tension of over-developed or under-utilized areas of the body. My clients see the value in the education they receive through our session progression. They appreciate my understanding that their bodies and energies are always changing and trust me to help them find exactly what they need for that moment. They learn, have fun and feel great every session."

"To keep the body in good health is a duty… otherwise we shall not be able to keep our mind strong and clear." - Budda

testimonials

Testimonials

Shari Russell has been my personal fitness trainer and massage therapist for over 10 years. At the age of 40, she guided me to fulfillment of my goal to run a marathon while keeping me injury-free. The balance of our strength, cardiovascular and flexibility training along with therapeutic bodywork is the main reason I continue to reach my fitness goals year after year. Through sharing of her fitness and bodywork knowledge, I am able to apply our work together on my own outside of our sessions - It’s as if she’s there reminding me that I have all the ‘tools’ I need to stay healthy.I plan on always having Shari as my fitness expert and massage therapist. I am so happy I can do the things I do and I owe much of my excellent health and fitness level to Shari’s enlightened approach. Thank you Shari!A. Carlson, San Diego, CAMy work with Shari has been fabulous, and it has gotten progressively better over the years since we added the bodywork component to our already excellent fitness sessions. It is a marvelous combination! During the sessions I work hard, really hard, as Shari encourages me to do everything with correct posture and body position... then after the workout is over, she stretches out my muscles and my whole body feels just great! Shari has been a great teacher to me and as she continues to gain more education herself, she does a wonderful job of teaching me more about my own body structure: proper alignment as well as the correct names and locations of muscles, tendons, bones, etc. Each week she varies our routines and is always sure to match them to how I am feeling and what, if any, injuries I seem to have. She is encouraging always—never critical—and she even educates me on better nutrition. I’m so thankful!A plus for me is that I just enjoy our time together. We talk during the session, but never too much, and usually about how the workout is going. Shari is conscientious about making sure my breathing is correct and always gets me re-focused when I start to lose that concentration; always immediately reminding me what I need to do or which direction or pace to change. I so appreciate how attentive she always is. Thank you for your focus and for keeping me focused!I am so thankful for all these years of outstanding fitness training and bodywork. I keep getting stronger, healthier and more flexible. With no exaggeration— YOU ARE THE BEST!!B. Gilbert, La Jolla, CAWith degenerative discs in my cervical, thoracic and lumbar vertebrae, I thought that chronic pain was just a way of life. After working with Shari for 6 months, I realized my mobility had increased and my pain and decreased! I’m able to do so many more activities without worry of debilitating pain to follow. Eight months into training with Shari, I could not be happier with the results I am experiencing and look forward to continued improvement.G. Levy, Del Sur, CA I have worked with Shari for several years and her integrated approach is one that I have not found anywhere else. In a single appointment, Shari utilizes a variety of methods from assisted stretching to deep tissue massage to intricate tendon/ligament work to get to the root of the "problem" spots and often to keep problems from occurring. With Shari's help, I have been able to log larger and more consistent training blocks which equates to faster and more enjoyable racing and workouts. One of the biggest added benefits with Shari's work is that she arms you with enough knowledge to "self medicate" and work on the problem spots yourself in between appointments. Bottom line: Shari's expertise and integrated approach will keep you doing what you love and really isn't that what it is all about??? L. Sand, Solana Beach, CAI’ve been an endurance athlete racing at an elite level for over 15 years. In that time I’ve experienced a tremendous variety of bodywork from educated/experienced therapists. Shari’s understanding of movement and overuse injuries caused by sport specific patterns is, in comparison, the best. Every session is a collaboration. She listens to and hears what I tell her I notice in my body and creates a bodywork plan balancing what she hears, sees and feels - for that specific session and how it relates across multiple sessions. With Shari’s help, I no longer face a multitude of injuries every season. She’s taught me how help myself with ‘preventative maintenance’ in the time between our bodywork sessions. I trust her to help keep me at this performance level for many more years to come. I’ve finally found my secret weapon! A. Mitchell, Encinitas, CAIn previous years I have tried to run and race all year but I could only run to my potential for short stretches at a time as my hips, back and calves would begin to tighten up and I was suddenly running flat and slow. This year with Shari working with me on a weekly and semi weekly basis, she was able keep my body in tune and prevent my body from tightening andcontributing to that lackluster feel I have had in the past. I was amazed when I thought I was feeling good and she would uncover a problem spot that I did not know existed and yet when I ran later that day I could feel that something had changed for the better. I started with Shari about a month before the Boston Marathon and though in that short span before the race Shari worked a lot on me, it could not overcome years of running and bad posture, by the summer though I was 110% and went Sub 3hours in a marathon , no doubt thanks to Shari's work which allowed me to train and race at my potential. She is the best! She has also taught me better ways to keep my body in check so I don't "need" her as much! Of course I'll keep using her in my training program though!- A. Block, Encinitas, CA
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contact

Contact Me

Name: Shari Russell

Phone: 858-610-7979

Email: Shari_PerformanceFitnessBodywork.com