STRENGTH FOR MIDLIFE & MORE
Effective and prescriptive training that will build you up and never break you down.
IT DOESN’T HAVE TO HURT TO WORK™
Alkalign builds you up and never breaks you down. It feels good for your mind, your body and your soul. We help you build muscle, leaving you feeling healthy and empowered without breaking down your physical or mental health.
A prescriptive training method
At Alkalign, we get back to what’s real and what works. Our prescriptive approach to fitness training gives you exactly what you need. It’s time to embrace the science and a philosophy that prioritizes your long-term health and short-term results.
No more guesswork. The workouts you get are the ones you need. Sign up and get two weeks free. Then take 3 Build classes a week and incorporate 2 Align and 1 Cardio as your time permits.
Educate and Empower
Our highly-trained instructors are invested in the human connection you find at Alkalign. With over 50+ years of combined experience, our instructors educate, empower, and provide you with the tools in every class to help you meet your goals. Do you have injuries, need modifications or are you looking to change your body composition? You are in the right place. We are real people at the end of an email or livestream class who will help you every step of the way.
When you show up to a live class, you have the option to get visual adjustments on your form as well as encouragement.
Modern-day life is hard. As if it weren’t hard enough to pay the bills, feed the dog (and kids!), and maintain relationships, we are further burdened by a culture that fills our heads with expectations about what we should look like, should act like and how that should make us feel.
The barrage of unattainable images and conflicting, misleading, and just plain bad advice about what it means to be “fit” are overwhelming and confusing. They may have driven you to a fitness routine that isn’t helping you achieve your goals [or is breaking you down mentally and physically] or perhaps leave you unsure of where and how to start taking better care of yourself.
That’s why I created Alkalign. I recognize the importance of having a place in your life where you are given the space to dismantle the “shoulds” and explore your personal balance (which might even include the occasional dance party). We created a judgement-free zone with highly trained FUNctional movement professionals who are committed to teaching you body-preserving movement and guiding you in your self care.
Welcome to a space where you can listen, learn, and pay attention to how you’re wired. It’s your time to finally get off the hamster wheel, and live your life your way.
– Erin Paruszewski
Founder & CEO of Alkalign
Find Alkalign Functional Fitness on YouTube
New, fun content added regularly! Take a break from your desk and find short bursts of activity and mobility. It doesn’t have to hurt to work™ and Alkalign on YouTube is here to help you find some extra activity to add to your day as well as nuggets of wisdom to get to rethinking what you think fitness is.
Erin is available for speaking engagements.
The power of Erin’s inspirational story, witty sense of humor, personal connection and decades of experience in the fitness industry engaging with people of all ages and physical abilities is the perfect fit for workshops, retreats and seminars. Contact her at erin@alkalignstudios.com.
Sitting is something we take for granted, but doing so with good posture takes a lot of strength.
Seated neutral spine. This abdominal exercise looks simple but it’s so challenging thanks to tight hip flexors, weak glutes (aka glute amnesia) and weak deep core muscles.
✨ Scoot forward in your chair so your feet touch the ground.
✨ Sit tall. Align your spine.
✨ Drop your ribs down and tether your hip bones in to activate your transverse abdominus. (Pretend you are trying to zip up a tight pair of jeans)
✨ Add arm movements to mobilize your shoulders and challenge core stability. Add rotation for oblique activation.
✨ Rinse and repeat a few times per week.
Practice makes (better) posture. 🤩
* footage from our impromptu disco theme class, hence the shades and crazy leggings. @corgi.named.peach
#functionalfitness #functionalmovement #posture #corestrengh #seatedneutralspine #posturecorrection #itdoesnthavetohurttowork
Sitting is something we take for granted, but doing so with good posture takes a lot of strength.
Seated neutral spine. This abdominal exercise looks simple but it’s so challenging thanks to tight hip flexors, weak glutes (aka glute amnesia) and weak deep core muscles.
✨ Scoot forward in your chair so your feet touch the ground.
✨ Sit tall. Align your spine.
✨ Drop your ribs down and tether your hip bones in to activate your transverse abdominus. (Pretend you are trying to zip up a tight pair of jeans)
✨ Add arm movements to mobilize your shoulders and challenge core stability. Add rotation for oblique activation.
✨ Rinse and repeat a few times per week.
Practice makes (better) posture. 🤩
* footage from our impromptu disco theme class, hence the shades and crazy leggings. @corgi.named.peach
#functionalfitness #functionalmovement #posture #corestrengh #seatedneutralspine #posturecorrection #itdoesnthavetohurttowork
Muscle quivering is the involuntary shaking you sometimes feel during challenging exercise. It happens when your muscles are working hard and your nervous system is firing rapidly to keep them going.
Like muscle soreness, quivering is often linked with a “good” workout, but it’s not the sole measure of success. Its presence means you’ve challenged your body. Its absence often means your body is adapting and you’re getting stronger.
Quivering can feel different depending on the type of workout.
In classes like Align, barre, or Pilates (light or bodyweight, high reps, isometric or small-range movements), quivering comes from time under tension and fatigue in smaller stabilizer muscles. Holding or pulsing in a small range traps blood in the muscle, limits oxygen delivery, and quickly causes metabolite build-up. Stabilizers usually shake first.
In classes like Build (progressive overload, heavier weights, larger ranges of motion), quivering comes from max force output and motor unit recruitment. Here, larger muscles fatigue first because you’re lifting close to your max strength. Your nervous system calls in high-threshold motor units to keep going, which can cause shaking toward the end of a set—especially as you approach muscular failure.
Over time, quivering tends to subside as your body adapts. Improved neuromuscular coordination, strength, endurance, proprioception, and stability all reduce shaking, which are signs of real progress.
In short, quivering isn’t bad, but it’s not required either. Whether you shake or not, consistent training is what drives results.
Have you experienced this? What are your thoughts?
Muscle quivering is the involuntary shaking you sometimes feel during challenging exercise. It happens when your muscles are working hard and your nervous system is firing rapidly to keep them going.
Like muscle soreness, quivering is often linked with a “good” workout, but it’s not the sole measure of success. Its presence means you’ve challenged your body. Its absence often means your body is adapting and you’re getting stronger.
Quivering can feel different depending on the type of workout.
In classes like Align, barre, or Pilates (light or bodyweight, high reps, isometric or small-range movements), quivering comes from time under tension and fatigue in smaller stabilizer muscles. Holding or pulsing in a small range traps blood in the muscle, limits oxygen delivery, and quickly causes metabolite build-up. Stabilizers usually shake first.
In classes like Build (progressive overload, heavier weights, larger ranges of motion), quivering comes from max force output and motor unit recruitment. Here, larger muscles fatigue first because you’re lifting close to your max strength. Your nervous system calls in high-threshold motor units to keep going, which can cause shaking toward the end of a set—especially as you approach muscular failure.
Over time, quivering tends to subside as your body adapts. Improved neuromuscular coordination, strength, endurance, proprioception, and stability all reduce shaking, which are signs of real progress.
In short, quivering isn’t bad, but it’s not required either. Whether you shake or not, consistent training is what drives results.
Have you experienced this? What are your thoughts?
Got @avaparuszewski to join me for Build workout today. 💪😍
#functionalfitness #momdaughterworkout #strengthtraining #itdoesnthavetohurttowork
Got @avaparuszewski to join me for Build workout today. 💪😍
#functionalfitness #momdaughterworkout #strengthtraining #itdoesnthavetohurttowork
Did you know that acting as your own personal trainer could be doing you a disservice? 🤯
Do you make up your workouts on the fly? Do you find yourself doing the same exercises every time you pick up weights? Biceps, triceps, quads, glutes. Rinse and repeat.
Unless you are professionally trained to program your workouts for efficiency, effectiveness and balance, it’s very likely that you are causing unintentional harm to your body.
Over- or under-training particular body parts leads to imbalances, and imbalances result in injuries.
Training properly requires education and time. Exercise selection, programming, duration, load and mastering the mechanics of exercises in different relationships to gravity are all necessary elements of a highly effective, efficient and safe workout.
If you have the time and knowledge to truly plan your workouts, go for it. 🎉 Otherwise, this is one of those things in life that is definitely worth outsourcing. 🤓
Ready to free yourself from planning? Connect with us and we can help you get started.
Did you know that acting as your own personal trainer could be doing you a disservice? 🤯
Do you make up your workouts on the fly? Do you find yourself doing the same exercises every time you pick up weights? Biceps, triceps, quads, glutes. Rinse and repeat.
Unless you are professionally trained to program your workouts for efficiency, effectiveness and balance, it’s very likely that you are causing unintentional harm to your body.
Over- or under-training particular body parts leads to imbalances, and imbalances result in injuries.
Training properly requires education and time. Exercise selection, programming, duration, load and mastering the mechanics of exercises in different relationships to gravity are all necessary elements of a highly effective, efficient and safe workout.
If you have the time and knowledge to truly plan your workouts, go for it. 🎉 Otherwise, this is one of those things in life that is definitely worth outsourcing. 🤓
Ready to free yourself from planning? Connect with us and we can help you get started.
If you’re spending time exercising, you want to ensure it’s yielding the desired results.
When it comes to strength training, not all workouts are created equally. It’s important to work each muscle close to failure to increase muscle and offset the muscle you lose each decade starting in your 30s. �
A 5 rep max workout every 4ish weeks allows you to check in with your progress. It’s the perfect balance between 1 rep max and the functional 12-16 reps we normally do with Build.
There is a method to the madness and 20 years of expertise has gone into optimizing Alkalign’s training philosophy. Try 2 weeks FREE. Link in bio. �
#functionalfitness #functionalfitnesstraining #liftheavy #progressiveoverloadtraining #strengthtraining #itdoesnthavetohurttowork
If you’re spending time exercising, you want to ensure it’s yielding the desired results.
When it comes to strength training, not all workouts are created equally. It’s important to work each muscle close to failure to increase muscle and offset the muscle you lose each decade starting in your 30s. �
A 5 rep max workout every 4ish weeks allows you to check in with your progress. It’s the perfect balance between 1 rep max and the functional 12-16 reps we normally do with Build.
There is a method to the madness and 20 years of expertise has gone into optimizing Alkalign’s training philosophy. Try 2 weeks FREE. Link in bio. �
#functionalfitness #functionalfitnesstraining #liftheavy #progressiveoverloadtraining #strengthtraining #itdoesnthavetohurttowork
Consistency doesn’t mean perfection, and progress isn’t always linear. Keep showing up. Your efforts add up, even if it’s hard to see or appreciate that in the moment.
#progressiveoverloadtraining #gentleconsistency #weightlifting #functionalfitness #functionaltraining #progressnotperfection #practicemakesprogress #itdoesnthavetohurttowork
Consistency doesn’t mean perfection, and progress isn’t always linear. Keep showing up. Your efforts add up, even if it’s hard to see or appreciate that in the moment.
#progressiveoverloadtraining #gentleconsistency #weightlifting #functionalfitness #functionaltraining #progressnotperfection #practicemakesprogress #itdoesnthavetohurttowork
Another fun Schoolhouse Rocks Run and Spin-to-Win booth! Impressed by all the planks, pushups, lunges, tree poses and jumping jacks. They worked hard for the ALKALIGN swag today! 💪🙌
#functionalfitness #famikyfitness #healthyfamilies #funrun #familyfunday #schoolhouserocks #alkalignnextgen #itdoesnthavetohurttowork
Another fun Schoolhouse Rocks Run and Spin-to-Win booth! Impressed by all the planks, pushups, lunges, tree poses and jumping jacks. They worked hard for the ALKALIGN swag today! 💪🙌
#functionalfitness #famikyfitness #healthyfamilies #funrun #familyfunday #schoolhouserocks #alkalignnextgen #itdoesnthavetohurttowork
It’s been an honor to work with so many amazing instructors over the last decade. Team work makes the dream work. Thank you to everyone who has been a part of it. 💙💙
#functionalfitness #functionalmovement #holistichealth #teamalkalign #bluecrew #itdoesnthavetonhurttowork
It’s been an honor to work with so many amazing instructors over the last decade. Team work makes the dream work. Thank you to everyone who has been a part of it. 💙💙
#functionalfitness #functionalmovement #holistichealth #teamalkalign #bluecrew #itdoesnthavetonhurttowork