Living Well with Emma Curtin
People’s interpretation of the definition of wellness is always an evolving and deeply personal word. When asked what wellness looks like, Emma Curtin, owner of MPower Pilates + Cycle Studio, shares that it takes on various forms in different seasons of life. “It’s treating your body in a way that promotes balance and longevity. Evaluate what your current circumstances are and make small adjustments along the way to feel your best, every day,” she advises. “In certain seasons, this could just mean getting extra sleep and sacrificing the workout. [In] other seasons, it could mean moving your body every day.”
Emma owns three MPower studio locations in the Mountain Brook community. After living in California for 11 years, she returned to Birmingham in 2016 to open MPower, a concept that encourages members to become the best versions of themselves through strategic workouts and positive energy.
When she’s not in the studio taking a class or leading her team, she loves to walk around the historic neighborhood. Oftentimes you can find her wandering between English Village, down to Crestline Village, around to Mountain Brook Village, and up past the zoo before finishing back in English Village. Other days, she loves to walk down from English Village and weave around Highland Park. There, she takes the neighborhood streets up its famous hills, looking at the beautiful historic homes that surround The Tramont. Regardless of her route, Emma is always walking and listening to a positive podcast – Oprah’s Super Soul is one of her favorites.
Her time spent in this area has allowed her to identify her favorite places to recharge. After taking a megaformer class at MPower’s English Village location, Emma will pop into Continental Bakery, grabbing a coffee before walking home to make her go-to green smoothie (recipe below). While Emma has learned the importance of pushing herself physically, she also knows that taking time to recharge is just as important. A massage with Jay Jones at Serenity Therapeutic Massage on 26th Street in Highland Park is one of her favorite ways to do that.
Approaching change can be intimidating, especially when it comes to health and fitness. Emma’s advice? “I’ve always loved James Clear’s motto of progress beats perfection. Start small, but get started! Don’t wait until you have the energy to jump into a full class, begin with 10-minute walks or stretching during commercial breaks of your favorite show. Then, build it up from there.” She also believes that a big piece of feeling good comes through your diet. “Take small steps in cleaning up your diet, such as drinking more water or cooking more than you order out.”
Emma’s Go-To Smoothie
Smoothies are an easy way to refuel and nourish your body with fruits and veggies. Below is one of Emma’s go-to smoothies – she encourages you to switch it up with what’s in season or your favorite produce!
Ingredients (all organic)
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- ½ frozen banana
- Handful of frozen wild blueberries
- Handful of spinach
- 1 scoop of Garden of Life chocolate protein powder
- 1 scoop of Vibrant Health green vibrance powder
- Alkaline water
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Instructions
- Combine the frozen banana, frozen wild blueberries, frozen spinach, protein powder, and green vibrance powder.
- Depending on the consistency and thickness that you prefer, top with alkaline water.
- Blend and enjoy!