Meera Rao

I studied exercise physiology at Rutgers and spent my first decade working in senior fitness centers, mostly with people in their seventies and eighties. That is where I learned that small, steady work beats anything flashy, and that people stick with exercise when they understand why each move matters.

Now I teach in homes around West Orange, Verona and Glen Ridge. I bring a few pairs of light dumbbells and a resistance band, and we build a plan around your day: standing up straighter, carrying groceries with less strain, opening jars without a fight. I explain the purpose of every exercise in one sentence so you can keep it in your head. Every visit ends with a written plan, and I update it as you get stronger.

I am 44, a mom of twins, and a slow but loyal runner. Most Saturday mornings I am on the trails at South Mountain Reservation, and afterward my kids drag me to the Turtle Back Zoo to see the penguins.