I Became a Pilates Teacher at 58

Retirement was the perfect opportunity to challenge myself—and have fun!

- BY JULIE T. CHAN, AS TOLD TO TULA KARRAS

In 2017, when I was in my mid-50s and about five years from retiring, I began to think about how I wanted to live my 60s, 70s, 80s, and beyond. The top goals on my list: to stay connected to my Chinese roots and family and to have fun—because what's the point of life if you're not enjoying it? I'd had a rewarding career in corporate advertising, but I didn't ever want to see another PowerPoint presentation or Excel sheet. I wanted to do something totally different.

Then one day while I was putting my shoes on at the Pilates studio where I'd been taking classes, I saw a sign about teacher training. I was really enjoying learning to move my body in new ways, feeling the exhilaration of mastering a move through incremental progress, and I loved being with people. I thought, Why not help others discover the benefits of Pilates? I figured I could start teaching on the weekends to get a taste of it and if I sucked at it I'd move on to something else.

THE BIG PUSH