- Instructor Finder
- Course Finder
- Course overview
- Venue Finder
- Host a Course
- In house Training
- Take a quiz
- Brand 1 : Mariska Breland : Neurological Conditions
- Brand 2 : Pilates and Women's Health
- Brand 3 : Amy Havens
- Brand 4 : DFuzz (Practical MyoFascial Release)
- Brand 5 : Mbodies Studio Apparatus
- Brand 6 : Mbodies Mid Life & Beyond
- Brand 7 : Mbodies Pink Ribbon Breast Cancer
- S1 : 8 Day Women's Wellness Specialist
- S4A : 5 Day Neurological Conditions Pilates Specialist
- S4B : 4 Day Neurological Conditions Exercise Specialist
- S5A : 3 Day Pilates for Multiple Sclerosis Specialist
- S5B : 2 Day Exercise for Multiple Sclerosis Specialist
- S6a :150 hour Pilates Reformer Professional Instructor Qualification for Pilates Mat instructors
- S6b :200 hour Pilates Reformer Professional Instructor Qualification for Pilates Enthusiasts.
- S6c 50 hour Reformer CPD for Pilates Mat Instructors
- S7a : 200 hour Pilates Reformer & Tower Qualification for Pilates Mat Instructors
- S7b : 250 hour Pilates Reformer & Tower Instructor Qualification for Pilates Enthusiasts
- S7c 65 hour Reformer + Tower CPD for Pilates Mat Instructors
- S8a : 350 hour Studio Pilates Specialist Qualification for Pilates Mat Instructors
- S8b : 80 hour Pilates Studio CPD for Pilates Mat Instructors
- S8c : 375 hour Studio Pilates Specialist Qualification for Pilates Enthusiasts
Mbodies newsletter
Staff profile

Heather King -Smith
Brand Leader / Instructor TrainerBrand
Brand 2 : Pilates and Women's HealthBased in
Georgia , UNITED STATESWebsite
http://heatherkingsmith.com/about-heather-king-smith-specialized-pilates-teacher-trainer/Biography
Heather King-Smith has been practicing Pilates since the late 1990’s, and trained for her first teacher qualification with Romana Kryzanowska, Sari Mejia-Santos, Juanita Lopez, and Roxane Richards. In 2000, she passed her final qualification with Romana Kryzanowska, who told her, “This is only the beginning. Never stop learning.”
Taking her advice to heart, Heather began working in a busy, thriving studio near Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, where she had recently earned her Master in Public Health. She taught there for three years, including practicing and teaching through her first pregnancy. She gained even more appreciation for the adaptability of the Pilates method during her pregnancies. During her childbearing years, she shifted to a work environment that was more suited to having young children—a large athletic and leisure club with a Pilates program. There she met other instructors from different Pilates backgrounds and become curious about their education. She studied with local Pilates experts and expanded her horizons, gaining an appreciation for what has come to be known as Contemporary Pilates.
In 2006 Heather joined the staff at a physiotherapy clinic that uses Pilates for the rehabilitation exercise modality as the Pilates expert. Since the clinical staff were all trained with Polestar Pilates, Heather studied their manuals to better understand their background and communicate with them on patients who were being transitioned from rehabilitation to fitness Pilates. She also studied Stott Pilates’ curriculum, since many physiotherapists in North America are trained through Stott.
Seeking a Pilates home and further education, Heather joined Balanced Body’s faculty in 2009. Since then, she has been teaching new Pilates teachers mat, reformer, and apparatus with the Balanced Body curriculum. She has trained people new to fitness, experienced fitness professionals looking to expand their skill set, physiotherapy doctoral students, and seasoned physiotherapists.
In 2012, Heather was asked to start training physiotherapists joining the staff at One on One Physical Therapy. For two years, she used the Balanced Body curriculum, but then upon consultation with the owners, decided to design her own program specifically suited to the needs of physiotherapists. Pilates 4 Rehab is gaining recognition and support in the US as a unique approach to educating health care professionals in Pilates.
Heather also developed curricula in post-rehabilitation for Pilates teachers who are interested in working with clients who have specific needs due to injuries or health conditions. With a background in women’s health, Heather offers even more courses on topics such as pelvic floor dysfunction and diastasis recti. These post-rehab and women’s health courses have been met with success and excellent feedback from course participants since their initial offering in 2016.
Heather brings to all of her courses enthusiasm, a love of movement, a passion for Pilates, and a wealth of knowledge and experience in all areas of teaching Pilates, from working in private studios, leisure and fitness centers, and in clinical settings.
Heather King-Smith
Experience
Owner | trinity pilates | 2009-present
- In-Home studio that serves local community and as referral studio in the area for post-rehabilitation Pilates
- 25 to 30 clients per week and 2 small group classes of maximum 6 students
- Wait list for appointments of 3-5 clients most months of the year
Owner | HKS Specialized Pilates training| 2016-present
- In-Home studio that serves local community and as referral studio in the area for post-rehabilitation Pilates
- 25 to 30 clients per week and 2 small group classes of maximum 6 students
- Wait list for appointments of 3-5 clients most months of the year
Faculty | Balanced Body | 2009-present
- Teach Balanced Body Mat Pilates program
- Teach Balanced Body Reformer program
- Teach Balanced Body Apparatus (Trapeze Table, Chair, and Barrels) program
- Teach Balanced Body Continuing Education
Pilates teacher and teacher trainer | One on one physical therapy | 2006-present
- Collaborate with Physical Therapists and cross-refer patients and clients in a Physical Therapy clinic that uses Pilates as a transition from rehabilitation
- Facilitate transition from rehabilitation to fitness Pilates and exercise
- Communicate regarding patient plan of care and progress during transition to fitness
- Mentor physical therapy students, clinicians, and apprentices in Pilates method exercise and apparatus
Adjunct faculty | emory university school of medicine | 2012-2016
- Develop curriculum for course, “Pilates for the Rehabilitation Professional”
- Teach beginner to intermediate mat Pilates exercises to 3rd year Doctorate of Physical Therapy students
- Adapt Pilates mat exercises to a rehabilitation setting, including case studies of common clinic presentations; demonstrate the art of communication through skillful cueing, coach the skill set of teaching in a group fitness setting
Education
Master of Public Health | 2000 | emory University
- Major: International Health
- Minor: Behavioral Science and Health Education
- Fellowship: Center for the Study of Health, Culture, and Society 1998-1999: Coursework in Medical Anthropology, Human Biology, and Political Science
Bachelor of Arts | 1995 | University of Tennessee
- Major: Cultural Anthropology
- Minor: Physical Anthropology and Archaeology
Pilates teacher | 2000 | The pilates guild
- The Pilates Studio at the Atlanta Ballet, Atlanta, Georgia
- Completed three five-day workshops: Beginner workshop with Roxane Murata, Intermediate Workshop with Sari Mejia Pace, and Advanced Workshop with Romana Kryzanowska
- Fulfilled 600 hours of personal practice, teaching, and observation and passed two written exams.
- Passed 400-hour practical test with Juanita Lopez and 600-hour final practical with Romana Kryzanowska
Faculty training | 2009 | balanced Body
- Participated in training at corporate office and factory in Sacramento, California
- Completed two six-day seminars with Nora St. John
- Pilates Comprehensive, Continuing Education, and Anatomy in 3D Courses offered
Presentations at Conferences
Green, B and King-Smith, H. Building Your Practice Through Cross-Referrals With Wellness Professionals. Educational Session at Combined Sections Meeting, American Physical Therapy Association, San Antonio 2017
King-Smith, H. Pilates-Based Exercise for Diastasis Rectus Abdominis and Stress Urinary Incontinence: A Case Study. Presented at Pilates Method Alliance Conference, Denver 2015.
Skills & Abilities
Curriculum design and development
- Designed one-semester class curriculum for Pilates in a clinical, graduate-level setting for Doctorate of Physical Therapy Students at Emory University
- Adapted Balanced Body curriculum to meet needs of physical therapists practicing at outpatient orthopedic clinic who are required to have comprehensive Pilates training at One on One Physical Therapy
- Created new, unique, original curriculum as sole author to meet specific needs of physical therapists using Pilates in a clinical setting and to meet job requirements at One on One Physical Therapy
- Developed continuing education curricula for Pilates teachers interested in working in Post-Rehabilitation, Functional Training, and Women’s Health
Pilates teacher training
- Deliver comprehensive Pilates teacher training with Balanced Body’s curriculum and adapt to diverse audiences from health clubs to physical therapy clinics to private studios
- Offer continuing education for Pilates teachers with Balanced Body
- Mentor Pilates teacher trainees in various aspects of teaching, from working with special populations, to structuring a multi-level class, to building a following and starting a new business
Professional Development
2002 Ashtanga Yoga Teacher Training with David Swenson, 40 hours
2004 Power Pilates Advanced Reformer and Beginning Tower System with Bob Leikens, Power Pilates, 6 hours
2005 Functional Anatomy for Pilates with Katy Roelle, Reformation Pilates, 9 hours
2007 Spice Up Your Mat with Balls, Bars, and Magic Circles with Anne Brendle, Power Pilates, 3 hours
2008 Maximizing Functional Movement in the Lower Quadrant with Brent Anderson, Polestar Pilates, 3 hours
CorePower Yoga Teacher Training Intensive, 40 hours
2009 Balanced Body Faculty Training Part 1 with Nora St. John, 40 hours
2010 Balanced Body Faculty Training Part 2 with Nora St. John, 40 hours
Functional Movement Screen Level 1 Certification, 10 hours
The Center for Women’s Fitness Pre/Post Natal Program with Carolyne Anthony, 20 hours
2011 BioCord Suspension X Level 1 Training with Marry Kim-Garrity, 24 hours
2012 Balanced Body Anatomy in 3D Faculty Training with Nora St. John, 42 hours
RedCord Active Intro and Corrective Exercise Training with Bill Sonnemaker, 14 hours
2013 Balanced Body Pilates on Tour, 18 hours
- Fascia Oriented Training in the Pilates Environment with Elizabeth Larkam, 6 hours
- From the Wrist to the Spine with Madeline Black, 3 hours
- Balance, Gait, Function, and Fun: An Introduction to the CoreAlign, 3 hours
- Sacroiliac Function and Pilates Exercise Design with Karen Clippinger, 3 hours
- Walking: Assessing and Correcting Gait with Nancy Myers, 3 hours
Redcord Multi-Suspension with Michael Leonardi, 7 hours
2014 Pilates for Menopause and Myofascial Release for Pilates Instructors with Carolyne Anthony, 16 hours
Neurokinetic Therapy (NKT) Level 1 with Eric Nelson, 14 hours
Harnessing the Diaphragm/Pelvic Floor Piston with Julie Wiebe, 14 hours
2015 Pilates Method Alliance Conference, 16 hours
2016 New perspectives from The Integrated Systems Model for Treating Women with Pelvic Girdle Pain, Urinary Incontinence, Pelvic Organ Prolapse, and Diastasis Rectus Abdominis with Diane Lee, 2 hours
2016 Redcord Active Advanced: Corrective Exercise with Nick Passe, 16 hours
2017 Abdominal Wall After Pregnancy and DRA with Diane Lee, 16 hours
2018 Postural Respiration, Postural Restoration Institute with Mike Cantrell, 16 hours