
Kelly Riffel
Education
University of California, Santa Cruz; B.A. in Psychology, graduated Summa Cum Laude
Certifications & Specializations
Certified Pilates Instructor through JL Body Conditioning
NASM Certified Personal Trainer
NASM Corrective Exercise Specialist
NASM Senior Fitness Specialist
NASM Behavior Change Specialist
NASM Stretching & Flexibility Coach
Certified Yoga Instructor through YogaSix
CPR/AED Certified
Experience
14+ years
Expertise
Corrective Exercise
Senior Fitness
Client's with joint replacements and spinal issues who have completed physical therapy
Pre and postnatal fitness
Exercise with fibroids
Virtual training sessions
Background

Kelly's passion for fitness began in middle school through her involvement in cross country and track, where she discovered a love for running. However, as she got older and developed scoliosis, she began experiencing pain during and after runs. This challenge led her to expand her wellness journey by embracing yoga and Pilates, which helped her improve flexibility and build strength to manage scoliosis-related discomfort. Soon after, she noticed that she could run stronger, longer, and pain-free.
Before heading to college, Kelly decided to become a certified Pilates instructor, unaware of how pivotal this decision would be in her career. She deepened her expertise by completing the 500-hour Pilates apprenticeship under the renowned Julian Littleford.
Kelly went on to graduate summa cum laude from UC Santa Cruz with a B.A. in psychology. During her time in school, she taught Pilates at various studios in Santa Cruz, initially considering a career as a therapist. However, she realized her true passion lay in helping people through exercise and movement.
After college, Kelly continued working at several Pilates studios in San Diego. Recognizing that her clients needed more than just Pilates to achieve a well-rounded fitness routine, she became a certified yoga instructor through YogaSix and a certified personal trainer through NASM to better help clients meet their fitness goals and to address some of the weaknesses in the pilates method that could be addressed through personal training.
In 2015, Kelly and her mom, Denise, decided to open their own fitness studio, Fit Monkeys, combining the best elements of Pilates and personal training to create a unique and effective training style. Their studio would specialize in one-on-one personalized fitness training.
Kelly has since continued to expand her skills, earning certifications in corrective exercise, senior fitness, and behavior change through NASM. She is dedicated to helping adults and seniors of all fitness levels reach their fitness goals with tailored, intelligent fitness programs. Her training philosophy focuses on proper form and functional movement, with each routine grounded in exercise science and customized to align with her clients' specific goals and interests.
During 2020, Kelly and Denise trained clients virtually, helping them stay on track with their fitness goals throughout the lockdown and the pandemic. Kelly continues to offer virtual sessions for clients who prefer working out from the convenience of their homes. She also specializes in guiding clients through the process of planning and setting up their home gym, helping them decide what equipment to order and how to organize it for optimal use.
Currently, Kelly is expanding her expertise in women’s health through NASM’s Women’s Health Specialization. With years of experience training pregnant women, she is well-equipped to support and empower women at every stage of pregnancy, encouraging them to stay active and healthy. As Kelly prepares for motherhood herself, she remains committed to maintaining her fitness throughout pregnancy and helping other women do the same. An avid runner, Kelly is also pursuing certification as a running coach, furthering her ability to help runners like herself enhance performance, improve technique, and prevent injuries.
Hobbies
Distance Running
Hiking
Front End Web Development & Coding: HTML CSS JavaScript
Drawing

Kelly and her husband Jon before the San Diego marathon (2022)
