Our story
Movement is medicine. We believe that.
The MotionAbility was born from a simple conviction: that every body deserves expert, attentive guidance — not a crowded class where you're just another face.
Why we exist
The MotionAbility opened in Naples, FL with one goal: to bring the most effective, science-backed movement practices to a community that deserves better than big-box fitness.
We keep our classes intentionally small — never more than four people on the reformer floor — so every session feels like a private lesson. You are seen, corrected, and challenged at exactly the right level.
We are also one of only two Gyrotonic® studios in Naples, offering a method that complements Pilates beautifully: fluid, spiral-based movement that decompresses the spine and opens the joints in ways nothing else can.
4
Max class size
2
Gyrotonic® studios in Naples
55 min
Every session
100%
Personalized attention
Meet your instructor
Founder & Lead Instructor
Carmen
Carmen's path to movement began not in a studio, but on a competition floor. At 18 she won the Italian Acrobatic Rock 'n' Roll Championship and earned her black belt as Italian Karate Champion — two milestones that planted a lifelong obsession with what the human body can do.
From there, curiosity took over. Through the 1990s she immersed herself in the healing arts: Ortho-Bionomy, Reiki, Foot Reflexology, Traditional Chinese ANMO Massage, and Thai Massage. In 2004, fitness opened another door — a Personal Fitness Trainer certification through ISSA, followed by deep dives into Biomechanics, Body Composition, and the Lymphatic System.
Pilates arrived in 2006 and never let go. A pivotal encounter with an Italian ballet teacher in Milan reshaped her understanding of the method entirely. She became one of the first certified Cardiolates® instructors in Italy — a method developed at Pilates on Fifth® in New York — and went on to earn her Pilates Master Teacher diploma through Pilates Academy International® (PAI®) in 2011, then opened the only official PAI® satellite studio in Italy.
In 2014, a childhood dream came true: Carmen and her husband moved to New York City. There, studio owner Billy Macagnone introduced her to Gyrotonic® — a movement system that transformed how she sees the body. She earned both Level 1 and Level 2 certifications.
Florida came next, and Naples became home. After setting up her first Gyrotonic® Pulling Tower with GW Pilates, she opened The MotionAbility — her own studio, built exactly as she envisioned it: Reformers, a Cadillac, a Jumping Stretch Board, and a Gyrotonic® Tower. Every step across countries, careers, and disciplines has been driven by one thing: a desire to help others feel better in their bodies.
Credentials
- 1981 Italian Acrobatic Rock 'n' Roll Champion
- Italian Champion — Shotokan Karate Black Belt
- Ortho-Bionomy, Reiki Level 1, Foot Reflexology (FIRP)
- ANMO Traditional Chinese Massage — Zhongyi European Academy
- Thai Massage Diploma
- CTF3 Personal Fitness Trainer — ISSA
- Cardiolates® Certified Instructor (Pilates on Fifth®, NYC)
- Pilates Master Teacher — Pilates Academy International® (PAI®)
- Official PAI® Satellite Studio — Italy (sole licensee)
- Gyrotonic® Level 1 & Level 2 Certified Trainer
Specialties
What we stand for
Small by design
We cap every group class at four people. Not because we have to — because we believe that's the only way to teach well.
Evidence-based movement
Every method we teach is grounded in anatomy, biomechanics, and decades of clinical research. No trends, no gimmicks.
Every body welcome
From post-surgical rehab to high-performance athletes — we meet you where you are and build from there.
Ready to experience the difference?
Your first class is on us.