Entrepreneurship: The Driving Force Behind Anita Tavares

In her third year of college, with a lighter course load, she began working at Ginásio Espaço Fitness, which she left just a few months ago.

She spent eight years there, during which time she earned additional certifications and developed new skills, such as personal training and Pilates instruction.

With a well-established professional profile, Anita recently took a step forward in her career, now flying on her own. Thus, Essência Ativa was born—a space dedicated to body awareness, where the motto is movement, as an essential part of a healthy life.

“Although I’m a physical therapist, I never had the ambition to open a physical therapy clinic. I really identify with the body’s movement in general—in whatever form the client wants, however the client likes it,” says the now-entrepreneur, who offers personalized training with free weights, bodyweight Pilates, and therapeutic massages.

Lifestyle

“The most important thing is to move your body. Movement is a form of treatment for many injuries, but it’s even better as a method of prevention and a lifestyle,” she notes.

In a context where many people work sitting down every day, lower back injuries have become more common than we’d like, as have loss of core strength and poor posture.

“As a physical therapist, I can provide post-injury care, but I want to focus primarily on prevention, so that people don’t reach the point of feeling pain or becoming limited,” she explains.

Combating a Sedentary Lifestyle

While society used to be much more active, today’s lifestyle is more conducive to a sedentary lifestyle. Hence the importance of drawing attention to the need to move the body, regardless of the activity chosen.

It’s also worth remembering that physical activity doesn’t just benefit the body. It acts as an important ally in treating psychological issues as well, such as anxiety and depression.

The very nature of the human body demands that it be in motion, as the professional explains. “We grow until a certain age, but after 30, if our bodies aren’t stimulated, they’ll start down a path of muscle loss. Hence the importance of working out and strengthening our muscles, so that we experience less and less pain and a lower risk of injuries or falls among the elderly, for example,” she explains.

The good news is that muscle is very responsive to stimulation. This means that as you work it, improvements won’t be long in coming. “After just one week of training, you’ll start sleeping better, for example,” she notes.

With proper guidance, anyone can practice Pilates

As long as you have the right guidance to avoid injuries, anyone can do Pilates. “It has countless benefits, as it focuses heavily on breathing, which helps us oxygenate our bodies more effectively. It’s a mind-body connection that affects body awareness, spinal posture, mobility, and flexibility,” he explains.

And no, you don’t need to be flexible to start Pilates. That’s exactly what it’s for, and your body is—as mentioned earlier—highly responsive to the stimuli it receives.

Workout studio in Cidadela

Essência Ativa is located in Cidadela, in Cidade da Praia. It’s taking its first steps amid the challenges inherent to entrepreneurship, but with a confident outlook toward a promising future.

A challenging experience, but one with a well-defined purpose. “Entrepreneurship is a lot of work, but I’ve always worked hard, and now I’m going to work hard on a project that came from me,” says Anita, who acknowledges “moments of doubt and fear” but believes that “when God places a purpose in someone’s heart, He also gives them the strength to build it.”

There are still a few—limited—spots available for anyone who wants to join this movement, whether to gain flexibility and body awareness through Pilates, to improve muscle strength, or to treat an injury.

Contact information is available on Essência Ativa’s online store and on Instagram.

A Nacao