Sharon Manzuk

Sharon Manzuk is a licensed physical therapist with over 25 years of experience and a classical Pilates teacher with over 15 years of experience. She combines those two disciplines in her practice, often using Pilates as a rehabilitation modality and providing physical therapy for clients who sustain injuries during fitness routines. Manzuk also holds a certification in integrative nutrition, which she incorporates into her clients' rehab and healing processes. She opened her brick-and-mortar studio, Puka Pilates and Physical Therapy, nearly 14 years ago in San Diego, CA, where she employs other Pilates instructors to transition patients as needed. Manzuk earned her undergraduate degree in psychology with concentrations in chemistry and music from the University of California San Diego and her master's degree from Mount St. Mary's University in Los Angeles. Early in her career, she worked in acute care and then at Scripps in outpatient settings, where she volunteered to lead a Parkinson's exercise class and helped launch an internal ergonomics program. This experience led her to focus on injury prevention, including ergonomic consulting for the city and county of San Diego and building a program at Kaiser Permanente. She later pursued Pilates training to address her own back issues from desk work and decided to open her studio to blend her clinical expertise with hands-on client work. Manzuk is now preparing to launch a customized online rehab program to reach more people.