Simply put, Julie Vanarelli is the best body work therapist that I have ever worked with. After a double compound fracture in my left leg, cartilage damage in my knee, a severed patellar tendon and two years of continuous rehab, I am justly confident in thinking that I know a thing or two about body work. Julie is intuitive and thorough with her patients, as well as personable and open at all times. She is a true hidden gem in the therapy world and I personally feel lucky to have found out about her. I recommend Julie to anyone and everyone, especially those returning from injury.
Taylor Phinney
Cannondale EF Professional Cycling Team
Julie has magic healing in her hands. Whenever something goes really wrong in my body, Julie is the only person on the entire planet I trust to get me back on track ASAP. Being a professional athlete its my livelihood so I lump a massive amount of faith and belief in her practices. Julie, you fix people, and time & time again, you've saved my career.... You're the best person I've found in the entire world that does what you do!!! Thank you!
Cameron Wurf
Professional Triathlete, Ineos Grenadiers Professional Cycling Team
As a long time competitive CrossFit Athlete & Coach, I put my body through “the ringer” on a daily basis. Having dealt with severe shoulder impingement / “sick scapula” syndrome, a herniated L-5 vertebrae, sciatic nerve pain and a range of other mobility problems..I was in really bad shape before I found Julie. All you need to know is, Julie is the absolute BEST at what she does. I say this with a great degree of certainty as I have received treatment from countless Physical & Massage Therapists, Orthapedic Specialists & Doctors, but no one has been able to achieve the level of treatment that Julie provides. I leave her office with a dramatic increase in my mobility, and my body is quite simply fixed. Julie gets directly to the root cause of your problem, fixes the issue, then does a wonderful job of fully explaining how to avoid re-injury. She’s incredibly passionate about what she does, and her level of dedication comes across in each and every single session. She’s by far the most naturally talented massage therapist I’ve ever encountered, and is my go-to monthly method of treatment for all my mobility/pain issues. If you’re looking for someone to fix your mysterious, nagging, annoying & depilating body kinks, tweaks and pains, look no further.
Ken Cervera - L4CPT, Integrated Injury Prevention & Nutrition Specialist
National Academy of Sports Medicine
Fitness & Nutrition Clinician, Mind Health Institute - Pasadena
I Broke my femur and clavicle on opposites sides of my body in a bicycle crash in 2011. I have seen 3 different PT's since the accident and made minimal progress. After my second visit with Julie I felt more progress than 4 months of work anywhere else. I only see her once a week, as compared to 2-3 times a week anywhere else. She has an amazing knowledge of the human anatomy and how the body moves. She knows the musculature and how to pinpoint weaknesses and imbalances. She is a diamond in the rough in the rehabilitation field. I would recommend her to anyone with an injury.
Thomas W.
Julie, Plain and simple: you are amazing and I am so glad our paths have crossed. My legs felt soooo good after you worked on me. I cannot tell you enough how much it means to me to have someone who truly cares about her athletes/clients and their bodies. It was clear I needed some TLC and I am thankful to you for helping me feel better and more powerful on my bike. And you are just a wonderful person and I enjoyed our conversation, which makes this all that much better for me.
Samantha Bosco
Team USA Paralympian, 2x Paralympic Bronze medalist, 3x California state TT Champion, 2022 UCI Paracycling World Cup Series Leader
Julie is really a wonder. She has helped me realize tremendous improvement in my back and corrected problems that I had previously been unable to get help with. Rather than going through a repetitive process each session, she is constantly coming up with new ways to the quicken recovery. Her passion for her work - and commitment to furthering her understanding of her field is amazing. My now straight back can't recommend her highly enough.
Peter C.
Julie is one of a small group of health practitioners who support healthy exercise through efficient pain free motion. Her focus is effective muscle function through the full range of motion that each joint should perform. This results in people who can move and exercise longer, both in duration and longevity. If you are working toward personal fitness, someone with Julie’s skill set is invaluable.
I have personally worked with her more than a year. She has designed stretching and strengthening regimens and manually treated areas of contused, contracted and immobile muscle and joints. These treatments have always made improvement in my symptoms, but have not always been painless. Even when “releasing” significant muscle and fascial contractures, she is charming, supportive and upbeat. At age 64, I am more fit and mobile than I was 2 years ago and getting better general health. Most of my friends cannot touch their toes while I am surprisingly flexible. She is part of the reason.
If you have physical impairments or pain which have not responded to traditional medical or therapy interventions, she is you answer.
Warren Garner MD
Professor of Surgery, USC
Director LAC+USC Burn Center
Program Director Plastic Surgery
As a practitioner and instructor of soft tissue therapy, I have had the opportunity to meet and experience Julie's work, personality and overall professionalism and I would recommend her services to anyone looking to improve their individual function.
Lenny Parracino CMT,FAFS
Soft Tissue Therapist for the Los Angeles Clippers
Fellow of Applied Functional Science
Gray Institute Faculty
As a fitness professional and competitive cyclist, with a pretty chronic and high-volume training, I'm prone to over worked, under stretched, and over used muscles. Working with Julie on a regular basis is a crucial part of my wellness regimen. As an athlete herself, Julie knows how to combine massage and physical therapy techniques to achieve ideal results. Working with her one time per week, I've had great relief from aches and pains and seen improvement in my speed, power, and endurance.
Bryan Yates
Owner, Pedal Spin Studio
Owner Locomotiv Performance Coaching
As a cyclist in my 60s who rides more than 4,000 miles annually, my body requires consistent work to maintain movement and overall conditioning. Julie's flexible, creative, and focused approach provides a customized, mufti-disciplinary approach that maximizes my quality of life.
Dr. Bob Logan
Leadership Coach and Consultant
I was injured at work and struggled to sleep and do normal daily activities for a year when Julie was recommended to me. The first time she worked on/with me I felt relief for the first time since my injury (This was extremely huge, I cried). The way she worked just showed her knowledge of the body. I felt like someone finally understood my pain. My pain crippled me from everyday life and as a 21 year old I was devastated. With in 5 months of working with her I was stronger and managing pain with out medication. I needed surgery but was too weak to get it, she helped my body get to a place where I was physically able to under go surgery. I am so grateful for my back/body guru.
Janel L.
Thank you so much for introducing me to Julie. She's a miracle worker! We are three sessions in and I am already feeling better than I've ever felt since January. And I'm completely off painkillers! That's after 2 months of useless physical therapy, 3 months with a chiropractor and multiple prescriptions for anti-inflammatories and muscle relaxants.
I'm so so very grateful!! I'm looking forward to the possibility of a full recovery, which I was beginning to think would never happen.
Talin D.
It is a privilege to be able to comment on the professional and personal approach that Julie Vanarelli utilizes to maximize her clients capabilities. Julie completed our rigorous mentorship training at the Gray Institute. During this 40 week program, Fellows are required to watch hundreds of videos, complete numerous learning opportunities, and attend three 3-day hands on educational seminars with other movement specialists from around the world. As a Fellow of Applied Functional Science, Julie is a member of a unique group of individuals in over 30 countries who have dedicated themselves to enhancing their skills in order to better serve their clients. In addition to her advanced knowledge, Julie brings a fun “down to earth” approach to her training. She loves life and loves sharing her passion with others.
David Tiberio Ph.D., PT, FAFS
Dean, Gray Institute
Professor Emeritus, University of Connecticut
I had the good fortune of meeting Julie in October 2015 during the Pablove Foundation’s, Pablove Across America (PAA) Ride from Los Angeles to San Francisco. I was there as a fundraiser and rider, while Julie was there as a Massage Therapist charged with taking care of us riders at the end of each day. PAA was 7 days of riding anywhere from 60, to 115 miles per day, fighting headwinds, climbing hills, and dealing with the stresses of riding in traffic; at the end of the day, our legs, bodies and minds were wrecked! As luck would have it, Julie was my Massage Therapist for the week; I’m a lucky dude! Julie has a very welcoming smile, a calming demeanor and she demonstrated an innate sense for what my tired body needed each day. I had a great week on the bike, and I credit Julie’s magic hands for it! The PAA experience is wonderful and life changing, but it’s the people involved that make it great; Julie was instrumental in making my week great!
Tom Kattus (TK)
General Manager
Campagnolo North America Inc.
When I asked Julie to help me lose weight and shape up I didn’t realize exactly how much help I was going to get. And – for that – I’m forever grateful. Over the course of many months, Julie and I met regularly to burn fat and tone up my body. First, Julie introduced very important mobility and stretching exercises to enhance my performance and to minimize injuries. Previously, I wasn’t spending enough time warming up properly and that turned out to be counterproductive. Her warm ups dramatically improved my range of motion and flexibility. Second, Julie designed a multitude of high intensity programs that continually shocked my system so that I never got “comfortable” or “too familiar” with any specific activity – that resulted in keeping my body lean and building up my endurance. She made every workout challenging yet totally achievable and provided unwavering support from start to finish. Julie even added some humor and levity to make the circuit fun because (lord knows) I was often too serious. But, our sessions were much more than just physical activity. Ultimately, Julie helped me become a stronger person physically and mentally. She inspired positive thinking patterns to reinforce my progress and encouraged healthier eating habits to maintain my diet. Over time, I became more and more comfortable in my own body and much more loving and accepting of myself. From that grew tremendous courage and confidence, which still grows inside me today. I’m the happiest, strongest, and most confident I’ve ever been in my life. My point – I recommend Julie wholeheartedly.
Fred N.
After a shoulder injury, my physical therapist Erin referred me to see Julie Vanarelli to continue to with my strength training. I had never worked with a personal trainer before, and had no idea what to expect. Lucky for me, Julie is patient and never gave up on me (even when I complained and wanted to give up myself!). I started working with Julie in June 2011 and have continued to make great strides toward both better shoulder strength as well as also overall improved physical health. Julie has helped me set personal goals and then pushed me to reach them. Some of these have included completing a triathlon, swimming a 1.5 mile open water race, and getting back into the pool for my regular swim practice (and without shoulder pain). On top of this, I have made huge improvements in my personal goals in swimming and feel better than I ever have before! Julie is great to work with-she always makes me smile and work hard. I always feel stronger after each session.
Ellie R.
Personal training with Julie Vanarelli is the best thing I’ve done for myself! I’m 60 now, and I’ve been training with Julie for two years. I feel better now than I did in my 40’s and 50’s. I am an active person, but I’ve always been plagued by minor injuries – with Julie, this hasn’t been a problem. She makes sure I do every exercise correctly. She is always pushing me, but doesn’t let me get hurt.
Although it’s a little more expensive than a gym membership or fitness classes, working out with Julie has been far more effective for me. The workouts are customized for my needs and my fitness level, so they’re always challenging and never become routine. They’re also very efficient because most of the exercises use several muscle groups at the same time.
Julie is always cheerful and upbeat – she motivates you in a positive way, not by barking at you. She just makes you believe you can do it!
Vicki L.