Mountain View Wellness

10/26/2026

Let’s talk about something most of us were never taught: your pelvic floor. 💪

If you’ve ever been told, “Just do your Kegels,” or quietly accepted leaking when you sneeze, jump, laugh, or lift as “just part of life”—this workshop is for you.

Here’s the truth:
✨ Your pelvic floor is about so much more than Kegels. It works with your breath, your core, and your whole body in every lift, climb, and everyday movement.
✨ Leaking, pressure, or discomfort may be common, but that doesn’t mean you have to live with it. Real help exists, and it starts with understanding what’s going on.
✨ It’s not just a “women’s issue” or a “postpartum issue.” Pelvic floor health matters for every body, at every age.

Demystify the Pelvic Floor
📅 Wednesday, October 28th, 6:30 pm - 8 pm,
📍 Ascent Climbing Gym, 470 James Street, New Haven
https://ascentclimbinggym.com/events/demystify-the-pelvic-floor

Led by Lexi Orlando, a certified pelvic health practitioner and physical therapist, you’ll learn what your pelvic floor actually does, practice simple strategies for breathing, lifting, and daily life, and get your questions answered — anonymously, if you’d rather not ask out loud.

Open to all genders and all experience levels. No judgment, no awkwardness, just real information you can use.

Spots are limited. Sign up here 👉 [link]

Know someone who needs to hear this? Tag or share with them. ❤️

Most of us were never taught how the pelvic floor works. This clinic with physical therapist Lexi Orlando clears that up — what it does, how to train it, and answers to the questions you’d rather ask anonymously.

10/16/2026

THIS!!
What surprised me most was that there was actually a 14-year study of 117,000 women. How cool is that?

And of course, loved all the stats pointing to the benefits of strength training (for your heart, too), but overall, increased muscle mass is a GREAT thing!

Hit me up if you want to learn how to build muscle and create a routine that supports a health-focused lifestyle in a supportive community!

Strength training isn’t just for muscle and bone health — it’s also surprisingly good cardio.

09/28/2026

Coached my 8th powerlifting meet this weekend, and it was amazing. 🏋️‍♀️

This all-women’s meet holds a special place in my heart because I deeply believe in the transformational power of lifting (and sport in general) to build strength, confidence, and power in women. This is a community of women (and men!) who support women.

I’ve coached over 100 women (and men) over the years, and I feel so lucky and grateful to call myself their coach.

Great job, Marissa! Congrats on all your PRs, and especially on adding 25 lbs to your deadlift! Special thanks to all the lifters, loaders, meet organizers, supporters, and coaches who helped make this happen!
Marissa Del Toro

08/17/2026

𝐒𝐢𝐱 𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐤𝐬 𝐚𝐠𝐨, 𝐈 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐞! 𝐇𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐬, 𝐜𝐥𝐢𝐦𝐛𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐧 𝐚 𝐰𝐚𝐥𝐥, 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐲𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐥𝐚𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐬 — 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐬𝐮𝐝𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐥𝐲, 𝐈 𝐟𝐞𝐥𝐥. 😳

It wasn't good. I fell in a "funny way," but it wasn't funny at all.

I ended up with a grade 2 partial ligament tear in my ankle and a small bone contusion (bone bruise) at the top of my ankle. I was in a boot for 6 weeks. 🥾

It was TOUGH! The lack of weight-bearing activity was HARD! BUT — I survived it! 💪 Here's what I did to keep myself sane, and even some GOOD THINGS (silver linings ✨) that came out of this whole ordeal.

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐝𝐢𝐝 𝐈 𝐝𝐨 𝐭𝐨 𝐤𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝐬𝐚𝐧𝐞?

𝐈 𝐜𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐮𝐩 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐚 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐧. No more squats or hip hinges for now. I revamped my workout routine to reflect more upper body and core strength. I knew I couldn't and wouldn't just stop exercising — that was NOT the answer. Nope, just like any good coach, I pivoted and made a program that worked for me.

This approach worked really well. On days I felt low or even cranky, I felt my mood lighten with each exercise. It really confirmed that exercise can be the ultimate mood lifter! 🙌

𝐈 𝐚𝐬𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩. Damn, that was hard, but I did it. My husband drove me to work every day, and to all of my doctor's appointments. I was thankful, and as much as my independent self hated it, it became a lot more tolerable when I expressed my gratitude. 🥰

𝐈 𝐠𝐨𝐭 𝐚 𝐤𝐧𝐞𝐞 𝐬𝐜𝐨𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐫. This one is very specific to my injury, but I highly recommend a knee scooter if your doctor recommends one. My ortho told me I could just walk in the boot, but when I mentioned I average about 8,000 steps a day at work, he suggested I get one instead. It was a lifesaver! It kept the weight off my ankle and let me keep it elevated throughout the day, instead of walking on it all day.

𝐈 𝐠𝐨𝐭 𝐚𝐧 𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐞. I'm not usually one for "extras" — products I don't really need — but damn, I LOVE MY ICE MACHINE. 🧊 It's not a machine that dispenses ice cubes; it's more like a little cooler you fill with water and ice, connected by a tube to an ankle wrap that circulates ice-cold water around my ankle. After work every day, I'd spend at least 20 minutes icing. It felt great, and became a wonderful way to end the workday and start decompressing.

𝐈 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐲 𝐝𝐨𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫 (𝐛𝐲𝐞-𝐛𝐲𝐞, 𝐞𝐠𝐨 😅). Boots are clunkly and definitley not comfortable or sexy, but I wore my boot religiously. I used the scooter to reduce time on my ankle. I put on my ankle ointment to reduce inflammation. My ortho told me some people end up needing surgery, especially if they don't take the time to heal properly. You don't have to tell me twice!

𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐞 𝐬𝐢𝐥𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬?

𝐌𝐲 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐠𝐨𝐭 𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐘! With my husband giving me rides every morning, we really dialed in our AM routine — lunches packed the night before, breakfast and coffee sorted in the morning. I'm definitely keeping that routine! ☕

𝐍𝐨 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐫 𝐟𝐚𝐬𝐜𝐢𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐬! Being in the boot for 6 weeks let my right foot fully rest and heal, and my plantar fasciitis has disappeared. 🙏 Here's hoping it stays gone!

𝐍𝐨 𝐛𝐫𝐨𝐤𝐞𝐧 𝐛𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐬. I am a 52 year old woman who fell off a climbing wall and I DIDN'T BREAK A BONE! Damn, thank you strength training and nutrition!

𝐈 𝐥𝐞𝐭 𝐠𝐨 𝐨𝐟 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐠𝐨𝐚𝐥 𝐭𝐨 𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐰𝐨 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞. I had to put my September powerlifting meet on hold. Who knows, maybe I'll return to Powerlifting again in a few months, but I'm in no rush. For now, I'll be training for my 65-mile cycling ride and looking forward to a fall full of outdoor climbing (woot woot — it's been about 10 years since I've climbed outdoors!) 🚴🧗‍♀️ Feel free to donate to my fundraising efforts if you're feeling generous: https://www.rideclosertofree.org/participants/JulieBailis​

𝐈 𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐧 "𝐨𝐟𝐟 𝐛𝐮𝐭𝐭𝐨𝐧" 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤. Getting into the routine of icing my ankle every day after work helped me realize how powerful it is to have a real off button from work. It made my evenings calm and lovely, so I could focus on relaxing, cooking, and prepping for the next day. Thank you, ankle injury. 😄

𝐔𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐨𝐝𝐲 𝐞𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧. Since I couldn't bear weight on my legs for 6 weeks, I was forced to learn a lot more about upper body movement — especially muscle-building work with dumbbells and the cable machine. Less rest, more of that pump — it was educational, and honestly, fun. I'll be keeping some hypertrophy work in my program going forward. It's not only nice to BE strong, but to LOOK strong too. 💪

𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐞𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐲 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞. If I'd had the ability to drive myself, I probably would have broken up my day — gone home for lunch after morning coaching hours, then come back in the afternoon. Instead, my husband dropped me off in the morning and picked me up hours later. I got very efficient about getting things done AT work, which meant I stopped bringing work home during the week and have very little prep left for weekends. This has been amazing, and I hope to keep this trend going! Woo hoo! 🎉

𝐈 𝐟𝐞𝐥𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞. I really did feel the community love. So many members and colleagues asked about my healing journey and wished me the speediest recovery. I felt so loved and supported, and I do NOT take that for granted. 🩷

AND THAT IS THAT.

𝐏𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐥𝐞𝐭 𝐦𝐞 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐢𝐟 𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐲𝐨𝐮.
𝐇𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐡𝐢𝐭 𝐚 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡 𝐛𝐮𝐦𝐩 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐭?
𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐝𝐢𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐝𝐨?
𝐖𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐬𝐢𝐥𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐜𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐢𝐭?

Looking forward to hearing from you!

Coach Julie

PS — I know September is right around the corner. If you're at all interested in training with me and my strength team at Ascent Climbing Gym in New Haven, I highly recommend booking your Free 20-Minute Strength Consultation soon. August and September tend to be very busy months here at the gym, and my schedule fills up fast. So book soon if you can! I look forward to talking soon — the hardest part of any fitness journey is just getting started! 🙌
https://ascentclimbinggym.com/personal-training

08/13/2026

This September is my tenth year riding in the Closer to Free Ride — and it’ll be my last. Next year, I’m switching sides and plan on volunteering at the rest stops instead.

This ride means a lot to me. My dad died of stomach cancer just six weeks after his diagnosis, at 50. I ride for him, and for all my friends and family who’ve been diagnosed with cancer over the years.

This year, my ride’s a little spicier — six weeks ago I tore a ligament in my ankle and I’m still in a boot. Hopefully I’ll be out of it soon and can start training again. I’m so excited to get back at it, especially since I think my new gravel bike is going to make these rides even more fun (and challenging, for sure).

So here’s the ask:

Many of you have supported me for years, and it’s meant so much.

If you’ve supported me in the past, or have been affected by cancer in any way, would you consider one more gift this year?

https://www.rideclosertofree.org/participants/JulieBailis

You’re also welcome to support my teammate and husband, Rob, if you’re able:

https://www.rideclosertofree.org/participants/37403

I’ll be sharing training updates and photos along the way — thank you for riding this journey with me.

With gratitude,
Julie

07/23/2026

Been moving differently around Ascent lately 👢 — I fell from the wall a few weeks ago and well, had an ankle injury (partial ligament tear, bone bruising, the full deal).

Boot → crutches → now a knee scooter.

THE SILVER LINING
Slowing down forced some good stuff:

*Letting my husband drive me around (humbling, but I'm learning)
*Actually resting instead of just saying I will
Rebuilding my training — no barbell, so I've gone deep on dumbbells + cables. More bodybuilding style than I'm used to... and honestly? Kind of fun.

THE BEST PART
A member showed up with THIS 👇

A rubber duck horn for my scooter — because apparently I need lights and sirens to get around the gym now.

THE REAL TAKEAWAY
Little things like that, plus members checking in and people slowing down to walk with me, have made this so much easier.

Grateful for this community. 💙

07/02/2026

Had a blast singing, dancing, eating, AND climbing with friends at Central Rock Gym Glastonbury’s Pride night. Well done!!

05/11/2026

Every Mothers’ Day weekend I spend time weeding, prepping soil, and planting. This year was perfect. Lots of perennials returned , which made this year easy and not so expensive. Special thanks to my SIL .bailis for my wire basket. I didn’t know I needed this, but it is truly perfect for harvesting! Pulled fresh mint from the garden today. Woot woot! I’m curious- what are you Mothers’ Day traditions?

05/06/2026

✨ I'm coming back to teaching — and I couldn't be more excited! ✨

After a few years away, I'm returning to the mat as an instructor and joining the incredible community at .

🧘 Yin Yoga with Julie McMahon Bailis
📅 Starting Thursday, May 14th
⏰ 5:30 PM
📍 Ascent New Haven

Yin is a slow, meditative practice that targets the deep connective tissues of the body — perfect for unwinding, releasing tension, and finding stillness. Whether you're brand new to yoga or a seasoned practitioner, this class is for you.

Spots are limited — grab yours here:
👉 https://ascent.portal.approach.app/event/452/booking/6938

I can't wait to share this space with you. See you on the mat! 🌿

04/29/2026

To celebrate her 1 year anniversary of Strength training with us at Ascent, Mariela came in with a homemade flan and a written thank you note! A handwritten note? Who does that anymore? Anyway, she made my week! Watching her and Marissa lift last Saturday at the Lift for Change All Women’s Powerlifting meet made me proud! Way to represent our community and strong women!