Meet Our Founder

Hi, I’m Laurie Andrews, a clinically certified exercise physiologist and owner of LAT Wellness Studio. I’m glad you’re here! From helping people visualize, believe and implement their wellness journeys through virtual training or in person here at Smith Mountain Lake, our personal trainers work to create a synergistic approach between exercising the mind, body and spirit through integrative practices. Our philosophy is to provide safe and effective exercise for all walks of life.

Laurie’s Fitness Journey

My passion for fitness is the culmination of years of back pain that progressed significantly throughout my teen years. I was prescribed large dosages of anti-inflammatory medications and worked with various spine manipulators. None of it worked.

The source of my pain was only discovered when I started working with a physical therapist and a team of physiatrists. I was diagnosed with degenerative disc disease in the neck and mid-back. Through a combination of dry needling and therapeutic exercises, my pain became manageable and, ultimately, rare. From that point on, I was determined to obtain an exercise degree in hopes of helping others to see and feel the benefits of exercise.

In college, I obtained a basic trainer certification and worked in a corporate gym as a personal trainer. I applied these studies in my job and in my own fitness journey. Dedicated to a new mindset of achieving optimal health, I dropped more than 45 pounds.

I’m often asked how long that took. My answer is always, simply, “today.” There is no time frame for a fitness journey. Instead, I embrace each day, and I have created a healthy lifestyle that I love.

While I was dropping weight, I was gaining in many other areas: in mental and physical strength, confidence and a desire to dedicate my life to health. Now, my vision is to help others find their strength and desire to be healthy as well.