MEMBERS OF THE MONTH: MARIA AND RICHARD

1.You both joined C-Life early 2019. How has your exercise journey changed over the years? What do you enjoy doing most in your program now?

We’ve tried many ways to keep and get fit over the years from running, swimming, boxercise, spin, pump, tennis, softball, circuit training, Pilates, Reformer Pilates etc to find out what we enjoyed. These days, we understand our bodies more and workout to feel good, stay healthy and we engage in activities we feel our bodies can handle and that we can sustain.

2. What has been your experience of the Pilates Reformer classes and how does this differ to other exercise you do in the gym?

We really enjoy our Reformer classes. We value the feedback from our instructors especially when we are reminded that it is about controlled movements and engaging deep muscle movement. Our postures have improved significantly since starting reformer training. We still have a long way to go with improving our flexibility, but we have noticed improvement in our core strength. The classes are challenging and are a welcome change to the other workouts we engage in.

3. How has exercise benefited you in your daily life?

To be honest, at times it is hard to motivate yourself to go to the gym after working all day, but we find that working out helps boost our energy levels, improves our mood and helps relieve stress. It also means we can eat what we want (in moderation of course) and not feel as guilty.

4. What are your health and wellness goals for the next 12 months?

We believe that committing to regular training will improve our physical health and mental wellbeing. We enjoy working out at C-Life. The team of trainers are incredible, very helpful and keen to see members achieve health and fitness goals. So long as we are working out, we can continue to enjoy the finer things in life!

5. What advice would you give to someone just starting an exercise program or reformer classes at the gym?

We would advise anyone starting out Reformer Pilates training, is to accept that it is going to be challenging at first and that they need to cut themselves some slack. If it was easy, everyone would be doing it. You are not going to be at the same level as everyone else in the class even if you start on the same day. Everyone’s fitness journey and experiences are different and that’s life. Persevere and be realistic – you will achieve your personal goals in due course.