What motivated you to start at Applied Fitness Solutions?
I have always been a fairly active person-not always in an exercise way, but on the go, always in motion. I’ve done many fitness routines, all of which I still like–yoga, walking, jazzercise–but generally would get bored and move on to something else. I guess it was that 61st birthday that made me realize that I had lost some strength and stamina and certainly could stand to lose a few pounds. I mean hey, I’ve got retirement to look forward to and want to continue to be on the go and keep up with my two sons, plus whatever adventures come. Maybe I can even get my husband moving too (big challenge).
Around that time, a friend of mine told me about AFS. She is a workout fanatic, but recently had a couple of injuries and had to lay off her normal routine. Then she started at AFS and they worked around her injuries and got her back on track. She had great success. I thought why not give it a go. I went in and spoke with Nate, got the tour, and signed up. No hard sales pitch and all super nice people! My only request was a trainer with a sense of humor for this old lady: enter Austin Doggette.
What keeps you coming back?
I really like the team approach. Everyone is so friendly and really does care about you finding your success. It doesn’t matter who’s teaching, they always make you feel as if you are one of their clients. They all make adjustments based on your limitations or any injuries. In fact, nine months of my journey with AFS was with a meniscus tear and ruptured ACL… but they didn’t let that stop me from still getting my workouts in. The best part is that I never get bored with AFS workouts because the exercises chang every day!
I love the interaction with my trainer Austin. He’s quick to get back to me with an email–whether it’s diet-related, prehab exercises, or just “How’s life in general?” I know he and all the practitioners are there to motivate me so I can achieve my goals and learn what is best for me.
How do you define success?
All AFS clients have their own story of why they’re here, or their purpose so to speak. Mine was to lose weight (still working on that) and to gain strength. I feel that I have accomplished that. I will continue to work on that number on the scale though (even though I know it’s not about the number).
After a year with AFS, I’m motivated and wouldn’t think of quitting thanks to the AFS Staff. When I leave, I’m so energized and ready to tackle whatever the day brings. Success might be getting that fist bump from Bailey when he realized that was sweat on the floor, not drool, or getting Austin to change the music to a salsa mix. But at the end of the day, I have done something for my health and myself and that’s success!