Beach Vacation Provided Motivation, But Now She’s Hooked on Group Fitness

In March Ais knew she had her work cut out for her. She and her boyfriend had just booked a May beach vacation in Mexico. But it wasn’t only the thought of wearing a bikini that brought her to the gym – there were health issues that were bothering such as a shortness of breath and problems with her knees. Ais signed up for three group fitness classes per week (Crosstraining & Fitness with David Sims and Boot Camp with Craig Boyd) and two months later, she had lost 15 pounds! Now three months later, her health issues have disappeared and “I can keep up with everybody in class!”.

How did she do it? “By mixing up the classes, challenging myself and keeping busy. At home, I’d just watch TV. It’s good to have a set schedule and the commitment of group classes. Otherwise, I wouldn’t get to the gym and would end up beating myself up over it.” Her next hurdle is to get over the weight-loss plateau by committing to four classes per week and teaching herself healthy eating: “I used to buy lunch, but now I pack my own breakfast and lunch – and make sure to bring lots of fruit and veggies.” Above all, Ais says she wants to learn to feel comfortable in her own skin. Ais notes that the group fitness class feels like a personal training session because of the small class size and the one-on-one attention. There’s certainly no hiding in the back row from the instructor: “I can’t cheat. Dave and Craig don’t let me get away with anything!”. She finds the camaraderie and motivation of being with a group very inspiring. Ais says, “I learn from the others in class and we push one another.” Her number one piece of advice? “Get there. Just show up and try it, that’s the hardest part. And afterwards you feel like you’ve accomplished something.”