1. You recently started as a trainer at Vive! Tell us about your training style and what Vivers can expect from your classes.
My training style is fun and relaxed and all about fearless movement. I am a firm believer that you need to enjoy exercise, so I like to empower people to get moving and have fun along the way. I also LOVE a great butt burn, so you can definitely expect to walk out of my classes feeling like your butt is two inches higher than when you walked in!
2. You’ve had your own personal transformation. Can you share your own weight loss journey and how you achieved your goals?
Yes, I have lost over 23kgs. I never used to exercise much until I met my very fit husband almost 10 years ago and when I did exercise, my training consisted of hours on cardio machines which raised my cortisol and added stress to my body leading to holding onto fat (I also ate a lot of sweets). I first tackled the food and just started tracking what I ate and kept an eye on the amount of sugar I was eating specifically. I found learning about nutrition and stress really interesting so I read a lot and educated myself on the human body and how it responds to different foods and stressors. The food change helped me lose a lot of weight, but my body wasn’t strong and I wanted to really tone up.. this is when I started trying all different types of exercise to see what I enjoyed and what worked. Of everything I have tried, Pilates is really the constant in my workout regime now, it helps my body and my mind and gives me a lot of variety. I never get bored of Pilates, plus it keeps that butt lifted.
3. Why was Pilates your chosen weight-loss exercise and what other benefits did you experience?
I actually got into Pilates when I was training for the Honolulu Marathon and sustained a number of injuries. I was immediately hooked and realised it wasn’t just for recovery but also amazing for sculpting the body. Not only has it tightened everything up, it also just makes my body feel better. I love trying different training methods including weights and running but Pilates is the constant in my exercise regime, it doesn’t overload my body with stress meaning it can efficiently burn fat (it’s also a great stress release). That’s what I love about Pilates, you still get a great workout by focusing on those small muscles we don’t usually work, along with the major muscle groups too. Pilates has also really helped with all other aspects of my training, specifically my running as I finally learnt how to switch on my glutes.
4. What do you love most about Vive?
I love that you never get the same workout at Vive, the trainers are always coming up with new and different ways to use the reformer to get a great total-body workout. I also love that each of the trainers love what they do and that shines through in their workouts … plus the playlists are epic!