All of my members have inspiring stories, but one in particular stands out. One of my ladies suffered from severe social anxiety and didn’t like being in social situations. Through attending our sessions, she has overcome this fear and now enjoys all of our classes. She has come out of her shell, become very talkative, and gained confidence to go out and socialise. In fact, she has even started joining other groups on her own. For example, she recently attended a wreath-making group by herself, which was a massive step for her. Her journey has been truly inspiring to witness.
Our secret to keeping motivation high is simple: fun playlists, lots of dancing, and always greeting everyone with a massive smile! I find that the more energetic I am, the more it rubs off on everyone else. We focus on creating a positive, uplifting atmosphere every session.
Stretching is your best friend! Stretching after sessions helps with recovery and can make a big difference—especially after leg day. A few extra stretches will make it easier to tackle the next day (and yes, even sit comfortably!).
One Saturday morning at 8 a.m., we had just finished an amazing session and were about to start the cool down. One of my ladies, Janet, was completing the November challenge of 100 squats a day for cancer research. She had 20 squats left, so one of the other ladies suggested we all join in and do them together. Everyone got involved, including one lady who is a bit of a chatterbox. After we finished the squats and were clapping, she turned to me and said, so seriously but so innocently, “Did we not work hard enough for you, Dena? That wasn’t very fair!” It was absolutely hilarious because she had completely missed the point of the exercise. The whole group burst into laughter—it was such a funny, lighthearted moment.
They all seem to love Wednesdays—leg day! Maybe it’s because they enjoy building a lovely booty, or perhaps it’s the challenge of the wall sits, but leg day is definitely a crowd favourite.