Heather Robertson
December 27, 2016 03:29
I've been a student at Vertical Fitness for nearly a year. I decided to give it a shot on a Groupon and was hooked from my first class! The instructors and other students I've chatted with are very supportive and inclusive to all different body types, backgrounds, and goals.
My personal story: I am 32 with a 4 year old son and have yo-yoed with my weight since I was 10 and currently weigh 165lbs. As someone who had struggled with body image, I was a little insecure about going to the studio because I'd expected it to be all women who had their ideal body. I'm so very happy I joined! There are plenty who go who have excellent figures but there are also many who are working on loosing weight or gaining muscle - and EVERYONE is working on improving themselves regardless of the stage they are at. Because everyone is striving for self-improvement, they are very involved and excited when a student reaches one of their goals too.
My goals were to try and be more graceful (I'm a bit clumsy, haha), to increase strength, and lose weight. I'd been weight training at the gym for a bit prior but found it tedious. Within two weeks of attending classes steadily I had a noticeable improvement in my upper body strength - things I couldn't do the first time I'd tried that were surprisingly improved in a relatively short time frame *and* my confidence, body image, and even grace were improving. Now, I notice both strength improvement and increased flexibility throughout my body. I haven't lost much in regard to weight but that's because I've been gaining muscle. I've dropped dress sizes and my clothes fit better than they did when I was 15 pounds lighter. I'm also never bored! Instead of lifting free weights at the gym, I'm lifting my own body weight and doing so with a new finesse. All the instructors have something unique to their style that makes them engaging and even after you've progressed at a move, they have no trouble finding something that will challenge you!
Price-wise, I think they're a bargain for all that I've gained but if you aren't sure, there are often Groupons and they have a great 30 days for $30 deal to let you try out the studio and see if you're as happy with it as I am.
Bottom line: I'm having a great time with a great bunch of welcoming people. I'm finding strength, beauty, and grace within myself, staying motivated, and having fun. There are never enough stars :)