​Its easy to spot Pam in training. She's the one with the smile on her face all the time. Pam has often asked me specific questions that will help her reach a short term goal best. She knows where she is currently and she knows where she wants to get to. She is doing the consistent work every day to get herself there. She recently took a trip. While she was gone she had asked if I could design some training for her. She sent me daily emails letting me know she had just finished her stuff. She is that kind of a person. She Makes It Happen. 

Pam (left) and Kathy at the Christmas party!

"The reason I came to Get Fit NH is easy to answer. I am a pediatric occupational therapist who works in the school system and have been for 32 years now. At 54 I started noticing that I was losing my strength and agility. I was struggling to pick students up that I needed to assist into their adaptive equipment and apparatus that I use. I knew I had to do something but hated the thought of going to a gym to lift weights or workout on machines. I also battle the bulge and have most my life, I started to notice that I could no longer sit comfortably on the floor with my students. I knew I had to loose some weight if I wanted to continue to get up and down from the floor and be able to squat next to my students.

I decided to try Get Fit after seeing a friend of mine that I had not seen for a while at a beach get together. She looked amazing, having lost weight and toned up. When I asked her what she had done, she told me about the Get Fit NH gym in Epsom. I decided right then and there I was going to check it out. So on August 1st I showed up for the 9:00 a.m. Ladies Only class. I figured if I was going to do this I wanted to go to a class with women who might be in the same boat as me and would not be too judgmental. Not going to lie, that first class was a killer for me. I had no idea what I was doing and could barely do any of it, but instead of being judged, I was encouraged by all present to keep coming and they were all so helpful when I couldn't quite do an exercise right. The biggest encouragement of all always came from Coach Nancy, she made me want to come back each day and try again.

Two weeks went by quickly and I was hooked. In that two weeks I could feel a difference already and knew I had found the gym for me. In two weeks I learned that I can do this, you are never too old to start, there were no more excuses, just keep showing up and they will modify the exercises to your ability level and encourage you to try the next step when they think you are ready.

I am completing month six and I feel amazing. I am so much stronger and even though my school schedule and life only allow me to get to the gym 2 times a week, it has made a huge difference. No more struggling to lift kids, my balance has improved and I can squat to their level again and join them on the floor. I have also taken advantage of the many other things this gym offers besides the exercise. I am just starting my second round of the 21 Day plus Challenge. I have attended nutrition classes and their crock pot meal workshop. As a result of better eating and sticking to it, I am down 20 pounds which is a 1/4 of the way to my personal goal.

What was really amazing as it has never happened before, I went through the Holiday season and only gained 1/2 a pound, usually I am good to gain 7 or more! This gym is truly like no other, there is never any pressure to attend and participate in all the many other things they offer. They make coming to training fun. Where else can you wear a tutu on a Tuesday in October, wear all my many Christmas hats, hear a good joke and share a common goal with people........to get more fit. Due to my school schedule I now go to the 4:00 p.m. class and feel just as welcome as I did in the ladies only class. I wasn't sure about working out with men at my age, but they are just as encouraging and non-judgmental.

This is another special thing about this gym, you can jump into any class that fits your schedule for the day and everyone in it is so welcoming and supportive. The Get Fit Coaches are so caring, where else would you get an email to check in if you missed a class? Where else would your fellow trainees notice that you weren't in class and tell you you were missed when you didn't come to class for a week? Where else do your coaches and fellow trainees ask if there is anything they can do to help when you are struggling in class or your personal life? The personal attention given compares to nothing I have ever experienced. Their motto of "Make It Happen" is something I now believe I can do, I already made my number one reason for joining Happen, to get stronger and my number two reason is a work in progress that with their continued support I know I will achieve too. Thank you to everyone I have met and that have encouraged me to keep going these past six months. I can't wait to see changes will occur in the next 6 months and beyond."

Keep Making It Happen, Pam, and always keep smiling. It's contagious!

-Coach Nancy

​

Good morning crew. I have made the decision to close our facilities for this morning, Tuesday January 24, 2017. As of right now we ARE planning to be open this afternoon and evening, stay tuned!

Between the 1/4 inch of ice on the windshields to the freezing rain that is coming down now and the roads like skating rinks, I do not want you or the team here to risk going out.

Snow is one thing - as you know we have not closed during snow yet this year. But what is going on out there this morning is entirely another animal.

So if you early folks want to crawl back in bed for an hour or so, the extra recovery won't hurt.

HOWEVER, if you are already up and at it, and you just gotta get that body moving (and who doesn't), here are some training videos from the archives to tide you over!

And please, if and when you go out - drive safely!​

I am happy to shine the light on Marybeth. She has been training with us for just over four years and has come so far! I love that I get to see such a drastic change in people on a daily basis. Anything from confidence to strength to mobility to knowledge. It is all powerful and encouraging stuff to watch someone soak in. Marybeth has done just that these past 4 years. I have seen her body change. She is significantly stronger. She can knock out push ups and she even helps lead her group from time to time. I can always count on Marybeth to have a smile, a positive attitude and incredible work ethic. Here is what she has to say about her training with Get Fit NH.

I have always tried to live an active lifestyle. When I was a stay at home mom, I played tennis, and loved to go to the gym and attend spinning and strength training classes. But after having to go back to work full-time, I struggled to balance work, kids and staying active. So for about a year and a half I didn't workout at all and felt unhealthy and out of shape. One day in class I was talking to a coworker (Muriel Hall) and she was telling me about her workout that morning...push ups, squats, the ski erg, jump roping, burpees (what's that?). I was definitely interested and thought that was right up my alley.

I started 4 years ago and absolutely love it at Get Fit NH!! After starting, I was sore in places that I didn't think I could be sore, but it was a good sore. I loved how strong and good I was feeling about myself again. We all have our ups and downs when we are getting back on track or starting something new and I'm no different. So as I started to slack in going to training, my coach was right there ready to email me to find out why I wasn't at training that day. I was surprised at first to hear from her but was also happy to know that Get Fit NH cares about my success. The combination of training and good healthy eating  has changed my body. It's amazing how important they both are to your fitness success. I've been able to keep my weight consistent, and I love how my clothes fit!

Get Fit NH has been the best fit for me...I love the training, the coaches are awesome and push me to always be better, and that's what I tell people who are on the fence about going to training. I look forward to seeing my friends, coworkers and all the trainers at training 4 days a week, and that's what keeps me going back. People ask me where I go to "workout" and I tell them that I "train" at Get Fit NH!!

There you have it. Real people. Real results. Marybeth has worked through some significant injuries and modified where she needed to. She has never given up and because of that she is strong, fit, and always searching to improve. Thank you for choosing to train with us Marybeth. You are a wonderful part of my day.

Coach Meagan​

And this time it's Leslie Thompson that's thrown right into the middle of the it! Leslie has been a student of ours since before I even became a coach. I can tell you, however, that just in the time I have been coaching at Get Fit, I have even seen a change in her. Screening out of bands left and right, working hard and having a positive attitude every time. Always enjoying coming in. Here are some words from Leslie herself about her journey...

"I chose Get Fit NH because my neighbor, Sheila, recommended it. I was looking for something for me. Something that I could do for myself. Plus, I was sick of feeling achy all the time and really out of shape. So I thought I'd give it a try. My first few weeks I was really, really sore. But I liked that feeling, I still do. It makes me aware that my body has muscles. And that they are meant to be used. I began to feel strong and flexible. Everything in my life started to become easier. I could run laps around my old self at my job. I had so much more energy. And my body began to feel looser but stronger at the same time

My goal at Get Fit NH is to continue. To continue to go. To continue to commit to myself and my health. I love it. Sure, when I get there at 6:45 pm, I am usually crawling in. But, I am always glad that I went, glad that I trained. Glad that I spend that hour on myself. Get Fit NH has helped me in so many ways. Physically, of course. But mentally and emotional as well. I am stronger and more assertive, in a good way. I am my own advocate now. This is my life and it is what I make of it. My favorite part of Get Fit NH is the fact that I LOVE to go. It is a strange concept, I know. But I am hooked. And I am thrilled about it!"

Like I said above, just in the time that I have been at Get Fit I have seen a change in Leslie. I wanted to make sure people were made aware of how hard she works and what she has accomplished. I am extremely proud to be her coach! Keep up the hard work, Leslie!

Coach Adam

In December and January we have been experimenting with assigned monthly goals using the mystery box. I have to tell you- the response and compliance since we tested this out has been much better than when students were setting their own goals- why is that?

Goal setting is a skill. We expect a lot from ourselves sometimes. Like losing 10 pounds in a month. That’s a huge goal. Achievable- sure for some, but certainly not likely unless something else in your life changes. Meaning training alone ain’t gonna melt those pounds and inches off.

Or sometimes we don’t expect ENOUGH from ourselves. Meaning you are avoiding the areas that truly need the attention. So where’s the balance? How do you know what is right for you? Well for starters- that is what your coach is for, but also focusing on habits /behaviors not numbers.

The purpose of assigning goals is to get away from the numbers like losing X inches, losing X pounds, etc. That is all well and good, but it is the habits and behaviors that make those numbers change. So as we migrate back to setting our own goals I want you to take that into consideration. The numbers will change if the behaviors change.

Make it happen,
Coach Meagan

For the final installment of the Smart Supplementation Series, I am going to share with you the bulletproof vest of nutritional supplements: a multivitamin.

A multivitamin can prove to be extremely beneficial by filling the holes in your dietary nutrition. Check out the 4 reasons why YOU could benefit from a multivitamin:

1. If your intake is below maintenance needs. For those of us who have a fat loss goal in mind, it is often necessary to consume less than what your body was previously used to in food volume. This can lead to lost vitamins or minerals with simply not enough food to fulfill the Recommended Dietary Allowance of certain nutrients.
2. If you are suffering from allergies or intolerances. Inability to eat certain foods due to allergies and/or intolerances is the unfortunate reality of many individuals. In order to make up for lost nutrients, a multivitamin can provide what you may be missing.
3. If you limit food choices. I 100% respect vegetarians and vegans. Research supports plant-based diets to promote long term health, free of chronic disease. However, when entire food groups are cut out, a multitude of required nutrients go along with them.
4. If you are a picky eater. While I promote choosing nutritious foods a majority of the time, food is meant to be enjoyed, not despised. For individuals who have tried to incorporate fruits and vegetables with limited success, a multivitamin is your safety net to fill in the holes.
   

As a dietitian, I will ALWAYS promote a food first approach. An eating plan consisting of balance and a variety of fruits, vegetables, lean protein sources, and healthy fats will provide the most important nutrients you need. However, there are certain instances where food alone is simply not enough.

A fantastic way to determine if you are deficient in certain nutrients is to track your intake for a couple of days. Using a calorie counter (like MyFitnessPal) that breaks down each day into macro and micronutrients can show what nutrients you are getting enough of and where you could use extra support. Think of tracking your intake as a short experiment. You won’t need to track calories forever. But tracking can be an extremely useful tool in this case.

Make an appointment with your physician to have blood work done and see if deficiencies are present. From there you can determine the multivitamin most appropriate for you. An example of a good whole vitamin we typically recommend at Get Fit NH is Beverly International’s Fit Tabs. For now, keep eating a wide variety of vegetables, fruits, meat, fish, and healthy fats to secure your bulletproof vest!

Eating for Health Every Day,
Coach Kristen