5 Ways Sta-Fit’s Spark Program Changed Abbey’s Life

I've been a member at Sta-Fit for over three years now, and for the most part I've been pretty religious about going four or five times every week. That is until early this past spring.

When I fell off the workout wagon, I fell hard. I took a good two-and-a-half months off from pretty much any physical activity, and to top it off, I was fueling my body with a steady diet of cheese puffs. I knew I had to do something to get back on track, and that's when I saw a post on Facebook from Sta-Fit saying their next "Six Week Challenge" was starting soon. I thought I'd give it a go and see if it could get me back on track. Guess what? It did!

Here are the five ways joining the program changed my life:

• Accountability -- Both from coaches and the people I met. With the 6 AM group I have found it's usually the same people attending day-after-day and I got to know them. It makes it easier to wake up and go to those early morning classes if I told everyone the day before  I'd "see you tomorrow". In addition to that, Brenda who is head of the program checks in weekly to make sure things are going well and answer any questions I have.
  
• A Group Workout That's Also Just For You -- All the exercises are laid out and explained at the beginning of the class, but not everybody in class is the same. Some have been at it for a couple years. Some just started. Some have joint issues (me). Some are young and limber. Everyone is in a different place and the coaches are great at making sure I'm doing what I can to get the most out of the movement without injuring myself further. Safety and health are their top concern.
• Nutrition Education -- When I signed up there was a "New Member Orientation" meeting. I got a thorough rundown of the foods I should be fueling my body with, when to eat what, and ideas for clean eating. I learned so much in just that hour-and-a-half and it has made all the difference in my meal planning for the week.
  
• Realistic Goal-Setting -- Going into this, I thought for sure I needed to lose 10 pounds. But with the 'Six Week Challenge," I got a "Styku" scan that gives you a 3D scan of your body, measurements, fat-to-muscle ratios, BMI, everything. Brenda took a look at mine and told me losing weight wouldn't be my best option. She suggested a goal of losing 2% body fat and gaining three pounds of muscle. If it hadn't been for that help with realistic goal-setting, I would be trying to reach a goal that was unattainable.
• A Physical and Mental Change -- I think differently about the foods I'm putting into my body -- on workout days and not. I know now what foods to eat to give me the energy to get through my day, and I don't find myself reaching for the sweet  stuff as much -- which is insane for me: I have a really bad sweet tooth. But with the education and the workouts, I've started to crave what is healthier and what's going to benefit me in the long run. Also those early morning classes have changed my internal clock. After just three weeks, waking up at 7 AM feels like sleeping in!

I'm over halfway though the six weeks and I'm already feeling better than I have in over a year. This program really is changing my life. In just three weeks my endurance has improved, and I'm starting to lift heavier weights with more ease. I've also noticed a boost in my overall mood, which must be from the endorphins my body makes during workouts. If this is how I'm feeling now, I can't wait to see where I'm at at the end of six weeks!

A really great thing with Sta-Fit's "Six Week Challenge" is that you don't need to be a member to sign up! The cost of the program for the six weeks includes a membership for that time so you have complete use of all three locations, plus your Spark classes. Click here to learn more and get started!