Client Spotlights
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1. Tell us a bit about yourself and about your fitness journey before starting LYB?

I am a mom of two small children (11 months and 3). I’ve always been an active person and very much enjoyed yoga and pilates. I found that while these were great for mental health and relaxation, I needed more to take fitness to the next level. I have done other bootcamp style workouts before but struggled with motivation/making time in my schedule. Prior to joining LYB, I went back to work from home after the birth of my daughter during peak pandemic lockdown and I found myself in my house, in a chair, and in front of a screen forming unhealthy habits.

2. How did you hear about LYB and when did you start?

I heard about LYB on social media in November 2020 when I was looking for a way to stay active/improve my mental health during pandemic lockdowns. I wanted to support a local business offering online workouts thinking I could go in person once restrictions lifted.

3. How has your experience with LYB been so far?

LYB has been an important staple in my life for rehabbing my body following two pregnancies. My levels of fitness and body have fluctuated so much during the family-building stage of my life but trainers at LYB have always helped me feel supported to make working out accessible. I had great results using personal training during my last pregnancy which kept me motivated to show up to the gym until 32 weeks. Working out into the third trimester really helped me feel like I could get back to the gym sooner after my son was born because I missed the community and had already made it part of my routine.  Also, Kate texted me and asked when she could meet the baby and see me back in the gym. 

4. What is your favourite class?

My 11 month old son Freddie and I are regulars at the 11:00 am Family Bootcamp on weekdays. It’s been really great to meet such an awesome community of women and their little ones during mat leave. Freddie has also made some pals his age and appreciates his welcome hug from Katherine upon arrival. For kid-free workouts I like Strength + Condition on Monday nights with Nicole because her playlist & energy never disappoint.

5. What are your upcoming goals / plans for your fitness journey?

Short term: Working on pull-ups and hangs. Keep up with my workouts once mat leave is over.
Long term: Continue to build strength to keep up with my kids and maintain good mental health. 

6. What’s your best advice for anyone new to LYB?

Be consistent and show up a few times a week. You’ll be surprised at your progress and the results you can achieve. The support and encouragement of the trainers has improved my confidence in a gym environment.  I’ve learned new skills like pull ups, box jumps, and how to use a barbell. I definitely couldn’t do any of these things at 8 weeks postpartum but I’ve been coming regularly for past 9 months of mat leave and these things are now in my wheelhouse. 

1. Tell us a bit about yourself and about your fitness journey before starting LYB?

Growing up, ballet was my passion and all my fitness time was dedicated to ballet. In adulthood, I transitioned to taking one ballet class a week. Knowing I wanted to complement this, I tried different approaches to see what worked for me: different gyms, yoga studios, at-home programs, even organized sports (hard pass!).

2. How did you hear about LYB and when did you start?

In the Fall of 2022, my partner’s colleague invited me to do a two-week trial with her after she did a fundraising event at LYB. Since I live in the neighbourhood, I agreed to give it a try. The timing was great because I was looking to return to in-person exercising after mostly at-home workouts during the pandemic. I’ve been working out at LYB ever since!

3. How has your experience with LYB been so far?

I love the friendly and open atmosphere, supportive staff, and variety of classes. I have also enjoyed getting to know other clients! 

4. What is your favourite class?

Athletic conditioning! Cardio has never been a strength of mine so it’s been fun to push myself and see improvement in these classes.

5. What are your upcoming goals / plans for your fitness journey?

 My main fitness plan at this stage in life is to be fit and have fun! I find exercise a great way to take care of my mental health, especially during my work week, so my goal is to make it to 5 classes a week. 

6. What’s your best advice for anyone new to LYB?

I like to think of exercise as an important part of my everyday life, like eating and showering. In this sense, I try to make exercise a habit and do what I can on any given day. My advice to others would be make it a habit.

1.  Tell us a bit about yourself and about your fitness journey before starting LYB?

I moved here from France after meeting my Ottawa-raised better half in Spain and I knew I couldn’t live far from him after just a few months! Growing up, I would stand out as the artistic kid of the family, focusing on dancing and playing the guitar, when every weekend, my parents would be busy competing in triathlons and my brother winning basketball games. I had a few bad experiences when I tried team sports at a young age, I was usually stuck on the sidelines as the “chubby” kid, and I think that is when I developed a bad relationship with exercise. I would only workout to lose weight, to try to fit in more, but in the end, I wasn’t having much fun.

2. How did you hear about LYB and when did you start?

Moving to Canada helped me start my fitness journey on a clean slate; I started playing soccer for the first time, and this really helped me reconcile with sport in general while building a community in my new home country. Through this sport, I met amazing women who pushed me to get better and were so supportive on and off the field! I started loving running again, and I got to learn about LYB through one of the races I did, where I got a coupon to try classes at this gym for 2 weeks. I then signed up for 4 months, and for a full year right after, and I have had no regrets!

3. How has your experience with LYB been so far?

I love how judgment-free this gym is, how supportive all the coaches and admin team are, and how much my mental and physical health have improved since I joined in November 2022.

4. What is your favourite class?

It’s hard to pick my favorite class, but my go-tos are the Strength + Condition and the Athletic Conditioning classes, they are fun but challenging workouts!

5. What are your upcoming goals / plans for your fitness journey?

I love how much stronger these workouts made me; I used to have a lot of back and hip issues, and these workouts definitely helped me get rid of them! I’m currently training for my first official half-marathon (wish me luck!) but one of my long-term fitness goal is to stay active and consistent while listening to my body, so going for a walk instead of a workout some of the days if that is all my body can do.

6. Whats your best advice for anyone new to LYB?

My best advice for anyone new to LYB would be to try as many classes as you can to see what is your best fit, and also to not hesitate to ask for help during the classes if you’re not sure how to properly do some of the movements, the coaches are here to help and super knowledgeable.

1.  Tell us a bit about yourself and about your fitness journey before starting LYB?

I’m a mom of three small children (6, 4, and 2). I was a competitive gymnast and cheerleader growing up. When I stopped gymnastics I then went on to coach. My love for sports and nutrition continued to grow.  I graduated from Health Sciences where I learnt so much and turned fitness/nutrition into a passion of mine. I love all types of exercise—running, strength training, yoga, biking. Since having kids, my fitness has been something I prioritize for my mental and physical health.

2. How did you hear about LYB and when did you start?

My sister moved away to another province this past year and she asked if I wanted to join the 2 week trial with LYB. It was so nice to be able to workout together and motivate each other to be consistent with our workouts.

I started in January and it’s been so easy to stay consistent with so many live classes to chose from and such nice instructors.

3. How has your experience with LYB been so far?

The online workouts have been amazing for me. I would not be able to make it to the gym with a full time job and three children as often as I do from home.  There are different options to choose from each day. While still not always easy, I try to plan my week out and stick to it.  You’ll find me working out while my three littles play in the background . 

4. What is your favourite class?

I enjoy all the online classes and yoga.
I love the balance of strength training with the stretching.

5. What are your upcoming goals / plans for your fitness journey?

Stay consistent and have fun. 

6. Whats your best advice for anyone new to LYB?

 Just start. The days I don’t feel like working out I put my work clothes on anyways and that step usually motivates me to move my body.

1. Tell us a bit about yourself and about your fitness journey before starting LYB?

I’m a working mom with a 2.5 year old and a demanding career, and rely upon my movement and meditation practices as a way to steady and ground me. Having immigrated to Canada as a child, I didn’t grow up at all athletic and didn’t have much exposure to many of the opportunities we may often take for granted here – instead I found my way to wellness when I was in university. Since then I’ve fallen in love with yoga and spending time in the great outdoors with stand paddle boarding in the summer, skiing in the winter and running and hiking throughout the year. However, I was never a gym rat and I didn’t seriously begin strength training until I gave birth to my daughter and like many others, had to really work to regain strength.

2. How did you hear about LYB and when did you start?

I’ve been following Kate for some time and when my previous gym closed during the pandemic, I knew that LYB would be my perfect new fitness home.

3. How has your experience with LYB been so far?

I’ve been loving my experience with LYB. I love the small class sizes, the personalized attention during class, and the general sense of community feel every time I walk through the doors. As a former “non-gym” person, I love that I never have to feel ashamed or embarrassed because I don’t know or can’t do something. I also love knowing that if I had to, I could bring my toddler with me in a pinch and I could invite any of my friends and family knowing that they would feel welcome. 

4. What is your favourite class?

Strength and conditioning as I like learning new strength techniques that I would likely not venture to do on my own.

5. What are your upcoming goals / plans for your fitness journey?

I am all about making small, doable changes to continually improve my wellness. Right now I am all about increasing weight in strength exercises, and refining movements, and going harder during conditioning to hit those target zones. Compared to life before my daughter, I have much more limited time to dedicate to my fitness so I am really trying to maximize my time and effort.

6. What’s your best advice for anyone new to LYB?

Don’t be afraid to ask questions and for help. The coaches are there to support you and the more they know how they can help you, the more you will be more comfortable and grow.

I’ve been an Online Bootcamp-er with LYB since October 2020! Being active was always important to me but it always felt like I was guessing what to do at best, and strength training was definitely out of my comfort zone. 

In 2020, I was going through a lot – I was depressed and had some really tough days/weeks. I struggled with being consistent with my workouts. My friend recommended LYB to me and it was exactly what I needed to feel stronger, physically and mentally. 

Kate and the team of trainers are incredible – they’re always there to discuss my goals with me and help me find solutions to overcome any challenges in the way of staying on track. They’re amazing about giving advice on technique and mobility and encouraging me to increase weight when they see I’m ready to (don’t be fooled by Zoom – they don’t miss a thing!).

Last Fall, I signed up for the 12-week LYB nutrition program. What I learned from that program stays with me every day. It was the first time I ever lost weight in a healthy way (not just from stress) and I learned a lot about how to eat so that my body feels good for my workouts and for life. 

This October will be 2 years since I started the online program. My body’s so much stronger and that strength makes me feel more confident in my daily life. I’m confident that I can do a challenging exercise; give my 9 year old niece a piggyback ride; lift the ‘heavy’ things that people think I can’t lift. And I love that I’ve found a program that I can stick with for years to come – no more guesswork.

Don’t let excuses get in the way of getting started. The 30 minute workouts are possible to do any time, anywhere, and the guidance that this team gives you through whatever life brings is a game changer!