If you’ve been following our makchic #MakfitChallenge series towards the end of last year, then you’d be familiar with Kimberly, Liyana and Nora’s personal training journey with Coach David at MOVE Private Fitness, Damansara Heights. After four months of learning (and unlearning), strength training, sweating it out and sharing the ins-and-outs of their transformation with our #makchicmumsquad, here’s what our three mamas have to say:
Kimberly’s experience
Some people hit the gym as a way of relieving stress. Others prefer hunkering down with a good book, or taking a calming walk in nature. Me? I’ve always been of the “stressed is desserts spelled backwards” variety – an emotional eater with a severely sweet tooth and an aversion to exercise that bordered on the allergic (racing heart, flushed skin, constant sweating, shortness of breath? No, thank you).
But when the opportunity arose to train under Coach David, I took it as a sign to finally take stock of my flagging fitness. Our journey began with a nutritional assessment of our daily food intake – detailing the meals we would usually consume, which helped us to stay more mindful about eating healthier – and a physical assessment to chart our goals, strengths and personal challenges. As the weeks of targeted strength training progressed, slowly but surely, my mindset started to shift.
I learned ways of moving more effectively, of honing my strength, staying safe, increasing my awareness of my own body and stretching myself (both physically and mentally). I began making better dietary choices – cutting down on my sweets, increasing my protein intake in lieu of carbs, stocking up on healthy snacks when the cravings hit – and miraculously, started enjoying the process of making these changes and seeing the resulting changes in me.
Four months in, I feel stronger, more alert and better about myself. My family has also seen these positive changes and I’d like to think I’m helping to set more of an example with my kids when it comes to advocating the importance of staying active and keeping fit.
Will I be able to maintain this healthier version of me, in this new year? I certainly hope so. I’ve seen the encouraging results and I don’t want to go back to the way things were before. But if my time at MOVE has taught me one thing, it’s not to strive for perfection but to aim instead for consistency. So bit by bit, day by day, I’m going to keep remembering this and hopefully, keep staying the course.
Liyana’s experience
I’ve always been a skinny person and my weight wasn’t something I gave much thought to. However, as I approached my 40s, and after birthing four kids, I could feel my stamina decreasing. I was always falling sick and was starting to feel aches and pains in my lower back and my knees (le sigh). I knew my body needed me to exercise, but the idea of going to the gym intimidated me. I felt insecure at the thought of being in a room filled with ‘hot and fit mums‘, strutting around in their sports bras.
But MOVE was really welcoming. They have clients from varying backgrounds; those that are recovering from injury, post-natal mothers, senior citizens, and of course, the ones who just want to get ripped. What I appreciated the most was how Coach David took the time to understand our lifestyles, our current state – both mentally and physically, what we hoped to achieve – and tailored a personalised programme to help us get there. With his certification in Pre-Post Natal fitness by Acefitness, I felt that David also had a better understanding of what my body and mind have been through, and what it needs to be better and stronger for myself and my young family.
Since I started my journey, it’s been rewarding not only seeing the results in myself, but also in how my kids are starting to make small changes in their own habits. They have been reading ingredients on labels, asking me about the healthy options when reading menus in restaurants, and being more mindful about keeping their bodies moving.
Don’t get me wrong – they still love their candies and would chose their iPad over going for walks with me; however, having the awareness of what’s good for their bodies now would, I hope, guide them towards making better choices for themselves in the future.
Nora’s experience
I’ve been a regular to exercise for years now, but have only seen actual, sustainable results after training with Coach David. My physical results may be commendable, but that isn’t the life-changing part about my journey with MOVE. Like their motto “move well, live well”, this experience has been the most transformative in how I make choices in my daily life.
Having more energy every day allows me to be more present with my family, and more purposeful with my interactions and activities. I have been able to regulate my own emotions so much better and thus, I have been able to help my young children during their own difficult moments, in a much more effective way.
Without my regular upper backaches, performing daily chores also feels so much easier – especially when I’m more mindful of postural alignments as I bend down or lift heavy things. I can now carry these knowledge throughout my life to “live well” indeed.
It’s also heartwarming to see my husband and kids start becoming more active, and to be able to do a lot more with them!
makchic’s personal training sessions were was sponsored by MOVE Private Fitness. The writers’ opinions, however, are solely their own. To learn more about MOVE Private Fitness’ range of services, please visit their website or Instagram, or drop them a WhatsApp message.
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