Curiosity, Commitment, and a Positive Spirit
Celebrating My Clients - Liz S.
From Karen:
Liz shows up ready to learn, is a behind-the-scenes support system for me, and is a constant reminder of why my work is rewarding and important. I appreciate her so much!
I first met Liz at Summit Health and Fitness in Flagstaff in 2018; she came to me as a personal trainer. At first, she wanted me to write effective and safe workouts that she could do on her own for a few weeks at a time. She was warm and positive, and I knew we would make a great team right from the start. From how she approached training, I already knew a few things about her. If she wanted workouts that she could do on her own, she was committed to her fitness, was independent, and had discipline and dedication. These things are a must for getting and staying fit. I concluded that because she came to a fitness professional, she knew a trainer would be beneficial in some way. Looking at her background, I presumed she was in better shape than the average person because she was retiring from a physically active career.
I also knew she was in for a surprise! Many people think fitness is simple and there isn’t much to it, really. They think that doing it on their own will give them reasonable results, and they feel confident about their safety. Things change for them when they begin to learn all the nuances of fitness, from excellent form, sports, and aging nutrition to how fascia influences movement, and even resistance training modalities like volume and contraction type. They realize there is much more to fitness than slinging around a dumbbell, jumping on an elliptical machine, or walking three to four miles a day.
I love that Liz has been so open to learning about fitness, nutrition, and health because it is a lifetime endeavor full of fun and reward. She is enthusiastic and so fun to train, a wonderful member of the training group, and a dedicated class participant. She is also supportive of me. After many classes or group trainings, she will text me that she enjoyed class and add how she benefited from it. These simple texts lift my spirit and make my day brighter because I know I am doing a good job. I am very grateful for her encouragement. I hope she and I have many more years of learning about fitness and health together!
“Karen has had a great influence on my life in how I can keep myself strong as the years go by. Her wealth of knowledge and interest in people’s health and wellness is inspiring.”
From Liz:
I am a 67-year-old retired US Forest Service (FS) employee. I worked for the USFS for 40 years in a variety of capacities and locations throughout the US. I began with the FS doing a lot of hiking, firefighting, and other physically demanding work. Toward the end of my career, I spent a lot of time behind a desk on a computer and didn't get outside nearly enough.
While I knew staying in shape was important in my various jobs, I never really understood the importance of form and posture, how to lift correctly, the various muscles involved in what I was doing, and nutrition.
I began working with Karen around 2018 at the Summit gym around the time I retired. At that time, I asked her to write me a workout that I could focus on for a week or so, and then change it up for the next week or so. I also attended an early morning group session with Karen once or twice a week (I seem to remember it as a combination of Pilates and stretch).
Once COVID hit and the Summit gym closed, Karen began teaching Zoom classes, and I attended those, lifting weights, stretching, and doing Pilates in group classes. What a difference those classes have made for me!
I was learning proper form to safely lift greater amounts of weight, what muscles were being worked, nutrition, and the latest health news breakthroughs. All from being one of Karen’s clients! And what a difference it made being in a group setting! It made the classes so much more fun than working out on my own with one workout routine. Karen varies each class workout, and there’s always something new to learn. And she keeps an eye on all of us to ensure we’re working out safely.
I’ve also done 3 Healing Touch sessions with Karen. If you haven’t attended one of her sessions, I highly recommend it! It is so relaxing and enlightening! You will come out feeling great!
Karen has had a great influence on my life in how I can keep myself strong as the years go by. Her wealth of knowledge and interest in people’s health and wellness is inspiring. I hope to keep learning from and working out with Karen as long as I can to stay in the best shape I can be.