Rianne has been doing sports for a long time and for the last three years under the guidance of a personal trainer. When the attention for her back problems slackened and she started to miss the personal touch, she decided to visit Happy Bodies. Rianne was immediately sold. In this blog she tells why she chose Happy Bodies and what makes this concept so unique.
Before I came to Happy Bodies, I trained for years at a large gym. It wasn't a huge gym, where people only come to show their muscles, but a friendly gym, with fun classes where young and old are welcome. At some point I hired a personal trainer, because I wanted more personal guidance with my back problems. I did that for three years, but after a while it started to go downhill. The attention for my back problems slackened and it wasn't as 'personal' as I wanted.
Here in the shopping street of Heemstede there is a branch of Happy Bodies, within walking distance of my house. I had already peeked inside regularly, but I had not yet gotten around to going inside. At one point I cycled past and the traffic light on the corner of the street turned red. Then I thought, this is the moment! I turned around and spontaneously went inside. Coincidentally, one of the trainers had a cancellation, so she was able to make time for me on the spot. We got into a super nice conversation and I was immediately 'converted'.
That was mid-May of this year and my first ticket is only just full, but I can already say that I am very pleased with it. What I like about Happy Bodies is that it all looks quite simple on the outside, but that it is very diverse and advanced. The employees know how to motivate you really well and what really appeals to me is that all your data is registered. If you do an exercise less well, the computer registers it immediately. Recently a trainer was standing in the Milon circle looking at me and I asked him if he was learning the names of the athletes. 'No', he said, 'I see that you have a whistle next to one of the devices.' He could see from that that I had not raised that device for 21 days. So nothing escapes their attention. And - very helpfully - he was able to immediately arrange for me to have the device set a bit heavier via his tablet.
I have completely rediscovered the personal side of coaching here. The trainers correct you immediately if you are not sitting properly on a piece of equipment. This is also a way for athletes to learn from each other. When I hear someone else getting instructions, I immediately wonder if I have the right posture. The coaches are very accessible; they not only help you, but are also always up for a chat.
At Happy Bodies in Heemstede, we have, just like at a number of other locations, recently installed the Milon You. With this, the trainers can perform all kinds of fun tests, such as the sarcopenia test. But they can also calculate your muscle age. The trainer came to me and said he wanted to tell me something fun: my muscle age turned out to be 47, twelve years younger than my actual age! They present these kinds of things with such enthusiasm that it feels like a real gift. Isn't that fantastic?!
What I also like is that you can easily start a conversation with other athletes if you want to. You just notice that not everyone is only busy for themselves, but that there is real interaction between people. You don't have to meet your best friends at the sports club, but it is still a lot more fun than at such a large, impersonal gym. The social aspect makes training a lot more fun and motivating.
I have also started with the VYTAL nutrition app, because I would like to lose some weight. It is quite difficult to stick to eating plans and follow what the app says about what and how often and how much you should eat. Nevertheless, the trainers know how to keep me on track. It is not just another new diet, that does not suit me and is also difficult to maintain in the long term. You just learn to deal with food differently. I am curious!
Want to know more about how to exercise effectively by training twice for 35 minutes every ten days, under the guidance of your own personal lifestyle coach? Then take the membership test and sign up for a free personal introductory meeting and tour of the club. We bet you'll be sold right away!
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