1. Tell us about yourself. How did you start working out with DanceFIT?
I’m Lindsey, a 30-something full time working mom of two young boys (5 ½ and 3), from Holliston. I’m lucky in that I was born into a family who believed in teaching me how to respect my mind and body with good food and fun in the form of exercise from a very young age. Both have been a fundamental part of my life for as long as I can remember, though more recently I’ve found I have to try harder to keep them up. This is where my amazing husband comes in, as he is the #1 biggest supporter of me finding time to remain healthy and strong.
I became increasingly aware of DanceFIT through a friend’s FB posts over the past year or so. It started with a bit of intrigue; having danced from ages 3-15, I’ve often considering returning to the studio, but the Brookline location was too far away. Then I realized the virtual option. My intrigue moved to fascination as I looked into this piece of the DanceFIT offering, concluding it was a brilliant move on the part of one “Gina Fay”, a woman I was really beginning to hold in celebrity status.
Returning to dance was feeling more possible for me, but now it was about working up the courage. Having been out of the game for 20 years, and recently had 2 kids, was I really ready to take an adult ballet class? Via Skype, no less? Months passed and Katrina (aforementioned friend and avid DanceFitter) wrote with excitement, to tell me that a new studio was opening in Natick. This was my chance; I signed up immediately and haven’t looked back!
2. As a Virtual Client AND In-Studio client, how has working out with DanceFIT changed your workout routine?
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The ability to take in-studio and virtual classes has actually GIVEN me a workout routine for the first time since having kids.
I’ve been an avid runner for 20 years and dedicated yogi for 10+, but since having kids, my time is limited. In the summer months, I spend most of my limited workout time pounding the pavement and in the winter months I take it indoors to an almost exclusively yoga regime. This has inadvertently become my case simply because I don’t have enough time to go around, or was restricted to optimal weather conditions and limited class times. When things come up (changes in the kids’ health or schedule, changes with my husband’s work schedule) a workout was the first thing to go in order to keep all of the other balls in the air.
In the past, I might be able to get to the yoga studio or go for a run once a week. I’d feel great after that workout, but the next time the stars ould align to do it again, I’d feel like I was starting from scratch. With DanceFIT, I can build myself a workout schedule for the week that might only get me to the studio one or two days, but keeps me engaged with virtual sessions in between. I’m working out 3-4 days/week again and I’m actually seeing progress with my strength and fitness for the first time in 6+ years!
3. What songs on your playlist keep you motivated during a workout?
Funny, just a few weeks ago I mentioned to Gina that the music she was playing that night made it a much better workout for me. I love songs with a great beat and fast pace, lyrics I can sing along and zone out to. My family has always loved music, so I feel it and therefore need to connect to it in order to have a great workout. My current running playlist includes anything from Mumford and Sons and Dave Matthews, to a ton of Rihanna, JayZ, JT, and even a few Britney songs.
4. What is your favorite DanceFIT class and why?
Oh, to pick just one. I’d say my favorite is the HOT BalletFIT class with Gina. I love a heated class, and the way she kicks my butt…with a smile. A very very close second is Kari’s Barre and Tone. I love the pace, her style, and the areas she targets through the different phases of the class.
5. Tell our readers what your favorite go-to pre-workout snack is!
Protein! I love Cliff bars or to snack on a handful of mixed nuts.
6. What is your best piece of fitness advice or inspiration?
Be kind to yourself; especially the ladies. It’s not about what size you wear or how much you weigh. It’s about feeling strong, respecting your body and the connection it makes with your mind. We all make bad food choices here and there, choose a good night’s sleep over a workout, or have life get in the way from our best intentions from time to time. Don’t beat yourself up, get discouraged, or throw in the towel. Move on…and get back on track.
What inspires me to stay focused is my family. I want to set a good example for my kids; teach them to have a strong and healthy lifestyle from an early age, just as my family did for me. I also like them to see that I work hard and don’t give up, that it takes commitment and effort to be healthy. I also want to be the best wife and mother I can be for them, and be around as long as possible to enjoy this beautiful little life we’ve built together!
7. What is your FIT fashion? What do you usually wear for workouts?
I’m proud to report that DanceFIT has also inspired me to turn in my old sweats and/or desperately worn yoga pants in for some new digs. I am a huge fan of the GapFit line and very recently treated myself to a pair of legwarmers that take me back to childhood ;)
8. What do you tell your friends and family when they ask about why you love DanceFIT so much?
I tell them all that they should come!! In all seriousness, I rave about the fun of the classes, the location, the virtual option, the class times, the great instructors….and I honestly encourage everyone I know to join me for a class, or to go check it out. I really love what Gina has built, what DanceFIT stands for through her mission and inspiration, and adore her spirit. I enjoy supporting it all!
9. What were you most nervous about coming to your first DanceFIT class? What was your first experience like?
I was nervous that I’d be the old lady who wanted to believe I still had a dancing bone in my body (but didn’t) and that I’d be surrounded by people who were much more capable and graceful than I was. My first experience was nothing like that at all! I was welcomed to the class and community, I saw familiar faces and many smiles, and I received an email following to thank me for coming and inviting any questions or feedback. I couldn’t wait to go back.
10. You mentioned in an email to Gina how graceful you are feeling, can you please share with others some of the exercises you do in balletFIT that promote grace & flexibility?
Well let me just say that graceful to me, may still be far from graceful to the dancing community. But, yes - I feel great. Not only when I’m in class, but when I’m walking around the house, when I’m practicing yoga and can find extension in new ways, when I’m running and I feel light and strong. I attribute it to the time spent at the barre, a stronger core and back, consistent cardio, deep stretching, targeted strengthening, and focus on flexibility.
11. We saw a great Instagram photo of your kids doing yoga with you. It looks like your FIT lifestyle is contagious. What FIT tips do you want to pass onto your kids as they grow up.
My kids love to exercise and think it is super cool to put on workout clothes, run around, play sports, practice yoga, ride their bikes, and going for hikes. I’d like to think it’s more than just DNA and that we’re doing something right as parents by showing them how fun it is to be healthy. They see the excitement we have for our own opportunities to work out, which leave them feeling inspired. That night that I posted to Instagram, the boys knew I had been looking forward to virtual yoga/ballet flow with Emily alllllll day. They’d heard me reminding my husband that I had class that night; they’d heard us joking about who was going to log more workouts that week (a little competition helps keep us motivated). Out of the blue, my older son whispered to my younger and they both ran upstairs. They got their ‘exercise stuff’ on, asked me to roll out their yoga mats, and insisted they had a yoga class on the computer at 6:50 that they just couldn’t miss. I found their energy adorable and wanted to ensure I supported their belief that looking forward to a good yoga session made them supremely cool. I cued up a recorded yoga session I had on DVR, telling them their instructor asked if he could do the class on the tv rather than the laptop and they obliged. They held their own in a 50 minute instructor led session like nobody’s business. And they slept like angels :)
They’re also amazing eaters, both loving fruits and vegetables and leaving many other parents in awe. I don’t say that in a boastful way, but rather to inspire other parents because we really haven’t done anything ground breaking to ‘make them this way’. We’ve simply never treated them differently when it comes to meals; never fed them something different than what we’re eating ourselves because it’s quicker or easier, or because they’re kids. We’ve taught them that the foods they eat keep them healthy and make them stronger, smarter, and faster….after all, that’s what matters most when you’re a young boy!
Thank you for letting us feature you this week, Lindsey! We are so happy to welcome you into our DanceFIT community!
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