Woman’s BALANCE Program is a personalized fitness program focused on real food, fitness, and coaching to help women reach their individual fitness goals.  Kay completed the Individual Balance program earlier this year, and here is what she had to say about the program:

I am writing you this letter to express my delight in the Balance Program at Woman’s. I just completed the Individual Balance program on January 11 and your team exceeded my expectations. I want to make sure you know why I am so pleased because I am confident this is not by accident.

First, I want to tell you a little about me. I came to Woman’s Fitness Center to lose some weight and get more fit. It was something I had tried on my own to accomplish for about 1-2 years without success…I knew I needed help. I chose Woman’s because I knew of its’ reputation as a hospital and I had heard good things about the fitness center. In 12 weeks, I have lost about 9 pounds, my goal was 15. I have improved my cardiovascular endurance and core strength. I remember after about 3 weeks in the program, I hadn’t lost much weight, but I was already feeling better which further propelled me to continue. My blood pressure (which wasn’t high but was rising as I have aged and become sedentary) has dropped 15-20 points. I had a pain going down my leg which my primary care physician said was caused by a weak core and weight gain. This has gotten much better. I went to my OB and I had put on bone mass, not sure if this can be attributed to the program, but I am sure it will be in the future. Most of all, I feel so much better and have more energy. Of course, my clothes fit better and that’s wonderful too. I have learned so much about nutrition and exercise so that I can continue to make good choices. This is a life changer for me, and I wanted to make sure that it continues. So, I enrolled in the January 12-week Group Balance program. Also, I plan to continue to be a life long member at Woman’s Fitness Center after that program ends.

First, I want to mention safety.

I was concerned with COVID about going to a “gym environment”. I thought that it could be a petri dish so I vowed that I wouldn’t stay if I felt unsafe. I didn’t feel unsafe. Your organization is doing a wonderful job. You can see everyone has received their safety protocols and they are following them. From the scheduled wipe-downs of common areas such as the locker room and exercise equipment to the wipe-down of individual equipment after each use by the trainer. We are socially distanced in the classes and mandatory mask wearing is everywhere. Also, I notice Kaitlin, my trainer, is very conscious of my safety during our training sessions, pointing out nearby objects and placing equipment out of my line of fire. I feel very safe here at Woman’s Fitness which was first and foremost for me.

Next, I want to tell you about the people who helped me the most:

Lindsay Steele, my initial contact – Lindsay explained my options, discussed my wants/needs and enrolled me in the program. She is very responsive and helpful. I work full-time and Lindsay was able to help me complete my paperwork almost completely online and she scheduled everything. She made it easy. She is always available to help me navigate if needed.

Kaitlin Rawls, my trainer – I call her Torture Trainer, but I love going to training sessions. She is so attentive and patient. She always ensures you are doing the exercises correctly with repeated corrections/suggestions. The training sessions seemed like they were designed just for me…great variety, mix of things that I was pretty good at with some things I could barely do. She is an extremely good teacher. She pushes you to your limit but doesn’t cripple you for days afterwards. She is always upbeat. She has a calmness and maturity well beyond her years. There is a lot of movement on the exercise floor and she along with the other trainer, Tristan, just adjust and communicate about everything as it happens, everyone gets what they need, and it seems effortless. This seemingly effortless, can-do attitude is common at Woman’s.

Jennifer Zimmerman, my nutritionist/accountability partner- Jennifer is part nutritionist, part psychologist. She taught me so much about nutrition and shared a lot of personal experiences to help me achieve my success so far. Change is hard especially when you’ve been doing it a certain way for so long. She would make the scientific case for the change and we would discuss it practically. Each week we would discuss the past week/results and we would have a plan for the next week. She too made me feel like she was tailoring “the program” for me. Often, she would say something, and I wouldn’t “get it”. She might phrase it another way or repeat it if she felt it was important so that I could better understand. I distinctly remember her telling me that if I wanted to continue to look like I do and be fit that this wasn’t a 12 week program but something that I would have to do forever. It was something that I really needed to hear! She met me where I was and helped me get better which is another common theme.

Lastly, I want to tell you that EVERYONE I met was helpful, kind and professional… from the women at the front desk to the women in the locker room to the class instructors.

Anytime, I asked someone a question or had a problem, they helped me. This varied from pool access, class location, getting forms completed to abilities in classes. Everyone has this can do attitude whether it was their job or not. As far as my ability level in the classes, the instructors would help me, give instructions for doing what I could, etc. They gave me a feeling of value and importance. I am a swimmer so I used the pool a lot. I tried yoga, barre and breathe and connect for the first time ever and really enjoyed those classes.

In closing, I congratulate you  for the excellence I and others experience. Baton Rouge and the women of Baton Rouge need your services.

Visit our website to learn more about the BALANCE program and how you can get started.