The Fit Mom Project

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Hey everyone! My name is Nicole and I am SUPER excited to join Natalie and Fitness Reviews to bring you reviews on local fitness studios from a beginner’s perspective!

Like a lot of moms in Orange County I have a lot going on…I am a mom to two toddlers (1.5 and 3) and a business owner. I have zero fitness background unless you count chasing toddlers, which in my opinion, should be considered as an olympic sport. Are you a beginner too? Are you hoping to find somewhere to get active now that your kids are back in school? Are you down for the winter prep for summer bod lifestyle?

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Do any of these sound like you?

  • The thought of running outside in the daylight makes me want to eat cake.
  • My kids are my excuse but they should be my reason.
  • I don’t know where to start to find myself a studio that is right for me as a beginner.
  • I am not motivated enough (yet) to go to the gym on my own, I need some guidance and motivation.
  • I am intimidated by most gym settings because of all the models and Ryan Reynolds look a-likes running around while i’m there.

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If you said YES to any of these you want to pay close attention to this series!

I am going to be searching high and low for local Orange County fitness studios- anything from yoga and pure barre to HIIT workouts and I am going to try them out FOR YOU. Okay, for me too. I am going to be honest, raw and thorough in my reviews, focusing on these 5 key points for us beginners.

  • Affordability– What are the package prices, what do they include? Are there drop in classes? Special deals for new sign ups?
  • Availability– If I need to go during a certain window (in my case, my son is in preschool from 12-3 monday through friday) is there a wide range of class times to fit a mom/business owner’s busy schedule?
  • Difficulty– As a true beginner it’s always going to be difficult to start something up but will these classes leave me feeling like road kill on the side of the road, thus scaring me from going back?
  • Variety– Are there levels? Different kinds of classes?
  • Intimidation factor– This is HUGE for me. I don’t like walking into places and feeling like I am the newbie. Do you feel welcomed? Encouraged by others around you?

I am stoked for this journey and the fact that I get to share it with you all! Please follow along and join me for classes! I am ONLY trying out studios that have free trials and the length of each will be specified!

Follow on instagram @thefitmomproject to see where i’ll be! Join me for a class, ask anything you’d like! This is going to be fun!!

Pilates Plus – Yorba Linda

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This morning I travelled up to Pilates Plus to take a “Mega Reformer” class from a good friend, Natalie Da Rosa. It wasn’t what I would call traditional pilates, instead they incorporate the “Lagree Method”. Traditional pilates is hyper focused on every minute detail of your movement, which is wonderful but can also leave you wanting more. Lagree simplifies the movements to maintain proper form and gives you a killer workout through slow methodically times exercises. It was Awesome!!

 1) Space/Facility:  This small boutique studio, opened two years ago, and has a very chic upscale feeling to it. White brick walls, polished concrete with a few pops of color, it is a very clean space with 10 “mega reformers.” The upbeat modern music motivates you when those movements get tough!

 2) Quality of Instruction:  the queuing of the exercises adequate for a beginner as well as for someone advanced. My friend Natalie just received her Pilates certification, and so with this class I was intending to support her and check out the studio, and it was awesome! I think Pilates in general does a really good job training their instructors – I have found that the instructor training is usually spot on in tePilates rms of queuing, biomechanics placement, and overall structure for the client.

 3) The workout itself: Lagree Pilates is the method, it is low impact and easy on the joints, but it will push your muscles hard. It is focused heavily on lower body and core exercises, and they burn out one limb before moving on… so you will do 8-10 exercises of 60-90 seconds all on one leg before you rotate to the other leg.

4) The friendliness of staff: Jamie is the owner and is very involved in every process of her studio like client intake and teaching. Everyone is extremely friendly, its definitely a community vibe, all the members seem to know each other very well and chit chat before and after the workouts. 

Review: YogaWorks Mission Viejo

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Yoga Works Mission Viejo Theraputic Yoga

Yoga Works Mission Viejo Theraputic Yoga

 

This morning I ventured over to Yoga Works in Mission Viejo to take Suzy Gills’ “Therapeutic Yoga” course. I experienced a lot of back pain when I was pregnant with my son, so I was very excited to take this class and see what it had to offer.

 

Equipment used: mat (bring your own or rent one from the studio), and then the studio provides blocks, strap, chair, blankets and bolster.

1) Yoga Works has been in Mission Viejo for 15 years, and while the studio is older, it is very clean, quiet, and calming. The equipment is all clean and very well maintained. There are two studio spaces and classes run from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. The classes offered range from beginner to the advanced practitioner.

2) I can not say enough good things about Suzy Gills, she is extremely knowledgeable about injuries, movement, and movement patterns. During class she was very vigilant and aware of each attendees special needs, there were a lot of back, knee and neck issues. This class holds true to the “therapeutic” in the name, it for people who have an injury or something they need to work through and can not do standing poses. It’s not even a “beginner class” it is a “pre-beginner” class.

3) This class is truly an extension of a good physical therapy session (although there is no PT assumed or offered). It is gentle and Suzy walked everyone through how to open up and relax the muscles along the spine and spectrum, all the while working on tiny muscle movements and bringing awareness to areas where you might have tightness. If you have suffered any injury and are seeking a way to get back into yoga this is the perfect must-do class for you!

4) The receptionist at the front was wonderful and she even extended the package I had a few months because of my pregnancy.

 

The breakdown:

This is a 5 star class for sure!

Recommended for: Those with injuries, pre- and postnatal, and those beginners who aren’t sure where to begin.

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