Radiant Fitness - Cynthia's Story

In December, 2003,
I met Cynthia.

She’d reached her 50s and was almost 20 pounds overweight, putting her
at risk for heart disease, diabetes and other medical conditions. Although
she wanted to lose the weight, the idea of setting specific goals and the
pressure of expectations made her anxious. We concentrated, therefore,
on simple fitness education: Which exercises she should perform and the
benefits she could expect from them.

In April, 2004, Cynthia hit her first milestone—literally! She ran a mile on
the treadmill without stopping or walking. Success scares some people
and stimulates others. Cynthia had both reactions at once! While she
was proud of her accomplishment, she also feared what it meant—the
expectations she held for herself would be higher from now on.

As the weight dropped through the weeks, though, and her strength grew, Cynthia realized that she DID have goals and
expectations; and, what’s more—she ENJOYED the exercise. These slow, gradual changes in both her figure and her
attitude were key to her success.

On December 12, 2004, Cynthia (with much prodding) ran in her first 5K ever. This is what she had to say about the
experience:

“I had the most awesome day! . . . people were on their porches and in their yards waving and cheering and
encouraging everyone who ran by, even me! When I ran up the last hill, I saw the finish line and remembered what you
said . . . you sort of want to look good so even though I was dying, I sprinted to the end. When I crossed the line, they
called out my name over the loudspeaker! I couldn’t help but smile.”

At this point, Cynthia had graduated from personal training—Not only had she lost 10% of her original body weight, but
she had fully integrated a variety of exercise into her lifestyle. In 2005, therefore, we simply met once a month to offer
her new challenges, directions, ideas to keep from getting bored. This is what Cynthia has to say about her experience
with Radiant Fitness personal training:

“I know it sounds corny, but Personal Training has changed my life. I know for a fact I would never have achieved the
milestones I have without the encouragement of a personal coach who was so quickly attuned to my needs. I’ve
learned a tremendous amount about fitness training and have gained a good deal of self-confidence. My expectations
were very modest: to be healthy. For me this meant elevate my cardio for a strong heart, improve flexibility to avoid
muscle strain and strengthen my bones to discourage osteoporosis. In less than a year I have achieved all my goals. I
am so proud of myself! I used to walk around the neighborhood and on the treadmill occasionally. I had never ever
jogged! Now I run almost every day, and came in 5th in my age group in my first 5K race. I am lifting weights heavier
than I ever would have attempted on my own. I feel a noticeable increase in muscle elasticity and joint flexibility than
before. I’ve learned how to set new goals and how to modify my routines to meet them. Dropping pounds and body fat
were an added bonus, but the very best part of all was hearing my husband say that I looked great and how proud he
was of me!”

I’m proud of Cynthia, too! She looks great, she is and feels radiant, and I am confident that she will continue to lead a
healthy lifestyle for the rest of her life.

Congratulations, Cynthia!