Introducing, PJ!

Nothing can ever stop PJ aka "Rocky", not even Parkinson's Disease (PD). PJ, an athlete pre-diagnosis and still an athlete today now living with PD, is the definition of strength and determination. Working with PJ has been an honour and continues to inspire myself, our members and everyone around him every single day. If PJ can do it, so can you.

PJ's Story: I have Parkinson's, and exercise is incredibly important to keep moving and create a positive attitude each day. Doing it on my own can be difficult as apathy can take control and days can fly by! If I don’t use it I could lose it so exercise is survival for me. But I can’t do it on my own!

I have known Sarah for a long time and we consider her part of our family! I came to MOVEHAPPY so that she could create a program just for me and follow up to motivate me to continue. Changing up my routine and adding in goals and new exercises has really revived my energy and my wish to keep moving! She also works with my care team to help them to work with me.

Favourite Motivational Quote: My wife and I wrote this quote when I was diagnosed with PD. No guilt, no shame and no excuses! It isn’t my fault, I am not embarrassed and I don’t have any excuse to not work out.

Favourite MOVEHAPPY class: Surprisingly I am enjoying the yoga videos. I am able to stretch out my body and get some relief from the Parkinson’s.   

Advice to New Members: My advice to new members is not to be afraid of new things and to be kind to yourself. Exercise feels strange at first and it is easy to give up or think you can’t do it. Parkinson's has taught me to take one day at a time and to find a victory every day. If I just do the first five minutes, I find I can keep going. Even if I can’t finish a workout, I am victorious for what I did do! Celebrate the small things and they turn into big things over time.

If you have been diagnosed with PD, walk, exercise, move! Breathe!  Do some form of exercise you enjoy. Be creative. Stay positive.

Introducing, MELANIE! 

Melanie, a former athlete, now uses exercises to take care of her mental, physical and emotional health! 

Favourite Motivational Quote: ‘You did it’ – 100% effort looks different everyday with many factors, if you finished or went out to move – that’s amazing. I have felt that in the last 2 years more than ever. I have put less pressure and competition on my exercise and made it more enjoyable. 

Favourite MOVEHAPPY class: HIIT and stretch – I enjoy mixing workouts with yoga or stretching, the best of both worlds. 

Melanie's story: Joining race walking in high school brought me into my time as a junior athlete until 21 years of age. This taught me about being social and committing myself to a sport I enjoyed. Recently, I enjoy playing in a softball league, pickleball, walks, working out at home, and yoga (including aerial yoga, one of my favourites). I workout to feel good and do it with comfort rather than for competition or through a feeling of pain or wanting to pass out. 

I got hit hard with Covid in 2021. I got to a low place and reached out to MOVEHAPPY after following Sarah on social media and from past training together. I started to have and achieve goals, even small, and felt good about myself. I started to be more self confident, happy looking in the mirror or naked, and enjoying exercise again. I was seeing my doctor when needed and proud of myself when I reached out for help rather than feeling stigmatized with guilt for needing support. 

I am now in a place where I am confident in myself and have the power to bring myself resources to de-stress and feel happy, relaxed or breakdown/cry in a safe place. When new health challenges come up for me, I can handle it and workout, do yoga and power through using my resource toolbox. MOVEHAPPY has been a positive part of my positive mental and physical health shift, Sarah is there for support and listens. Sarah meets me where I am at, meeting my goals and needs – with her own professional feedback and butt kicking of course.  

Mindset shift:  Since my time as a competitive athlete stopped, I have had trouble losing weight and feeling good about my body. My focus with exercise now is positive and to feel good and do ‘my best’ and compare exercise only to myself. When I look in the mirror now, I have confidence and use positive compliments to myself. I have trouble getting up in the morning, and still do, but when I tell Sarah or myself that I’ll be working out in the morning or that day – I do it. I have stuck to doing 2 strength/MOVEHAPPY workouts per week and I have been feeling less back pain and stress, more energy with doing this.

Advice for new members: Be open with Sarah, she will meet you where you are at and be a guide along your health and life journey. Enjoy yourself! There are many classes to choose from and personalized workouts to be made. Turn the class on and go, the feeling to workout will happen within a few minutes of the class.

Introducing, Isabel!

Age is only a number to this member! Isabel loves to exercise so she can stay strong and keep up with her energetic grandkids!

Favourite Motivational Quote: "Just start." When I exercise I get a feeling of accomplishment, which stimulates me to move on with my day. 

Favourite MOVEHAPPY class: I just love the no-repeats class for the simple reason of "no-repeats".

Isabel's story: I joined MOVEHAPPY about 1 1⁄2 years ago. I decided that ageing required me to be more active and stay as healthy as possible. A diagnosis of mild osteoporosis and mild COPD definitely spurred me on as well as keeping up with my 2 beautiful grandchildren. My brother told me about MOVEHAPPY and I decided to join. It's really fun to lift weights and watch my muscles grow. My all around wellness has greatly improved and I love that awareness. 

Mindset shift: There are times when I get up in the morning not feeling motivated about seizing the day. Then my personal commitment to wellness kicks in and I take a class. Sarah's energetic and fun outlook spurs me on. I always feel a sense of satisfaction and confidence after exercising. I can't lose mentally and physically. What a good feeling! 

Advice for new members: When you decide to "just start" you'll never regret it. That commitment is a win-win decision. There's no downside to better health and fitness. 

Introducing, Sonya!

Say hello to this incredibly inspiring, strong and busy momma of two little ones! We are SO proud of you, Sonya!!!!

Favourite Motivational Quote: my motto is "only count the wins!" I tell myself that I'll exercise everyday but I give myself lots of room for error and allow 3 days to miss. I figure working out 4 days a week is pretty awesome, so I celebrate that.

Favourite MOVEHAPPY class: I love them all but I usually go for the Half Hour of Power.

Sonya’s story: I’ve been a member for over a year now, and what’s the best thing about that? No stress. I’m an anxious person, so I don’t say that lightly. I can join a group workout remotely and I don’t stress about social anxiety, I can click on any workout knowing I’ll be done in 1/2 hour or less, and I can adapt any workout to my personal wellness that day. I feel good knowing that I look after my physical health even when I’m not feeling 100%. I can also kick some booty when I'm up for the challenge! It seems too easy - to just follow Sarah's advice and "do what feels good for your body”. But, I can honestly say I’m getting pretty awesome results. I ran 10km in less time than I ever have. 

Mindset shift: I have noticed that with MOVEHAPPY I just squeeze it into my day. Because I know I can adapt the class to how I'm feeling, I don't need to prep mentally. I can do it without needing much time or accommodation. I just "show up" and "count the wins". So I guess overall my attitude towards exercise has changed from it being a struggle on my to-do list to an opportunity to be proud of myself.

Advice for new members: I would say just "show up". Turn on an exercise class and see how it goes. You don’t have to work hard, you just have to "show up" and you'll probably end up enjoying it by not pressuring yourself with an expectation.

Introducing, Judy!

There's just no stopping this incredible member - degenerative arthritis AND a hip replacement. If Judy can do it, so can you! 

Favourite quote: “It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop!”

I first met Sarah when I attended a gym outside my home where she worked several years ago before Covid. I was drawn to her by her eagerness to help the people she worked with. I have severe degenerative arthritis and she helped me understand how important it is to keep moving my joints - and so began my journey of getting stronger. 

Fast forward and all of the gyms were closed and I was lost. I reached out to Sarah for advice and that is when I learned she started her own business (MOVEHAPPY) helping people with their exercise goals. In my journey of starting my health vision of getting stronger, I had a setback and was on the long waiting list for a hip replacement. Through my struggles, Sarah was always there to encourage me to keep moving!

I continued my weekly exercise program right up until I had my surgery this past April/2022. I’m 100% convinced that the reason my recovery was so quick and easy is because of the support given to me by Sarah and the MOVEHAPPY community. Yes, I did all the work but when you have someone to help encourage you to keep going it is priceless!

Sarah is not only my trainer but my friend. I am continuing my health journey as my disease will never be cured and I know how important it is to keep active!