Member Spotlight: Nicole C.
1. Why did you decide to try SPENGA?
I decided to try SPENGA because it was such a unique workout combination of bike, strength, and yoga. I had moved to the area and was looking for a new “fitness home.” My job had also converted to entirely work from home and I started to really feel disconnected from people. I needed to look forward to an activity to get me out of the house each day and surround myself with people. I mostly ran and sometimes biked, but I was looking to incorporate more strength training and possibly some yoga or stretching into my workout and I didn’t want to have to do it alone. SPENGA was the perfect fit for me.
2. What are my favorite parts of SPENGA?
- It’s probably the only workout routine I’ve ever done that I truly look forward to doing!
- The workout has already been planned for you-an entire hour of self-care! All you have to do is show up!
- The positivity when you open the doors is refreshing.
- The knowledge, encouragement, and friendship of the awesome instructors.
- The wonderful owners (Mike and Marcie) workout in the sessions too. There’s passion behind their investment and they truly care that you have the “best werkout ever”.
- The state-of-the-art facility with your own space.
- The immediate access to your performance numbers.
- The cleanest workout facility I’ve ever seen.
- The ease and flexibility of scheduling sessions.
- The connection to the wonderful people who attend the sessions.
- The music.
- The hand sanitizer-It makes me feel like I’ve been to the spa!
3. What is my favorite part of SPENGA? RIDE, REP, or REVIVE?
My favorite part is REVIVE!
RIDE - I love the challenge of the green screen but I’m always thankful when it’s done!
REP - I love the strength instruction and all the great equipment but I’m always thankful when it’s done!
REVIVE - Sometimes it’s the only time during day that I’m reminded to just breathe and there’s opportunity to just be still. I love that I feel rejuvenated in REVIVE. It’s the perfect ending to the workout.
4. SPENGA has positively impacted my life both physically and mentally. Before finding SPENGA, I had lost the joy in working out. I was no longer working out because I enjoyed doing it. It felt like a job to regain my fitness. My fitness journey might be different from most. Once a marathon runner and Ironman 70.3 competitor with over 12 years of racing experience at all distances, my fitness was derailed in 2016 by an undiagnosed health condition and it would take me almost 5 years to overcome it. Suddenly, everything I had worked for was taken away and I was so ill that some days I barely had any energy to get out of bed. Those years brought some of my lowest points and some days I felt like I just couldn’t fight anymore. I was finally diagnosed in 2020 with exposure to 5 toxic molds. My levels were off-the-charts and it had started affecting all my organs and systems. We may never know what really caused it. After being diagnosed, it was almost 18 months of intense treatments of taking over 20 meds a day before I would finally beat it. I also lost one-third of my lung capacity which made exercising near impossible on some days. Even though I’m much better now, some days are still a struggle and I wonder if I’ll ever be the same, but I’m reminded to be grateful for what I can do since some others are facing battles way more difficult than myself. If you see me at a session, that day I may be crushing it or I might be short of breath and not able to get my legs going because when I wake up, I never really know what kind of day it will be. Thankfully, the feel-good days now outnumber the not so feel-good days. Either way, I’ll always be giving the best I have to give on that day, and I’ll have a smile on my face. Thank you SPENGA for helping guide me in my fitness journey and for helping me find the joy again in each workout. I will be forever grateful.
5. Each person has different fitness goals and each person’s fitness journey will be different, but the SPENGA format supports all levels of fitness. SPENGA takes the guesswork out of working out. It provides you with the tools and framework to have the best workout ever. You just need to show up! You’re only competing against yourself, but you have the support of your fitness friends in the sessions along with the guidance, enthusiasm, and motivation of the awesome instructors. All you can ask of yourself is to give the best you have to give on that day, and you’ll end the session a better version of yourself than when you started. Just keep moving and embrace the journey!
