Client Spotlight: Ardith Engel

A year and a half. Since May 2016.

2. What motivated you to take action to improve your fitness/wellness?

Next year is our 25th wedding anniversary! This motivated me to get back on track. We have rented a hall and will be having a big party to celebrate. I wanted to be in better overall shape so I look and feel my best on that day.

3. What led you to call us?

Getting to a gym is not convenient for me, as I don’t drive. I went online to see if anyone did workouts in-home and found Nielsen Fitness. It turned out to be better than I ever could have imagined!

4. What do you like about working with Nielsen Fitness?

The people! I’ve met four team members so far and all of them have been so helpful and accommodating.

I like the focus on exercising both effectively and SAFELY as well (I have arthritis in my knees). My primary trainer researched where I had pain and modified exercises for me right from day one.

I also like the structure of the workouts and having someone tell me what to do – that part is so helpful.

5. What changes have you noticed?

I’ve lost 10 pounds and my legs are noticeably stronger! I notice it all the time in my day-to-day activities (like walking, cleaning, and climbing stairs).

My upper body is catching up in strength too – they shake less now when I do upper body exercises.

6. What’s been a major milestone/success for you?

Losing the weight, first and foremost – and feeling like I look better overall. It’s giving me more confidence both in and outside my workouts.

I find the smaller milestones motivating too. For example, I can now do three sets of 30-second wall sits. I started with 10-15 secs / x2 sets!

7. Any advice for people on the fence about getting back in shape?

Absolutely give it a try! You’ll be happy you did.

On that note, I found the Habit Package was a good place to start, not knowing exactly what I was getting into when I called! It was an encouraging and positive way to get started, and I liked that it was a fairly low-pressure way for me to decide whether this was the right choice for me.

8. What excites you most about the future and your health and fitness goals?

I am excited at the prospect of losing more weight and becoming fitter in the future!