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Crystal Nelson is quite special to the Leash Your Fitness family. Not only did she begin a new fitness program at almost 60 years young, but she decided to go back to school to TEACH them! We are so happy for Crystal passing her Group Fitness Instructor Certification and are excited to welcome her and her pups, Jade and Remy, to the Leash Your Fitness team! She is a true inspiration to everyone who meets her! Read on for Crystal’s story.
Dawn: What made you try a Leash Your Fitness class?
Crystal: In one word: menopause. I have always watched what I ate and exercised on a fairly regular basis. But once menopause got a hold of me nothing I did kept the weight from creeping up and I knew I needed to kick it up a notch. Going to the gym didn’t cut it, nor did bumping it up at home. I came across a 3 x 5 post card for Leash Your Fitness, carried it around for about 6 months then decided, why not?
Dawn: Did you feel like you found your “home” after the first class or did it take a few for you to feel comfortable?
Crystal: It took a while to feel comfortable with the group. I’m not good with strangers or change, takes me a while to get to know people. Was one of those shy, nerdy kids in school. Plus, everyone was quite a bit younger than me.
Dawn: What was the hardest part for you to start this new fitness program?
Crystal: This was totally out of my element. I was pretty set in my ways. The running class was being held in Balboa Park at that time and I lived in East County and thought “I have to drive all the way to Balboa Park!!” I was always at the back of the group, it hurt to breathe with all that huffin and puffin I was doing, it was really hard to keep motivated. The one thing that kept me coming back was my girls, Remi and Jade (black lab sisters). They so thoroughly enjoyed the class it was hard to say no to them. At about three months along I felt myself getting stronger and found myself in the middle of the pack and actually enjoying myself.
Dawn: What did you like most about it?
Crystal: What I like most, of course, was the fact that I could include my dogs in everything. Running, yoga, bootcamps, everything. Plus I had the added benefit of losing the weight and inches. I became more active in all aspects of my life. I rarely get headaches any more, which use to be almost a daily occurrence, and started sleeping better.
Dawn: What made you go back to school to get certified to teach?
Crystal: I will be retiring in a couple of years and was thinking of want I might do to supplement my pension. This got me to thinking that teaching group fitness would be something I would really enjoy and allow me some freedom to set my own schedule.
Dawn: It has been 2.5 years since you started with Leash Your Fitness, how has your life changed?
Crystal: I don’t struggle with my weight like before and I make much better food choices. Exercise is a normal part of my life whereas before it was a chore. I’ve made many new friends in the last 2.5 years since joining the Leash Your Fitness family. You could say my family has grown considerably in the last 2.5 years.
Crystal stepped outside of her comfort zone to pursue something she now loves. What has motivated YOU to exercise? What changes are you most afraid of? We are so glad that Crystal stuck with that run class and gained the strength and confidence it took to get on a whole new track! Hope to see you in one of her East County Classes soon!
