Maria Sogard, Author at VFit Studio

Take 10 – Find Your Beach

July 16, 2019 by Maria Sogard Leave a Comment

There may never be ‘that perfect time’ for you take for yourself. You have to find those moments, steal them from the day, and give yourself clarity in thoughts and mind. In just 10 minutes with this guided meditation with Trainer Shari, you’ll be refreshed, rejuvenated, and at peace with a focus on taking you away to your own beach paradise.

From Shari:

“Even when on vacation with our favorite people on Earth, we may need to take 10. If you have never felt the need for a little alone time on vacation, my guess is that you are not traveling with teenagers. Kidding—not kidding!

Directions:

1. Find a comfortable place.

2. Press play.

3. Close your eyes.

4. Transport to your own beach paradise.

5. Let yourself let go and breathe for 10 minutes.”

Where will you take 10?

About Shari

Shari is VFit’s resident miracle worker from Texas! She leads an “Unwind” class, unlike anything you’ve ever experienced. But don’t let her zen like ways fool you. She can deliver just as Yang of a high intensity class and leave your muscles “good” sore for days to come.

“Born and raised in Texas, I was a competitive gymnast in grade school and went on to be a competitive twirler in High School.

I attended college at The University of Texas in Austin, majoring in English and Kinesiology.

Having always had a love for physical fitness, I taught group fitness throughout college, and upon graduating was hired to teach public school.With the demands of a new job and a new husband, exercise became my time to unwind.

With my 3 children now in school, I returned to my first career as a group exercise instructor.

Yoga is one of my favorite styles to teach because it has something for everyone. It is healing and strengthening all in one. It truly is the complete package.

When not in the gym teaching, I enjoying spending time outdoors hiking and exploring with my husband and 3 children.

We are avid travelers who enjoy each new adventure that we encounter. All three of my children are very active in competitive sports.”

Favorite Fitness Quote: “Fitness is a journey not a destination”

Credentials:

RYT 500 Yoga Therapist
ACSM CPT
Senior Fit Specialist

Mobility Specialist

Yin Yoga Specialist

Opportunity Will Knock, Prepare to Let it In

July 15, 2019 by Maria Sogard Leave a Comment

VFit’s Weekly Inspo

We are so amped up after our full house classes all morning long and are ready for some serious straight talk with you all today. The VFit studio was SO BUSY this morning, we actually had to double check our calendar that is was JULY and not January. But that is just yet another testament to this amazing team and platform. Being fit and healthy is possible ALL year long.

So now on to some straight talk, because to be honest, there are plenty of you reading this right now that truly need to soak this lesson in and than to take ACTION on what we are so passionate about, and that is…..

Each and every day, opportunity comes to you.

Today’s theme: “Opportunity will knock, prepare to let it in.”

There’s many many ways to live your life. There’s the route of comfort, doing the same thing – whether it’s working or not

– OR –

There’s the less traveled path with more unknowns, but with a huge upside! Living your life, spending time outside of your comfort zone.

Living in the growth mindset of wanting to do better for yourself, your family, this world. Rising up to things that scare you or make your arm hair stand up. Being able to make big changes in your life, when you know they are necessary. Knowing when it is time for a change!

Are you going on today, much like you did yesterday and the day before? Going through the motions of life, but living in the safe place where your pendulum is always in the middle? Never quite challenging yourself or changing yourself?

Feeling totally stuck at a job, in a relationship, with your own health? Lacking results? Wishing there was more to your day, but you just are not making any changes ?

So many of us stick with the above because of the fear of unknown. Yes, we may not be quite happy with where we are at, but we are comfortable with it, because we’ve been living in it for so long.

But what if, what if you started going about your days prepared to do one thing that scares you EVERY SINGLE DAY? Prepared to let opportunity in when it comes knocking to you. When we talk about something that scares you, we don’t mean you need to go sky diving or bungee jumping every day.

But what we do mean is that to thrive in this life, to enjoy the ride and to continue to grow as a person, you must get outside your comfort zone and let opportunity in when it is knocking! Sometime the knock is so whisper quiet, but it’s still there.

Maybe it is sitting down and having that talk you need with your boss, maybe it is asking your spouse for more help in an area, maybe it is saying NO to another event for your kids, maybe it is not doing the dishes before bed, maybe it is trying a new workout you are intimidated by, maybe it is actually scheduling YOUR SELF CARE………

Doing something every day that is out of your comfort zone truly is POWERFUL! Don’t believe us? Try it each day for a week and see how empowered you feel.

Life is going to be hard sometimes, it can be downright brutal in fact. But when you take the time during your everyday life, to train for the unknown, to continue to grow as a person, to get uncomfortable, to let opportunities in – you realize that most of the magic in this world comes from the journey and not the destination we all think we should be striving for.

What if you let go of waiting for ‘the perfect time’ to make changes or start a new exercise routine?

If you really think about it, every single day opportunity is coming to you. Your friend is asking you to meet up after work for a walk. Your husband is asking if you’d like to take time off from kid duty and have some me time. Your neighbor is telling you all about her new exercise routine that’s pushing her limits and making her feel so good and youthful again!

Are you listening to things like the above thinking about how it’s just not the right time for YOU to do it?

Guess what?! There’s never going to be a perfect time. You’ll always run into bumps along the way. There will be weeks when your workouts will be spot on and then you’ll get a stomach bug that may floor you for 5 days. It happens! But you know what, you continue on.. You don’t just stop working on yourself when you fall down. You get back, up. Even it’s not pretty, or the same it was when you were in your 20s. You do the best you can do today – for you.

Opportunities to take care of yourself come to you all the time, you can only change your life if you let them in. You are in control of your life, right here and right now.

Any excuse you plug into for why you aren’t taking care of yourself is just that. It’s an excuse. You have every right “not” to take care of yourself, but that is exactly what it is, your right, no one else’s. Life isn’t too busy that your own well being doesn’t matter – ever. We have a member going through her second round of CHEMOTHERAPY and she still shows up to 2-3 classes a week and does what she can. I can’t think of many stories more inspiring than that.

If you are ready to stop making excuses and take your own health into your own hands, you have to let opportunity in. You have to just COMMIT and go all in. You can’t half “arse” your health, you just can’t. You need to be consistent, dedicated, and give yourself a realistic amount of time to reap the rewards that come along with self-care.

If you let your health slide for the past 5-10 years, do you really think in a month or 2 you are going to be in peak shape? No! But you will be 2 months further in your journey, rather than 2 more months behind if you keep putting it off.

If there’s no time in the day, you set your alarm for 30 minutes earlier and get it done while the rest of the world is sleeping and hit the sack a few minutes earlier. Yes, it may sting to get up earlier, but NOTHING beats that top of the world feeling you get once that workout is done first thing in the morning!

Even breaking up workouts into smaller chunks, as small as 5 minutes, ADDS up. Every single time we checked, 5 is greater than 0. Every time. Start carving it out and let it build up. You’ll start feeling better moving that body and seek out more time.

Believe in yourself. Know that you are worthy of the time you take each day for self care. Say yes to your own success. Find your team that will support you.

Rachele, Maria and the VFit dream team!

Success Lies on the Other Side of Yes

July 8, 2019 by Maria Sogard 1 Comment

Fitness icon Billy Blanks and Maria at IDEA World

VFit’s Weekly Inspo

What if Billy Blanks listened to the execs who told him that his exercise vision would not work because he was black, in the early 90s?

Personal success and growth comes from within. It does not come from what anyone else thinks of your hopes and dreams. In fact, when people put fear and doubt in your head, it usually stems from their own fear of failure and actually has nothing to do with you! All the dreams, wants, and desires in the world remain dormant if you do not take action and execute on them.

Most of us are givers in this world, but one thing we learn over and over is that YOU MUST MAKE TIME TO ALSO RECEIVE!

We as trainers need to continue to step back, fill our own cups, work with our mentors, and stay fresh to bring our best selves to you.

Last week, our inspo blog was about the dream being in the team, and that message of community strength is one we fully support and have built our platform around. But what about those times when doubt sets in or others tell you you can’t do something you have set in your mind to do?

It wasn’t until attending IDEA last month that we realized we had been limiting ourselves in many ways. VFit is a life changer for SO MANY! It is the most amazing team we have ever been a part of and it is SO much more than just showing up to workout. We are so fired up to share this message with the world and to host a community that shows up day in and day out, to better ourselves, and in turn the world. If you don’t believe that exercise is a super power to help YOU shine a bit brighter in the world, you are holding yourself back from being a brighter light in this world. And in case you haven’t looked around lately, the world can use as much bright light as possible from all of us.

If you listen to those who tell you you can’t (yourself included) – you are limiting yourself. Your body hears everything your mind says! Heck, that’s even one of our personal favorite inspo blogs and images we have created through the years.

Your personal success, whether it is with your health, career, or relationships, lies on the other side of YES.

You need to tell yourself you CAN DO what’s in your heart. You can lead the healthy life of your dreams. You can eat well and thrive. You can enjoy the most out of each and every day. You can.

You can do all this, and much more, but you have to first believe it yourself. Do you believe in yourself yet? If not, you may need some support and to find a team to help get you there.

Did you know that tae bo is in the dictionary?

Billy Blanks himself shares in the video below his personal story to how he got to where he was. And trust us, shot from Maria’s iPhone, this is 11 minutes you need to invest in and listen to his powerful message.

Click play to listen in on Billy Blanks sharing his secret to personal success and growth

TAE BO stands for:

Take
Action
Execute
Believe
Overcome obstacles

If Billy didn’t believe in himself and his gift to share his passion for fitness, then he would have given up right there and then when the execs held him back. But, as we all know, he didn’t. He forged ahead and believed in himself and his impact on the health industry continues today.

As Billy describes, your personal success is dependent on how you navigate through three streets: Doubt Street, Fear Street, and Faith Street. When you travel along Doubt and Fear Street, Faith Street has no power. Your faith will go away.

If you start doubting you can accomplish your health goals, you’ll build in fear of the unknown and will simply not accomplish them. You need faith to get to where you want. You need to believe and KNOW you can do it, and put action into place to make it happen. You really can have anything you want, but you need to have faith you can get it.

Execute your mind and will. Tell yourself you can’t, and you can’t. Your body hears everything your mind says.

This video was captured by Maria after several of the trainers attending Billy’s BoomBoxing session (Billy’s newest workout he released this year after 20 years!) on the last day of the IDEA World convention in Anaheim last month, alongside Rachele, Steff, and Christine.

The Tae Bo workout VHS – yes, it goes back this far for us! – was a staple at Maria’s dorm room in the late 90s where she would workout with her roommates and friends, even jumping around and aggravating the people downstairs for a full school year. His electric blue spandex. His spot on cuing of moves. His motivation and drive. She had every word memorized, but was so drawn to the feeling of this workout, and the joy it brought her and her friends at the time, that they kept at it and laughed and punched their way to solid in-dorm workouts all sophomore year.

Our image we were able to use for this post is of Maria meeting with Billy after his session, with happy tears in her eyes for getting to experience the magic of BoomBoxing and Billy’s moving talk afterwards. Not only that, while in line to talk with him, she struck up a conversation with a woman who was also moved by his talk, shared this same video with her, and learned she had lost 149 pounds!

Believe in yourself. Take Action. Say yes to your own success. Find your team that will support you.

Rachele, Maria and the VFit dream team!

The Dream is in the Team

July 2, 2019 by Maria Sogard 1 Comment

VFit Trainers Steff, Rachele, Maria, and Christine from left to right, with Todd Durkin center at IDEA World 2019, Anaheim California

VFit’s Weekly Inspo

Wow, just wow! We can’t even begin to wrap our brains and hearts around the image we are able to share with you this morning. What may just seem like a cute group shot means the absolute world to us. The world.

Is there someone you truly admire in this life that fires you up? We like to call them ‘spirit animals.’

This pic right here above is of us with our spirit animal – Todd Durkin! And if you aren’t familiar with ‘TD’ as he’s lovingly referred to, do yourself a favor and head over here to get a dose of inspo from someone that truly fires us up!!

Today’s inspo is all about the people and support you surround yourself around:

“The dream is in the team”

We ALL have dreams in this world. Whether spoken out loud, or quietly living in your heart, each person on this planet has a dream, wish, or desire to do more! To do things that excite you! Change you! Lift you up!

The NEXT part about having a dream, is the real meat of most of our inspo’s, it’s about how to make your dreams a true reality. And to do that, you need to set an action plan and surround yourself with a team.

No one can go along alone in this life. Show me one successful person that is truly happy, that did it all on their own. It isn’t possible! We are all connected, whether you feel it now, or not. Each action we take impacts and affects others. The energy you create spreads, and the energy of those around you makes changes in you as well.

If you are working towards a dream and do not have an action plan in place. Make one. And when should you do that? The answer to that question is YESTERDAY. So second best time to do it is today. Seriously. If you have a goal, wish, or desire, whatever you you want to call it, you need to make your plan TODAY and start taking action today.

Otherwise quite frankly, it’s never going to happen.

And with your action plan, the next biggest thing and focus today is on that team. You need the support and community around you to help guide you, support you, laugh with you, push you out of your comfort zone. Lift you up. Fall down with you. Open your heart to. Be vulnerable with. Explore with. Push limits. Engage with.

Fill in the blank, it all boils down to the importance of human connection to make your dreams come true.

If you are surrounding yourself around a community, team, and/or tribe that shares the same core values as you, you’ll feel the positive energy of the group and catapult yourself into a new sphere of possibilities.

No one can do the real WORK of your mission but you, but to get to your end goal, to create the changes and life you wish to lead, you’ll always be connected to others to make it happen. The sooner you find a team that moves you in the right direction, the better you’ll be feeling and more able to make some of the leaps and changes you need to to reach your goals.

And to this end, we do need to touch upon the less pretty piece of this puzzle …

If you carry around with you negative energy, or mindless allow time sucks like serial show watching in your life, it is time to really ask yourself: is this worth what it is taking away from in terms of my focus focus and happiness?

We took away a TON from IDEA World this past week, but one of the simplest ones was this:

“Hard choices, easy life”
Todd Durkin, IDEA World 2019

If you are able to make some of these hard choices, stop the excuses, and start taking actions today (because you cannot change yesterday when you really should have done it!), then you’ll be well on your way to make your dreams come true as you build up YOUR OWN personal dream team.

In health,

Rachele, Maria and the VFit dream team!

Our passionate team is here to cheer you on, make you proud and show you that fitness is not a punishment. In fact, let us be the best part of your day!

Join the team for less than $2/day at https://thevfitstudio.com/join-vfit-team/

If You Focus on Results, You Will Never Change

June 11, 2019 by Maria Sogard 1 Comment

VFit’s Weekly Inspo

One of the most rewarding parts of our platform is sharing inspo each week with the world. It is our sincere hopes that the more people who read these, that small changes are taking place in your lives, and you take these words to heart. Filling your life with positive people and words does have the power to improve your life and that of those around you.

Today’s inspo is all about focusing on making the changes you deserve, and not just the results you think you need to hit.

We’ve been at it for three and a half years with VFit! That’s pretty darn impressive to go from something that was just one big wish and idea from our owner’s heart, to the thriving online wellness platform we are today. We are inching up on 300 active members, we have 8 amazing trainers across the country, and we have close to 65 LIVE classes a week on the schedule.

A long way to come from when the platform launched with ZERO members, 3 trainers and about 15 classes a week, many which were cancelled because we had no sign up’s YET.

And yet, as we built up this amazing tribe, we never once were focused on an end result or goal! We are often asked, “just how big do you want to make VFit?” and it is a question we can never answer.

We show up and live our passion delivering to our members and hoping to change ONE life at a time! We have never been driven by an end result in business and here is why we think this is also an approach you may be needing to take with your own health journey.

“If you focus on results, you will never change. If you focus on change, you will change.”

This was one of our first images we used on social media and this message rings true today, It is a mantra that is repeated again and again by our trainer team. So many fail at their attempts to get fit/healthy, since they tie down some random date or goal weight with their notion of success.

We’ve been training clients and working in fitness A LONG TIME and let me tell you something I have never seen happen……

Unicorns do not start flying around when you hit a goal weight, and your life does not suddenly turn perfect when you can fit into your skinny jeans.
Rachele Jaegers, VFit Owner

There is SO much more to health and fitness than an end goal – the journey is truly where the magic is at. Little changes and habits that you put in the work for and show up consistently for, are the things that will change you for the better – once and for all.

Our members are from every walk of life and every different fitness ability, but we share one very important event that we are all training for and that is – LIFE! To enjoy the heck out of life, to take the trip, the adventure, to be able to get through some of the most challenging of days or weeks!

Will losing 5 pounds by July 1st truly bring you joy?

That’s both a random number and a random date. Even if it’s your wedding date, in the grand scheme of things, it’s still arbitrary. And oftentimes, to hit this kind of goal, you are doing non-sustainable eating and exercise patterns to get there.

Going all out for 2 months, burning out and then not moving for 2 months, does way more harm to your health, than simply fitting 2-3 workouts a week, ALL year long! That adds up to 100-150 and will change your level of fit.

At VFit, we focus on changing your behaviors and making a healthy lifestyle a priority, not a chore.

We consider ourselves successful when our members WANT to workout because it makes them feel good!

You will never find us doing weigh ins, counting calories, or pinching fat. Those number mean nothing to us. The number that matters is how often you SHOW up and value just how dang important your healthy body is. And that body should never be neglected, ignored, talked down to, or simply not taken care of.

What matters at the heart of VFit is that we are finding a way to change our members habits for the LONG term. And that is actually a lot harder than focusing on results, but we never shy against taking the road less traveled.

One of the highest forms of flattery comes when VFitters take us on vacation, or invite a friend to join them for a class, or suddenly have a change in their day and WANT to add in a workout last minute.

If you focus on making lasting changes that work in your REAL life, suddenly your health becomes one of the best habits you have, and not one of self loathing and guilt.

This past month, we developed and delivered to our team, a special VFit FUNctional Fitness Plan (click here to download your FREE copy) This is a simple to follow “cheat sheet” that empowers our team to create weekly plans for themselves, that incorporate balance into their workouts across FOUR key areas (VFit and non-VFit workouts). It is a strategy that has nothing to do with an end result, but rather it is a way to focus on little changes each week, that will keep you showing up all 52 weeks of the year!

If what you have done in the past did not work, it’s time to change your approach. Stop beating yourself up, stop quitting and start taking some accountability to change your approach.

At VFit, we believe you need the power of a team, connection, and community to truly be successful in reaching your goals.

It’s REAL life – no special effects, lightening or makeup. It’s real women, working and training together from their own homes, hotel rooms, or wherever life has them at that moment.

VFit is so much more than just a workout, we have built a way of life.

It’s truly a lifestyle that brings the kind of personal connection that is often missing today. We have gathered like minded trainers and members and built a platform that works and each week we have members hitting personal goals and milestones they never thought was possible.

The VFit trainer team is here 364 days a year to help support and cheer you on, as you work towards your best self in 2019, inside and out! We can’t get your dressed and logged in, but we will keep doing everything else in our power to keep you motivated, enjoying your fitness and honoring this amazing body you have that deserves to move and be challenged!

In Health 365 days a year,

Rachele, VFit Owner and Maria, VFit Second in Command

Our passionate team is here to cheer you on, make you proud and show you that fitness is not a punishment. In fact, let us be the best part of your day!

Join the team for less than $2/day at https://thevfitstudio.com/join-vfit-team/

Make Yourself a Priority

June 5, 2019 by Maria Sogard 1 Comment

VFit’s Weekly Inspo

We are here today to share our weekly inspo with another simple, yet powerful message:

“Make yourself a priority. At the end of the day, YOU are your longest commitment. “

Life is FULL of commitments. That’s why we are all so ‘busy’ isn’t it? Kids have soccer. Husband has to work late. PTA has a meeting. Library has story time. Church has a fair this weekend. We are all just … so … committed…

BUT hey, what a minute!

What about the ultimate commitment????!!!

YOU are the ultimate commitment. You and this one body you have, and this one heart, one brain you have, is where it’s really at. Without all of that, you are simple fighting the upstream battle to keep up with life and aren’t enjoying the ride.

You have ten toes, two legs, two arms, you name the body part….. and it’s truly up to YOU on how you honor your commitment to your own life, which will in turn translate into how high a quality of life you will lead.

No one wants to simply SURVIVE, we want to THRIVE! We aren’t saying that some weeks are going to be in pure survival mode, but if you find your life controlling you more than you can enjoy and control IT, it’s time to make some serious changes. It can be done, we promise!

It’s ok to say NO more often!

It’s ok to schedule time for YOU!

It’s ok to tell your family that YOU need a few minutes of time and to hold tight!

It’s ok to spend a little bit of money on YOU! It’s the best investment you can make. When VFit is used the way it is designed to, it is simply one of the greatest investments you can make, which will positively transfer into every other area of life, because we are all about filling up YOUR tank, in just 1-2% of your time. You have that, believe us!

YOU are worth it as well, and if you think it should be all about your family and nothing left for YOU, you are wrong!

I guarantee if we ask your family what they want the most from YOU, it isn’t your money or energy running them around from event to event. They want a healthy and happy YOU! We are willing to put money on that hands down.

So many times we hear from potential members, ‘oh wow, VFit sounds great and I really wanna workout, but I just don’t have the time.’

Heck we even have some members that “donate” to VFit each month and although we bend over backwards to give you ever tool, every form of motivation, every opportunity to just DO SOMETHING, some still aren’t quite ready to commit those 30 minutes a day to themselves. (and if that is you reading this, maybe this very email will strike a cord to get you to show back up! We are here with open arms for your return!)

We hear you, but those words really just boil down to you not honoring your commitment to yourself to take care of your own health.

We hear you, but those words really mean you aren’t ready yet to take ownership of your own health.

We are spread across the country, but our bond is STRONG and built around our common core philosophy that your commitment to your own personal wellness is a worthy goal for each and every woman out there.

How are you honoring your commitment to yourself today?

At VFit, we believe you need the power of a team, connection, and community to truly be successful in reaching your goals.

It’s REAL life – no special effects, lightening or makeup. It’s real women, working and training together from their own homes, hotel rooms, or wherever life has them at that moment.

VFit is so much more than just a workout, we have built a way of life.

It’s truly a lifestyle that brings the kind of personal connection that is often missing today. We have gathered like minded trainers and members and built a platform that works and each week we have members hitting personal goals and milestones they never thought was possible.

The VFit trainer team is here 364 days a year to help support and cheer you on, as you work towards your best self in 2019, inside and out! We can’t get your dressed and logged in, but we will keep doing everything else in our power to keep you motivated, enjoying your fitness and honoring this amazing body you have that deserves to move and be challenged!

In Health 365 days a year,

Rachele, VFit Owner and Maria, VFit Second in Command

In Health 365 days a year,

Rachele, VFit Owner and Maria, VFit Second in Command

Our passionate team is here to cheer you on, make you proud and show you that fitness is not a punishment. In fact, let us be the best part of your day!

Join the team for less than $2/day at https://thevfitstudio.com/join-vfit-team/

Take 10 – Body Awareness

June 4, 2019 by Maria Sogard Leave a Comment

From Shari:

“Don’t forget to take time for yourself each day. You have to put your oxygen mask on first.

In today’s take 10, I take you outside with me, and guide you through a body awareness mindfulness activity.

Don’t underestimate the power of just sitting outside and taking 10.”

Where will you take 10?

About Shari

“Born and raised in Texas, I was a competitive gymnast in grade school and went on to be a competitive twirler in High School.

I attended college at The University of Texas in Austin, majoring in English and Kinesiology.

With my 3 children now in school, I returned to my first career as a group exercise instructor.

Yoga is one of my favorite styles to teach because it has something for everyone. It is healing and strengthening all in one. It truly is the complete package.

When not in the gym teaching, I enjoying spending time outdoors hiking and exploring with my husband and 3 children.

We are avid travelers who enjoy each new adventure that we encounter. All three of my children are very active in competitive sports.”

Favorite Fitness Quote: “Fitness is a journey not a destination”

Credentials:

RYT 500 Yoga Therapist
ACSM CPT
Senior Fit Specialist

Mobility Specialist

Yin Yoga Specialist

Fuel Well, Live Well

May 14, 2019 by Maria Sogard Leave a Comment

VFit’s Weekly Inspo

The VFit team is here today to share our weekly inspo with another simple, yet powerful message:

“Fuel well – Live well!”

What’s behind this week’s quote? Over at VFit, we are one week out from our quarterly wellness Reset and filling up the last handful of spots, so we are hot on the topic that your quality of life is determined by the fuel you load yourself up with.

These 14 day Resets are based around what we dubbed “The 7 pillars of wellness,” which we truly believe, once dialed in, you can reach unlimited rewards and a well balanced life. Where you never have to feel guilt or say no to a darn thing! It’s no cult like philosophy or program where you must surrender your pinky toe to join. It truly is the secret, yet attainable recipe for finding your best self – no quick fix, pill or supplement required.

It simply requires that you put your energy regarding your own health and well beings into focus around 7 important areas of your life. Food, hydration, sleep, fresh air, self-care, exercise and gratitude.

EACH PILLAR MATTERS TO YOUR PHYSICAL AND MENTAL WELL BEING!

Yes, we are an exercise studio at the heart of what we offer, but believe it or not, these wellness Resets started well before we ran our first VFit class!

Your body needs fuel to live. On a primal level, you can’t function very long without eating. The better you eat, the better you feel, everyone knows this. Usually we look to and relate to fuel as just food and water. In fact, 90% of the health/wellness industry is centered around telling you what to eat and what not to eat, and that you can take a pill/shake and it will make you healthy. End of story.

BUT there are so many other parts of your life you must FUEL as well, and each “pillar” is an area that we believe deeply in.

In no particular order, we break down a quick recap of why fueling EACH PILLAR below can elevate your health and wellness to infinite levels:

// Exercise – Your muscles need fuel by way of fresh oxygen and movement. Work hard on those muscles, boost up your heart rate, and you’ll deliver this much needed nutrient called energy, blood flow, and life all throughout your body!

If you can move, you should be exercising your body most days of the week. Exercise comes in every shape and form and we believe in a well rounded routine of cardio, strength, balance/mobility and restorative movement.

Exercise is where you can get the most bang for your buck, in the least amount of time, so fuel yourself up with 15-30 minutes a day and watch amazing things start to happen in your mind and body.

// Vitamin D – aka fresh air – We have this Pillar in every Reset because getting outside is very important to your mental and physical well being.

Your body and mind need fuel from fresh air and vitamin D by means of spending time outdoors. Vitamin D is crucial in cell repair, stamina, boosts to your mood, and your immunity. Many illnesses are linked to vitamin D deficiencies.

And even in those harsh winter months when you might not actually be getting direct Vitamin D, you are still reaping many rewards by fueling up from fresh air and stepping away from the hustle and bustle of the daily grind.

In today’s tech driven world, you can easily go days on end without spending a solid chunk of time outside. We are willing to bet it is affecting your health. You are more stressed, on edge, and more reactive in your life if you don’t take time to get in some fresh air.

Instead, take 15-30 minutes a day to set your phone down, to unplug, and go outside. There is no bad weather, there is only bad clothing. This pillar alone can easily change your life if you are lacking in it.

// Hydration – We have run these Resets for 5+ years and you want to know the #1 eye opener most of our participants learn about themselves throughout our process? They are not properly hydrated, and it is causing negative effects in their skin, stamina, sleep, recovery time, and more.

Your body needs fuel by being properly hydrated with water daily. Nearly every biological function of your body is dependent upon having those hydrogen and oxygen molecules at the ready! 8 cups a day is the minimum place to start. We have a great formula of just how much water you need, that we love sharing with our team.

// Gratitude – Ding ding! Another key pillar of health we see nearly every other program leave out. How can you truly be healthy if you aren’t living a life full of gratitude and celebrations?

Your heart, the very muscle that keeps you alive, gets its fuel by living a life full of gratitude and by celebrating even the smallest of victories. Being thankful for what you have, especially those around you, will continue to help you view your life in a more positive light and send ripple effects throughout your day. Your stress hormones will lower, your blood pressure is positively affected. Gratitude is some powerful stuff, trust us!

We have our team write down one reflection of gratitude and one small victory they had each day. Soon instead of being the negative nelly, you start finding areas of life to be grateful for.

// SLEEP! – “I’ll sleep when I’m dead” is just about the worst quote out there. You’ll live a lot longer and at a higher quality of life, if you get your proper zzz’s in!

Your body, mind, and spirit refuel when you sleep. The process of restoring and building happens overnight while you get in those blocks of rest each night. Getting a full night’s rest is important for your brain health, your mood, energy, and stress level as well. 7+ hours is the minimum that most need and while we know that during some stages of life, this Pillar may be out of your control, we still encourage you to prioritize sleep as a very important part of your life.

// Self-Care – Your mind becomes fueled, when you stop, slow down, and tune into your own needs. Having a moment of calm in your day can be delivered by taking time for some quiet reflection and self care. For some, this may be reading a book, meditating, working out, gardening, sewing, you get the jist. There is no one size fits all “self-care” activity. Finding a small pocket of time in your day to take care of you isn’t selfish, it’s critical.

You cannot keep giving and giving to the world unless you fill your own up. The importance of self care cannot be overestimated and while each of the above Pillars could also be considered self care, we double down on this one to ensure each day you take time out just for you to fill your own cup.

So there you have it, our secret but oh so attainable recipe for creating your best life!

And like everything, you need to constantly be taking inventory and working on your weaker areas. As seasons change, so will your Pillars in Need of Repair. It’s the exact reason we come together quarterly to press the Reset button and make sure that no pillar is left out of whack for too long.

These are just some of the ways and areas you can choose to fuel your body better to live well. If you try and find shortcuts on any of these – or GASP! – skip some altogether – then you’ll be truly selling yourself short.

At VFit, we believe that each of us deserves to live life well (and not harbor regrets and guilt) about taking care of our bodies, so that we are better suited to take care of the ones we love around us.

If spending two weeks to hone in on these areas sounds like a journey you’d like to take as well, we have limited space available on our next reset that begins on May 20th. Sign up here.

What VFit is all about

At VFit, we believe you need the power of a team, connection, and community to truly be successful in reaching your goals. With VFit, yes, you are watching our trainer lead the class, but before class, she’s interacting and saying hello to everyone by name as each member logs in from their home.

She sees you in your kitchen working out, with your dogs, your children, she gets to know you through having you join the live workouts and sharing your home with her.

We share wins, encouragement, and accountability. You also get to know her as life happens on her end of the screen. Her children running about, her husband walking across the screen to grab his lunch from the fridge.

It’s REAL life – no special effects, lightening or makeup. It’s real women, working and training together from their own homes, hotel rooms, or wherever life has them at that moment.

VFit is so much more than just a workout.

It’s truly a lifestyle that brings the kind of personal connection that is often missing today.
Rachele Jaegers – Owner, VFit Studio

We have gathered like minded trainers and members and built a platform that works and each week we have members hitting personal goals and milestones they never thought was possible.

They do this by taking ACTION. By being held accountable. By not sitting at the sidelines of life, using every excuse why they CAN’T workout, but rather are jumping right in.

Even if there are bumps and bruises along the way, or a bit of a cold, they’ll still keep coming in, showing up for themselves, and do something. There’s a modification for everything! There’s no modification for sitting and wishing your way to health though.

We’d love to help you take action

If you are ready to take action, we welcome with you with open (strong) arms and our support community to help you lead your best life. One filled with all the adventures and joys of movement you deserve. And it all starts with that simple first step.

This month we even have an exclusive membership bonus gift, so give yourself not only the gift of UNLIMITED action, we’ll throw in a bonus goodie as well https://thevfitstudio.com/join-vfit-team/

The VFit trainer team is here 364 days a year to help support and cheer you on, as you work towards your best self in 2019, inside and out! We can’t get your dressed and logged in, but we will keep doing everything else in our power to keep you motivated, enjoying your fitness and honoring this amazing body you have that deserves to move and be challenged!

In Health 365 days a year,

Rachele, VFit Owner and Maria, VFit Second in Command

Our passionate team is here to cheer you on, make you proud and show you that fitness is not a punishment. In fact, let us be the best part of your day!

Join the team for less than $2/day at https://thevfitstudio.com/join-vfit-team/

Wishing Does Not Change Anything, Showing up and Trying Does

May 9, 2019 by Maria Sogard Leave a Comment

Wishing does not change anything, showing up and taking action does

VFit’s Weekly Inspo

Nothing jazzes us up more than a Monday. And we always try to send these weekly inspo blogs out on Monday, but we are going to be honest and say that life handed it to us this week and we are a tad behind.

But just as our weekly Inspo theme goes about taking action, just because we missed our own self-inflicted deadline to get our blog out, doesn’t mean we gave up and scrapped it.

This week is all about taking action. We love to start our week with ACTION and why we coined the phrase “Never Miss a Monday” as one of our top mantras, but maybe the “start” to your week is another day.

Roll with us on this one and fill in whatever day you want, because the message remains the same for us all.

What exactly sets apart someone who looks forward to a Monday , and one who dreads it? It’s all about taking ACTION. SHOWING UP AND TRYING! Not simply setting a goal, and just wishing it’s going to come true. Goals without action are just dreams. And dreams don’t change your life for the better, action will!

One of my favorite things to remind my members when a class get’s tough or their limits are pushed, is that they came to “work-out”. Meaning what we put with our effort, is what we are going to get out of class and it’s ok for something to feel tough or challenging.

In fact, those are the character building moments that you will grow both mentally and physically from.

This week’s inspo is all about taking action: “Wishing does not change anything, showing up and trying does.”

There’s a reason why there’s some memorable quotes that come from this mindset of action and doing something. Becoming proactive and DOING is what set’s go-getters apart from dreamers and at the end of the day, we all deserve to chase our dreams, to work hard for them and to reap the benefits of not just the end result, but of the entire journey.

Heck, even Nike knows the power of doing and coined “Just Do It” as their motto ages ago.

Meet any successful person in the world, and you know what they all have in common? Action.

Not only are they acting on their goals, they are setting themselves up for success by making a plan and holding themselves accountable for reaching milestones.

Even when a goal is not reached, because you never make 100% of the shots you take, but you do make 0% of the ones you never take. So we like our odd’s in at least showing up and always giving our best effort, knowing that even if we don’t always hit our goal, we got a lot further in life than had we not even tried.

So many are held back from greatness because they don’t show up and TRY!

Take a workout routine for example. That’s our passion, so that’s what we are going to give you as a prime example. We hear objections left and right, day in and day out.

Here are the top objections we hear:

// Many people NEVER start a workout routine because they are scared they aren’t good enough.

// That people will see them. That they will look silly.

//That whey were once in shape, but now can barely walk a mile.

// That they fell off the wagon and have sooooo far to climb back up. That they don’t know what to do (which is exactly why joining a program is your best idea, but more on that later!).

and the numero uno excuse, drum roll please…..

// That they are too busy.

But these are not objections, they are excuses

And here is what we have to reassure you that it’s ok to just show up and TRY!

// You are good enough and you will always be worth it! Stop telling yourself you aren’t and degrading your worth in this world! We believe in you, but you need to believe in you!

// You won’t look silly and even if you do, your tribe should be the right kind of people who cheer you on and laugh along with you. Health is a journey and should be a fun one. You don’t show up to workout so that you can be perfect at everything. You would get bored and burnt out. Feeling silly, or “not good” should be a good feeling and means you have room for growth.

// Yes, people will see you, but welcome to this thing called life. People see you at the store, at your office, at the post office, bank, on and on and on. Human’s are mean to be seen and communicate with each other, and if this is the reason you won’t take action, it should be the very reason you really NEED TO!

To work on this confidence skill set and again, believe that you are always worth it.

// If you once were in amazing shape, but now can barely charge a flight of stairs, oh well! You can’t change whatever happened, but you can take control and change it now. It all begins with that first action step. Then repeat a single step over and over and just keep building back up.

// You aren’t too busy! You aren’t! It’s a matter of priority and you know that and I know that. When it matters, you find the time. Being fit can be managed in 1-2% of your day. It also will pay you back the other 98%, so if you think you are too busy, again you aren’t! Once you value how dang important your health is, you’ll get this and never look back again on this excuse

And the last big objection we hear to people taking action when it comes to health/fitness is, “I don’t know what to do or where to begin.”

You don’t have to! That’s not your job, you are good at what you do. Leave your workouts to professionals who know what they are doing and who are professionally trained and experienced at this. It’s always always worth investing in a personal trainer or fitness studio in our opinion – always!

Our world class certified trainer team custom crafts each and every VFit workout to make every minute matter. They thoughtfully prepare each class, with functional movement a priority, and based on class format, work to bring our teammates the highest quality workout possible, and one that is interactive as well.

We are not a one way live stream where you are simply watching our trainer on a broadcast and she’s seeing a bunch of names on the side of the screen and stats of how high your heart rate is or isn’t!

No no no! That’s not what we are going for at all.

What VFit is all about

She sees you in your kitchen working out, with your dogs, your children, she gets to know you through having you join the live workouts and sharing your home with her.

It’s REAL life – no special effects, lightening or makeup. It’s real women, working and training together from their own homes, hotel rooms, or wherever life has them at that moment.

VFit is so much more than just a workout.

It’s truly a lifestyle that brings the kind of personal connection that is often missing today.
Rachele Jaegers – Owner, VFit Studio

We have gathered like minded trainers and members and built a platform that works and each week we have members hitting personal goals and milestones they never thought was possible.

They do this by taking ACTION. By being held accountable. By not sitting at the sidelines of life, using every excuse why they CAN’T workout, but rather are jumping right in.

We’d love to help you take action

In Health 365 days a year,

Rachele, VFit Owner and Maria, VFit Second in Command

Our passionate team is here to cheer you on, make you proud and show you that fitness is not a punishment. In fact, let us be the best part of your day!

Join the team for less than $2/day at https://thevfitstudio.com/join-vfit-team/

Quality of Life = Quality of Habits

April 29, 2019 by Maria Sogard Leave a Comment

We here today to dish up your weekly inspo from the VFit team. As you know by now if you have been keeping up reading these, we do not propose any quick fixes or solutions that are not sustainable. We are all about layering on healthy habits and creating a daily habit of movement that you will continue and value for the rest of your life.

Today’s theme is just that: “Quality of life = quality of habits”

At first glance, there’s not too much to that statement. But re-read it again. Now, think about yourself for a moment. How are your daily habits impacting your own health?

Do you wake up early each day and have a morning ritual in place, such as an early bird workout to kick off the day with a bunch of wins? Or maybe you have a power hour of reading and inspiration to start you day.

— OR —

Does your alarm go off, you hit snooze 2-3 times, then grunt and bear it as you swing your legs out of bed, where the world hits you with its demands. Instead of being proactive, you are reactive all day long. Then you hit the bed exhausted and do it all again, over and over.

If you are more in the scenario B camp, most likely you have no set morning routine and you barely want to get out of bed, because you feel like each day you just can’t catch up!

We have good news, you can change that! Right here, right now.

We are huge believers in setting up a morning routine that works for you, one that sets you up early in the day as having accomplished something important, and creates a positive tone/winning attitude that will carry you through your day.

Our early bird classes are the busiest of the lineup at VFit! Probably because VFitter’s are go getters and want to start the day with a body full of energy, fresh blood, oxygen and smiles.

It is amazing how productive you can become when you start your day doing something such as a challenging workout.

All of the sudden instead of dreaming when you can take a nap and dreading your to-do list, feeling overwhelmed and full of anxiety, you now have the mental clarity and physical energy to start marking your to-do list off with stride and pride.

Interview any successful person out there and 9 out of 10 have a solid morning routine in place that begins each day with some version of self care and “me” time.

You can not water from an empty can all day long, you simply can’t.

So if you are finding that your days run you, we challenge you this week to change your approach. Start waking up 30 minutes earlier and setting a routine for YOU! If you have exercise dialed in later in the day, we still encourage you to set some sort of morning routine such as reading, journaling, listening to a podcast, reading a bible, taking a walk, or something else that fills YOUR tank.

At VFit, we of course love a good morning workout to get oxygen to our brain and a body full of energy and purpose, but we all may have something different that fills that tank and we support that.

Remember, routine takes time to build. It may be tough at first to get out of bed a little earlier than usual, but that 30 minute commitment to YOU will pay you back throughout your day. We aren’t suggesting you sacrifice your sleep, and that is why we feel 30 minutes is a powerful enough amount of time to change your life, and not affect your ability to get a full night sleep.

We have created fun, functional, effective workouts that our members set their alarms for and LOOK FORWARD to each day. Even those who never considered themselves “morning” people, have changed their ways by creating this routine of movement to begin their days.

With daily habits of movement and self care, you are prioritizing your own personal health and ensuring that you have the energy, mental well being, and clarity to be there for those in your life that count on you each and every day.

Life is about balance and harmony. By focusing on your daily habits, you make it second nature to include self care into your routine and this has a positive feedback loop that continues to increase your wellness each and every day. You feel SO good, you want to keep going and keep up with all the good stuff you are doing for your body!

In Health 365 days a year,

Rachele, VFit Owner and Maria, VFit Second in Command

PS. If you are looking to be surrounded by a positive and inspirational group of teammates and trainers that will change the way you approach life, the VFit team has a spot for you! Don’t go at your health and fitness alone.

Fitness is a superpower that transfers into every other area of life.

Our passionate team is here to cheer you on, make you proud and show you that fitness is not a punishment. In fact, let us be the best part of your day!

Join the team for less than $2/day at https://thevfitstudio.com/join-vfit-team/