Maria Sogard, Author at VFit Studio

How I Messed Up My First Webinar

November 15, 2019 by Maria Sogard Leave a Comment

VFit’s Weekly Inspo

Have you ever have one of those nightmares where you wake up and panic that what you dreamed about actually happened?

Well, that was US yesterday! We had our first live webinar and I made a huge mistake.

Here’s what happened …

While we are an online fitness studio and live stream our classes with a two way interactive platform, I’ll admit it, we are NOT a tech company. Through growing the business I’ve had my share of learning, but at the core, we are fitness professionals and we are just using technology to make our workouts LIVE and to interact with our team.

And that we truly are the MASTERS at, as you can see by our packed classes and healthy, is having happy and healthy members.

But, we are always reaching for more because we know that there are SO many others out there in need of a solution just like VFit, but they have no idea about the magic we have waiting to change their lives.

In wanting to spread our message, I hired out a marketing coach who suggested a webinar to share one of our founding principals about FUNctional Fitness. It was a great idea and how much different could it be than hosting live fitness classes, which we do ALL DAY, EVERY DAY?!?!

While I had never done an actual webinar, we use ZOOM all the time for classes and I know the material inside and out of what the webinar was going to cover, since it was all about sharing our FUNctional Fitness Plan. A plan that I created, and that I personally live and teach by to keep myself healthy, injury free, and still in love with fitness.

It totally made sense to get out of my comfort zone and say yes to hosting my first webinar.

Everything was going smoothly. We worked hard on marketing materials, email and social media posts, and got well over 50 people signed up, which was far passed our goal! Everything was going great and on track.

Then …

About an hour beforehand …

I wanted to test it all out. I hopped into the meeting room with Maria and was surprised to see it wasn’t set up the way our classes are set up. ………..

I couldn’t see her, I couldn’t read her face for reactions, or tell if she was following along with the content, and it felt really impersonal. It wasn’t what I had envisioned and what I was comfortable with!

For the next 50 minutes I played around with every setting I could find to try and make the change to what I was familiar with.

I firmly believe the personal aspect of SEEING the faces on the other side of the screen, much like how we run the VFit Studio classes, is what sets us apart and make it the magical platform that VFit has come to be. I had assumed the webinar would run the same way, so this was unexpected.

I tried and tried and then 10 minutes before the webinar, I hit the WRONG button and accidentally deleted all 50 participants!!!!! There was no UNDO button! Gone like the wind they went!

NO ONE who had signed up for access to the webinar was able to login.

My heart sank, but the webinar was set to start.

What did I do?

I took my training for life and inner strength that our workouts have given me and I delivered the best webinar possible to those that made it in from a link we were quickly able to get out on FB. Thankfully 10 lucky beings were able to hack in and let me deliver the magic I had planned.

I so passionately believe in the content and what I was covering, I knew wholeheartedly that I had the opportunity to change at least one person’s life by continuing on and presenting the plan. I also knew I could share the replay with anyone who was not able to sign in.

What I didn’t do?

I didn’t panic, I didn’t give up. I didn’t cancel the whole event and reschedule. I didn’t yell or blame others. I don’t think I even threw out a swear word!

I took a moment to collect myself, to focus on my breathing and slow down – a practice I’ve learned extensively about through our Yin series at VFit and Mindful Moments.

I had to focus on the overall mission at hand.

I focused on the present. And the present moment was all about delivering the world’s best fitness webinar about our fitness plan I so passionately care about and want to share with others!

When we talk about exercise and self care, people first think of looking good, getting strong, maybe losing some weight, but I know there’s a MUCH deeper factor that we are uniquely bringing to this world at VFit.

The outside changes you make through fitness are icing on the cake and bonus’s pouring over from all of the inner personal growth that happens when you consistently take care of yourself and focus on all of the areas of fitness that our VFit values cover.

It’s because I follow this plan, and the emphasis on all four areas: cardio/HIIT, strength, balance/mobility, and stretching/recovery, that I was able to handle this fiasco with ease and dare I say grace. If you happened to catch it live (and some still made it in!), I bet you couldn’t even tell!

If you missed it, like many did, we have the full replay here.

And I’d like to close with a sincere heartfelt invitation to join our studio next week for a fully 100% free no strings attached week of classes – for FREE!

If you were one of the ones who were not able to make it into the webinar, let my team and I more than make it up to you! We are focusing on using this plan and will pair up each person who is on their free week with a VFit trainer to help you set up your classes based on this fitness plan.

You can use this link to claim a free week for yourself, and share it with anyone else in your life who you think would benefit from our approach to fitness. We have 25 of these passes available and they are valid from 11/18-11/24 for UNLIMITED VFit Classes and a VFit Trainer to help you set up the perfect fitness plan.

There is no need to wait for a perfect week to try VFit! VFit works for the 99% of your life that is busy and perfectly IMPERFECT!

Grab a pass today at https://thevfitstudio.com/functional-fit-plan/ and we will SEE you at the VFit Studio all next week! I promise our classes run as smooth as can be and we have hosted well over 100,000 visits to our classes.

In health,
Rachele

4 Years Celebrated with a Record Breaking Week

October 28, 2019 by Maria Sogard Leave a Comment

4 years of VFit celebrated with a 90 minute Fit Fest on October 26th, raising money for the Susan G Komen Foundation to raise awareness for breast cancer research

VFit’s Weekly Inspo

VFit is the ultimate start up story. We began four years ago by forging our own path in online fitness.

What makes us a start up? We started!

We had an idea for a need that was not being met out there and we crafted to the best of our ability a platform to deliver this idea to the world.

With that first week, we started something that had never been done before: an online fitness studio that maintains the personal connection of a real life gym by using a two way platform to connect trainers with members across the country.

Did we have a Business Plan? Nope!

Did we have investors and funding on hand to get up and running? Nope!

Did we have an idea and a whole lot of passion? You bet!

And that purpose and passion has been the fuel we place our feet on the ground with each morning, knowing that what we are doing is making a difference in so many lives, our own included!

When VFit opened, we started with 0 members, a free week of classes, 15 classes on the schedule and ended week 1 with 65 check in’s.

Fast forward through the journey and we now have close to 300 active members, 60+ classes a week and nearly 1,000 check in’s a week.

Our platform isn’t built on the fanciest lighting, clothes, or equipment.

We are a platform built on REAL lives. On taking every barrier away as to why you can’t make exercise consistent in your life, and delivering it to our team in a way that is fun, effective, relateable and uplifting.

Each class is a personalized workout, handwritten by our world class trainer team.

A full array of classes, many VFit exclusives, that pack functional fitness in for our members – in 30 minutes or less.

We’ve been celebrating all month long as VFit turns 4 because this is a HUGE milestone.

On Saturday, October 26th, we threw the ultimate birthday party called Fit Fest.

From owner Rachele moments after Fit Fest was over:

It’s hard to sum up what today’s party meant, but it was amazing! 86 rockstars coming together to sweat and smile and raise some money.
At the end, the kids started singing VFit happy birthday! VFit is such a big part of our kids lives.
They are often there watching (or joining) us in action as we show up to take care of ourselves. I’ve watched babies turn to toddlers, kids turn to teenagers, babies in the tummy to the real world and beyond.
I’m so proud to have a platform where we can be the real life super heroes for our kids. Where they want to take care of themselves, and be active, and exercise because they see mom or grandma or auntie loving it so much.
And the fact I’m probably MOST proud of… that in the 4 years of VFit we have never asked our team to track a calorie, a pound, an inch or a heart rate.
Sure some do this on their own, but to this day, THE only number VFit tracks is how many times you SHOW UP! Because at the end of the day, that’s the number that matters.
Rachele Jaegers, VFit owner

VFit has run 364 days a year since we opened our online doors four years ago.

In that time, VFit has made some serious IMPACT.

In just four years, nearly 5,000 VFit classes have been held online.

In just four years, 111,000 personal visits have been made to VFit’s live online classes.

That’s 111,000 times a mood was improved and a VFit member became healthier and happier! We may not be brain surgeons, but we sure are fighting for health on the front lines.

4 years ago when we created VFit, we had no idea what we were doing or where it would go. What VFit has become to so many of us is way beyond our wildest dreams.

VFit has truly become a way of live for hundreds. Simply the word ‘VFit’ means something.

VFit means taking your self care personally.

VFit means making your self care a priority.

VFit means taking on a no excuses mindset and finding a way to fit it in.

VFit is real life.

VFit means not waiting for the perfect conditions because there is NO perfect.

And VFit means, that’s okay!

VFit’s mission is “To break the barriers of time and space, making self care attainable for any person willing to commit to workout and improve their wellness.”

What better way to do that than to deliver world class workouts directly to our members? We strip away every barrier there is to fitness so that it only comes down to YOU.

Your will to step into class and take time out of your day for self care.

Last week, we broke a VFit Studio record with 909 check ins.

Imagine that … 909 times VFit delivered on our mission to improve wellness and making self care attainable for ANY person willing to commit to workout and improve their wellness.

This number far surpasses our first MONTH of check ins when we started out just 4 years ago. And we know this number is set to continue to grow as we spread our mission with the world.

Can’t stop, won’t stop. That’s a big motto around here, and we’ve only just begun.

Thank you all for being part of this MAGIC!! Here is to living your dream, reaching for the stars and surrounding yourself with the most incredible team to take the journey with!

In health,

Rachele, Maria, and the VFit Team

Take 10 – Notice Your Thoughts and Spaces Between Your Thoughts

October 14, 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:

“Positive thinking is a powerful tool.

Every time we have a positive thought, we build stronger neural connections to more positive thoughts. The reverse is also true—negative thoughts lead to more negative thoughts.

The cool facts is that we can control our thoughts.

Try this 10ish minute mindfulness activity to retrain your way of thinking.”

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

From Passion to Business – 10 Lessons I’ve Learned from my Journey

October 3, 2019 by Maria Sogard 1 Comment

VFit’s Weekly Inspo

Taking my passion for wellness and building a business has been an incredible journey over the past four years. One that has transpired into something so much more than I ever expected.

I recently accepted the opportunity to speak to a local group of Lady Bosses about my experience building VFit and the lessons I’ve learned along the way. While this kind of speaking engagement is a bit out of my comfort zone, I know that when we push ourselves beyond our comfort level, that’s where all the growth happens, so I had to say YES!

You can watch the full talk (link here) and of course we will outline the key highlights below. If you do watch the video, you can print and use this PDF to print notes.

This top 10 lessons list can translate to each of you for any task or dream you are working towards. In building a business from my true passion in life, I have learned to adapt and grow, learn from my mistakes, and continue to challenge myself each and every day.

Lesson 1: When opportunity knocks, be prepared to open the door.

Action is the foundational key to all success.

We each have a deep desire to do more of what we love, so when the universe brings new opportunities to you, you have to go for it.

Listen for those knocks in life. Sometimes they are so quiet, other times they are pounding you over the head. And sometimes those knocks come when it is time to close one door and open another.

While you may not always feel you are ready, the more you can say yes to what you know you truly want to do, you’ll bring more of that into your life and get closer to living the life of your dreams.

Lesson 2: NOT KNOWING what you are getting into is sometimes better than over analyzing every detail.

The key to success is to start before you are ready.

You’ll never know all the answers! None of us do. Think about it, having a child, getting married. Prep all you want and can, each and every experience will be unique and challenge you to grow from.

I joke often that I thank my lucky stars I had NO idea what I was getting into. But there is so much truth in that. I had a 2 ½ year old and 6 month baby when I started VFit. And a few years later another baby blessing was delivered to us!

If I knew all this journey would have entailed, I probably would have gotten overwhelmed and not have taken that first step.

You will always be learning and evolving, don’t be afraid to just take ACTION. Get out of your own mind of being perfect. Perfection will hold you back from greatness.

Fear of the unknown can paralyze you and you have to just take that leap of faith and learn as you go.

Lesson 3: There is no greater power than that of a well-connected TEAM.

The dream is in the team.

If you take one tip, take this one! Do not go it alone.

Your actual professional team, your family team, your friend team, your customer team! Have as many teams in your life as you can.

Heck, I consider my housekeeper my teammate because she saves my sanity every 2 weeks by helping unload some of my house work.

There’s so much more you can do and create with a team alongside you. Finding a group that shares your mission and vision is the key to success. Each person brings their own unique skills and expertise.

You learn from each other, support each other through the tough times and as the next lesson states………..

Lesson 4: You can’t do EVERYTHING. Know where you bring the most and least value – outsource as needed.

The steps you take don’t have to be big, they just have to move you in the right direction.

Find your lane and what you know you have locked down and work to find help in areas that are weighing you down.

While you should know how to do everything in your business to some extent, you can’t do everything for the long term.

I know we can’t afford to outsource or bring on help for all tasks, but if one is seriously draining your time/energy, work hard to shift that task off your plate.

While it may be a challenge initially to lean on others and take those steps, once you leave yourself free to do what you are good at and save the rest for others who can help, you’ll have more focus and energy to move your project along in the right direction.

Lesson 5: Have open lines of COMMUNICATION with your clients/team, be willing to ask questions and make changes.

Choose change before change chooses you.

COMMUNICATE and do it often. Most misunderstandings are simply a lack of communication both in personal and professional life.

It is important to focus on communication, to listen, be proactive, and when necessary, reactive when things do not work out as planned.

Your clients and team like to be heard. Their input is valuable and you should treat it like gold.

You need to be observant, analyze the results, and be quick to adapt when needed.

Lesson 6: Have SYSTEMS in place!!

This one isn’t as fun, but it is necessary. Have systems, automate some tasks, have funnels, get some structure in your life.

By definition, a system is: ‘a set of things working together as parts of a mechanism or an interconnecting network’ and ‘a set of principles or procedures according to which something is done; an organized scheme or method.

Systems are meant to make getting things done possible in an efficient, and repeatable way.

DECISION FATIGUE is a real syndrome. Having to make thousands of decisions in a day, no matter how big or small, can be overwhelming. And that often time leads to burn out and falling back on less than desirable choices or habits.

Lesson 7: Know your CORE values – live, sleep, and breathe them in everything you offer.

Fit is not a destination, it’s a way of life.

To enjoy the journey and to attract the type of people you want to be around, you can not waiver on this one! And it’s tough in the big ol world of business and opinions.

Hold true to what you believe in in everything you do with your project.

Live, breathe, and dream with your core values and you will feel good laying your head to bed each night.

Sometimes that takes making the tougher decision or taking the road less travelled.

Keep in mind that what grows from your passion will be reflected in how you do each and every step along the way. What is important to you? Walk the walk, be a living example of what you wish to achieve, and it will fall in line with your core values.

Lesson 8: You can’t be EVERYONE’S cup of tea and you don’t want to be.

Always being comfortable won’t get you to where you want to be, real change happens when you let yourself be uncomfortable.

Learn to be okay with negative feedback. You cannot please everyone, that is not your goal.

Hold true to your true focus and mission, find your target, and keep steadfast faith that if you do your best, you’ll reach those you are looking to serve with a high quality solution that you 100% stand behind.

Lesson 9: Fill YOUR tank as often as needed. Invest in yourself.

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

You cannot pour from an empty cup. Be mindful that you need to continue your own self care and remain strong as a leader in whatever you do.

Continue to take time to learn from mentors, be inspired, continue education, take breaks and vacations. Know when you are neglecting yourself and dial back in to what’s important to you.

It is not the quantity of time, but the quality of that time you put in.

Lesson 10: Be willing to work hard and not afraid to SUCCEED. There is no such thing as failure.

Don’t be upset by the result you didn’t get with the work you didn’t do.

There will be challenges along the way, fall forward and lean into mistakes as you take them as opportunities to learn and grow.

Even the greatest of basketball players Michael Jordan missed half the shots he took! But you have to take the shots. The only failure in this life is not doing what you are meant to do, not taking the risk, and not serving your purpose.

You cannot succeed if you do not start!

In health,

Rachele, Maria, and the VFit Team

No One is Above You, We Are All Just on Different Places on the Same Track

September 16, 2019 by Maria Sogard Leave a Comment

VFit’s Weekly Inspo

Happy #nevermissamonday team!

There are times when you hear or see something, and it just really STRIKES you. It totally alters the way you’ve viewed or felt about something, forever.

We are here today to share an inspirational quote that we hope lifts YOU up like it did for us the first time we heard it:

“No one is above you, we are all just on different places on the same track”

We first heard this quote at the IDEA WORLD fitness convention in Anaheim, California this past June. The presenter, Trina Gray, was giving an inspirational talk about pushing outside of your comfort zone and had this as one of her slides.

Here was this person who WE personally put on a pedestal, talking to us about how no, there’s no such thing as a pedestal. NO ONE wants to be put on a pedestal.

We are all moving along on the same ol’ track, just some of us have done a few more rounds because they have already found their passion, direction, and committed to their life purpose.

Woa!!!

We admit, just last year we were at the very same conference, and we were TERRIFIED to talk to some of the fitness professionals we admired. We maybe went up to them for a quick thank you and to snap a pic, but we didn’t dare engage in conversation with them by asking them questions or sharing our story with them.

Once we heard this quote above … that all shifted. We embraced this idea of the same track, and we sought out the industry icons and had THE most transformative experience of our lives.

It changed us from putting others “above” us and brought us up to a much higher and more fulfilling level, where we were not just worshipping and admiring our industry icons, but suddenly we were believing in ourselves and knowing we are right along there with them, just a bit behind on the very same track.

They say you should surround yourself with people you want to be in this life. If you want to be an author, find a way to surround yourself with others who already write! Looking to get into a fitness career? Find a way to get yourself in a position to be surrounded by other fitness professionals. Looking to switch careers, or stop being a stay at home parent and go back to the workforce? Find a way to surround yourself with those that are already rocking it at the kind of positions you wish you had.

By no longer looking UP to those you admire, but looking at them on the same course as you, you’ll find yourself less afraid to reach out to them and learn from them. You’d be surprised! Even the most successful people in your dream profession, may be surprisingly responsive to help guide you.

Every good “pro” has coaches and trainers of their own for different areas of life.

Likely there’s plenty of ways to sync up with those you wish to be more like. Today more than ever, you can easily seek out ways to learn more about what is sparking a fire within you by doing a bit of the following:

// follow your icons on social media and engage with them! Don’t just read and follow, be actively involved and part of their community. They are sharing because they care and when you respond, believe me, they are inviting you into the tribe.

// research and subscribe to podcasts related to your field of interest

// look into books and magazines that cover the topic

// sign up for a new course, conference or training. Some of THE best motivation and inspiration will come from getting face to face with those you look up to.

Everything you need to do what you want out of your life is within you. You have to have to believe in yourself and take one step at a time.

You can ADD IN more of the good, more of what you want out of this life, and guess what? You’ll soon find more of this goodness crowding out the less desirable stuff that may be holding you back.

You’ll soon find you stop numbingly trolling the internet and social feeds and instead, focus your time and efforts to learn more about what it is you actually want to do! And you get involved! There is nothing more powerful than being PART of a team.

Each minute you spend on your passion, you are getting yourself around the track of life and getting yourself closer to your goal.

Do you have someone you perhaps put on a pedestal? We challenge you THIS WEEK to do an action item mentioned above to help you connect with them, or the industry/profession they represent, and do a hot lap around the track of success!

Think about that for a moment. Think of something in your life that you admire, whether you know them personally, or they are an author or speaker you value. Do you hold them up on a pedestal? We used to too, until there was this quote, and it hasn’t left our side since…

It’s easy to look up to successful people and think IT comes easy to them. That they just magically got to where they are and that you’ll never make it there yourself. But that’s simply not the way to look at it.

That successful speaker you admire, whose podcasts you have memorized, and whose Facebook page you have as a favorite? They are on the SAME TRACK as you. They may have gone around it a few more times since they found their passion, focused, and put all their effort into becoming an expert in their field and living their life mission, but they really are on the same track as you.

What separates you from those on the track ahead of you?

Commitment. Focus. Determination. Confidence. Passion. Resilience.

These are the six character traits that shoots you around the track more times. Whether it is completing a major life transition like leaving a job to explore new opportunities, moving, or starting a new exercise program, you need to have the strength of character – and support – to get yourself around the track.

At VFit, we believe that honing into strong core values, and surrounding yourself with a community who holds these values and standards themselves as well, will elevate your wellness. Together we all find ourselves doing more and more laps around the track of life together.

As you go around the track, sometimes, you may stumble. It happens, but it’s all about what you do after you stumble that determines what’s next on your path. If you just stop, then you stop short of getting around the track and reaching your goals.

You fall down, but if you continue to get up, dust yourself off, and lean into mistakes and stumbles, you can take each as a learning and growth opportunity and continue towards the kind of life you deserve to live. One FULL of energy and adventures and that has you so excited to get out bed in the morning to start all over again!

So today, stop looking UP at people and start looking ahead!

In health,

Rachele, Maria, and the VFit Team

Run the Day or the Day Will Run You

August 19, 2019 by Maria Sogard Leave a Comment

VFit’s Weekly Inspo

At VFit, we believe there’s two ways to live your life.

One is being REACTIVE.

We have all been reactive at times, it happens to us ALL! But if you find that more of your time is spent being reactive, it’s time to change the script in your mind.

Letting situations outside of you control, run your emotions, mood and actions. Being reactive leads to high levels of stress, regret and takes A LOT of energy to live in that state. It is exhausting to constantly be reacting to people and situations when life doesn’t go as planned……. Which if you are living in the same world we are, happens EVERY SINGLE DAY.

Spending time around reactive people is quite exhausting as well, and can leave you in that state of being.

Being reactive takes so much time and energy, that most living this way become stuck and can never quite move forward toward their true life potential. Being reactive runs your tank down to empty and leaves very little energy left to chase dreams.

But good news if you are currently finding yourself stuck in this “world” – YOU CAN CHANGE! Like anything, having the will, commitment and discipline to better yourself, can change your relationship with your own thoughts and actions.

At VFit, we work really dang hard to spread the tools to the world, so that we can all live a PROACTIVE life!

We have a big saying at the end of our classes that we tell ourselves and our members, “By taking this time to exercise and take care of yourself for 15-30 short minutes, you now RUN the day, the day doesn’t need to run you!”.

Self-care is not a luxury only reserved for those with excess time, money and means. It is critical care that each and every person deserves and needs!

By taking the 15-60 minutes a day to care for YOU, you give yourself the power and control to run your days, not have your days run you!

For us, exercise and slowing down are the 2 best ways to set ourselves us to be PROACTIVE.

They may be on the yin and yang side of the spectrum, but both forms of self-care are incredibly powerful.

You know that feeling after a great workout? The one where endorphins are rushing through your entire body and you feel on top of the world? Like you can go out and accomplish anything you set your mind to? Because you can!

Through the act of showing up, working hard, and filling your body with fresh blood/oxygen, you empowered your entire day! YOU are unstoppable.

I can’t tell you how many times I have been running around like a chicken with my head cut off, reacting at my kids, getting nothing productive done, stressing out over my to-do list and then I stop, log into my workout and BAM – I turn into a patient, productivity machine!

That time I just spent on ME, actually created more productivity, happiness and life in my days!

My workout didn’t “take up” my precious time, it got me in alignment to enjoy and be more present in my day.

Another surefire way to turn from REACTIVE to PROACTIVE, is to actually slow down and tune in! To journal, to stretch, to meditate or take some conscious rest.

In this high tech and fast world, many wear being “busy” as a badge of honor. But it really isn’t about the quantity of things you have on your plate, but the quality of how you fill those minutes in life.

If meditating and slowing down are foreign concepts to you. Guess what? That right there is where you need to start if you are going to lead a more proactive life and be led by your dreams.

Even taking just 5 to 10 minutes to slow down each day can have a significant impact on your mind, body, and spirit. From our VFit Take 10 blog by Trainer Shari, to our 15 minute Stretch it Out EXPRESS series, to our nightly Unwind classes and various yoga formats we offer – these are all tools that will help you slow down, tune in, and settle with your own thoughts.

These days with media coming at you from every direction, from your phone, computer and car radio, it’s so easy to get distracted and zone out.

We challenge you this week to take at the minimum five minutes and instead of zone out, zone IN. To see just how powerful a 5 minute break in your day can be for you to listen to your heart and find what may lead you to a more proactive life.

In health,

PS If the sound of adding more mindfulness is appealing, or even the opposite, if it’s TERRIFYING to you, we encourage you to sign up for our September program called Mindful Moments brought to you by VFit trainers Steff and Shari. This program will run the full month and help you each day to create more space for you.

You Aren’t a Tree, if Something Isn’t Working, Change Your Conditions

July 22, 2019 by Maria Sogard Leave a Comment

VFit’s Weekly Inspo

Being outside and connecting with nature is such a huge part of wellness that is often overlooked these days. The fanciest, most high tech studios are coming out on every corner. Many having the feel more like a nightclub, than a fitness studio. And why that is all good by us, we love reaching beyond the norm of a traditional gym, there is a big piece of health that we feel MANY are missing out on these days………

Getting outside!

And we aren’t talking purely for the benefits you get with Vitamin D coming from the sun. We believe when you get outside and soak in different sites, sounds and levels of energy, you are doing a huge benefit to your physical and mental well being.

At a time when most of us have jobs that keep us indoors, a long commute, then head home to make dinner, eat indoors, then go to bed, where’s the outdoor time? You can literally navigate 90%+ of your life these days without having to step foot outside. Drive-thru’s, grocery delivery, Amazon (guilty as charged here!), food delivery, etc.

But as humans, it is crucial that we get fresh air and time to unplug every single day if possible. This is an area that even a few minutes of effort on can reap a huge return on your time investment.

At VFit, we live by 7 Pillars of health and getting outside is one of them. That means, our core values on what makes a well rounded and healthy person, getting outside ranks as important to us as exercise and food! GASP, we said it and we mean it.

Even a few minutes outside can bring you a huge host of benefits such as: increased mental clarity, boosted immunity, a greater sense of being, grounding to your true self and a moment to UNPLUG.

In this tech driven world, even taking a few minutes to step outside and listen to the birds chirping, or to take a walk all alone, can do more to your health and well being than a 30 minute workout. Or you can even multi-task and do a workout outside!

We can get so stuck in a routine and stuck in our box, that we can forget the joys of being outside.

We chose this image and yoga pose (“tree pose” for those who are not familiar) to bring a strong visual to this week’s inspirational message:

“You are not a tree. If things are not working for you, change your conditions.”

We invite everyone to find 10 minutes this week to head outside and take a couple moments with each sense with our VFIT 10 Minutes with the Senses Outside:

Sight – Look up at the sky and colors and shades above you, whether blue, or shades of grey with clouds. Check out the landscape around you, the shades of green, brown, maybe the flora around you is in bloom.

Touch – Now walk around and focus on the feeling of your foot as you step onto the earth. Gravity’s pull bringing you to the ground. If you can, even take off your shoes and practice the art of ‘grounding’ – walking barefoot in a mindful state. At a chemical level, the ions between you and the ground are shared when you do this. How does the air feel around you? Is it humid? Run your hands through the grass, along some tree bark, along the warm stones in your driveaway.

Hearing – Get yourself into a safe area to do so, and then close your eyes. Settle in a comfortable position, then use a few moments to listen. Quiet your mind and focus on the sounds around you. The blue jays, buzzing bees, passing cars, waves crashing, distant sounds of lawn mowers or construction down the road.

Smell – This one is likely the easiest, as our olfactory sense never turn off. Even when we run around busy as can be, you’ll ALWAYS be able to smell the spray of a skunk or the blooming of your peonies in the yard. Take a moment while outside and see what else you can smell. The smell of the ocean or a salt marsh? Perhaps you smell your garden mulch, or lavender from your garden.

Taste – Finally we come to taste. While we do not advocate too much on this one outdoors unless you KNOW it’s something safe to eat such as a fresh strawberry from your strawberry patch, another way to do this one outdoors is to practice mindful eating. Grab something to eat, take it outside, and before you put in your mouth, truly focus on it then take a bite and chew at least 20 times before you swallow. As you focus on chewing and the enzymes in your saliva break down the food, notice the subtle differences in taste. Mindfulness while eating helps promote healthier digestion.

Now that was just 10 minutes of not doing anything in particular, but just being outside. How did that feel for you?

Imagine now, letting in more mindfulness of the senses while you are outside AND then adding in more outdoor activity on top of that.

A big complaint that many have about keeping up with their exercise routines is that they are bored. They feel stuck. That they lack the motivation to want to go to the gym anymore. And to be honest, we can’t blame them! Going to the same exact space each time, with the same equipment, stale indoor air, maybe even the same playlist of music. There’s NOTHING fresh there. There’s no heightening of the senses, no variation.

We encourage our members to take their workouts outside whenever possible. Whether its logging in with their device anywhere they can find service – and we’ve seen it all, from ponds, beaches, backyards, to playgrounds! – or simply hiking or a jog, we know that there’s just so much good that comes from spending more time outdoors.

Getting yourself outside more will bring your more happiness, boost your energy, increase the ever popular Vitamin D level, build mental abilities by helping you think more clearly, and again, boost that immunity and shake things up.

We challenge each of you to work to add in more outdoor time this week and see how you feel by week’s end. Start with the VFIT 10 Minutes with the Senses Outside and see where that takes you!

Rachele, Maria and the VFit dream team!

Take 10 – Find Your Beach

July 16, 2019 by Maria Sogard Leave a Comment

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

“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

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!