Introducing our Member of the Month for August, Lynn Cowie-McAlister! Q1: Please tell us a bit about yourself: I studied to be a secondary school teacher, majoring in English and Ancient History. I also took on some extra subjects at university so that I could teach years prep to 10 physical education. I now work as an industrial office of the Queensland Teacher’s Union, where I get to look after pre service teachers (people studying to be a teacher) and new educators (teachers in their first five years of teaching) for the entire state of Queensland. I love my job – I’m so passionate about our amazing teachers and children in our schools! Q2: Was there a particular “snap point” for you that made you want to start training?nI’ve always enjoyed exercise and have played and officiated competitive sport since I was a teenager BUT I was bored and frustrated doing things on my own and wasn’t getting the results I wanted. I was feeling a little bit lost and unsure about what to do – I needed some help. My husband (Scott) had been going to the corporate boxing sessions with Luke for a while and pushed me to give MP a go (he said it would be good for me, body and mind) and he was right! I also wanted to set a positive example for my children (Harper and Ivy). I didn’t want them to see their Mum being negative and frustrated about exercise and nutrition – I wanted to model that exercise and good nutrition are daily parts of our life, something that is core to our health – body, mind and spirit! Q3: What’s the biggest thing you’ve learnt at MP?nI’ve learnt so much, but 3 things stand out for me personally: 1. Training in a group is motivating! Previously when I had done group training, group members had been compared to each other and I’d personally felt really bad about not being good enough or not pushing myself hard enough – it was horrible! BUT NOT AT MP! MP has taught me not to compare myself to others. Instead, it has allowed me to focus on what I need to move forward with my fitness – it’s really empowering, done in such a supportive way and everyone helps each other focus during the sessions!n2. Setting goals which are realistic and achievable. As part of this, I’ve really focused on my perception of “failing” or “failure,” my fear of it and how this made me feel about myself (which was generally pretty horrible!). I’m still learning that sometimes you can feel absolutely uncoordinated or fear something (box jumps, mountain climbers and running group still scare me!!!) but by not giving it a crack, I’m failing myself. 3. Nutrition: I’ve still got sooooo much to learn BUT Scott nearly fell over the other day when I came home and said, “I don’t think I’ve eaten enough today!” I’d had four meals but was still hungry and I hadn’t packed enough food for my day out and about for work! I’m eating more than I ever have before and am feeling really healthy and happy!nQ4: What’s your favourite exercise to do and why?nI’m really enjoying combat and boxing – I didn’t know I loved punching and kicking things as much as I do!! I find these sessions physically challenging because you are using every part of your body, but also ridiculously fun! AND you never know what you are going to get with Luke continually changing things up – it keeps me on my toes, which helps with mental strength as well! Q5: What’s your advice for anyone thinking about starting an exercise or nutrition program?nEach person starts their exercise and nutrition journey (I think they go hand in hand) for their own reasons. Identify what those reasons are and embrace them. Once you’ve done this, you are going to need help – never be scared to ask for it! With the support, professionalism and friendship shown by Luke and Rach at MP, I am feeling the strongest, healthiest and happiest I’ve been. There is still a lot to learn, but once you start, you’ll never look back! —————————————————————- The focus at our studio is to provide a supportive and encouraging space for people to work out in, and Lynn is a big contributor to that! Ever since she started training with us at the studio, she has been a positive, shining light in our group fitness classes and she contributes so much to the supportive, motivational space at the studio. As a busy working mum of 2, Lynn really takes the time to prioritise her health, and it’s so great to see her set such a superb example for her children. Currently, Lynn participates in our ICE Sessions (group workouts) and by attending just a few 30 minute workouts each week, she has been able to achieve awesome results with her fitness levels, and she is lean, strong and super healthy!nIt’s an absolute pleasure to have someone like Lynn in our group – we really appreciate everything you bring to our studio, Lynn! If you would like to enjoy the same great results as Lynn and get involved with a supportive, encouraging group of people, our ICE Sessions are for you! Grab a FREE 7 day pass and try us out for yourself – join us for 7 days of fun!