In July 2013 a small group of women joined Della in the park twice a week for some training sessions and “Dellafit” was born. More than five years later Dellafit has grown to 8 sessions a week and we have a very large number of women who train with us on a regular basis, including some who have been with us the whole time. Apart from school holidays when we have a break, Dellafit has run continuously for over 5 years now. In a very crowded fitness marketplace with so much on offer these days it’s quite remarkable how many women we have had who have stuck with us for many years and also recommended us to their friends. It makes us think we must be doing something right. We asked some of our regulars to let us know WHY they like to train at Dellafit.
Support and encouragement
One of our best Dellafit client Mirren (mum of three young kids, currently studying to qualify as a lawyer in Australia after a long legal career in the UK) says: “I go to Dellafit because of the all the positive and personal support that Della has given to me in my fitness journey. I was a bit anxious about coming back to fitness after the birth of my third child but Della’s encouragement and reassurance has made it a lot of fun”. Part of Dellafit is Della the trainer – a mum of 4 – who has come from a corporate career. Della knows the pressures for working women and for mums and she is always ready to offer motivation and support. Working in a group environment with other women is also a source of support for many of the DellaFit women. It’s a very friendly and accepting group and it’s small enough to be a place where everyone will know your name.
Another Dellafit client comment made by Bea (see below) is that although she feels like she wants to train hard at Dellafit sessions she does not feel bullied or pressured. Della gives just the right amount of encouragement and will push you to do your best. All this with no yelling or screaming which you might associate with “bootcamp” style training sessions.
Convenient times that work for you
For Bea, a beauty therapist (specialising in amazing eyebrows) who has 2 small boys, it’s simple: “I attend Dellafit because: it’s outdoors, it’s a convenient time and place for me; and there is a good range of exercise.”
The 6 am sessions are a great way for working women to make sure that they get their training in before the day starts. They can train and be home by 7 am and still get to work on the time and get the family out the door. The 9.15 am sessions make sense for women doing the school drop off. They can drop the kids, do their training and then get on with the rest of their day. Della knows you want to get the most from your training time (you want results) and she works hard to keep the sessions varied and effective. Della is also watchful and attentive, making sure that everyone in the small group is performing the movements using the right form to avoid injuries.
It’s outdoors in a beautiful location
For Veronica a Dellafit client (owner of a busy hair salon specializing in education with 2 daughters and part time model!) the outdoor aspect is what does it for her: “especially on a beautiful day”. The outdoors is good for the soul. If you spend a long time inside working each day the time you have in the park is like magic for your mood. The fresh air lifts your spirits. Even in winter it’s so good to stay connected with the outdoors. Like many of our clients Veronica also appreciates being able to bring her dog: “he gets lots of play time!”
Intelligent programming
But probably the thing that Veronica enjoys the most is that “I don’t have to think of what to do, I just do it! It’s never the same and so you are working different body parts therefore it always challenges me”. It can be hard to motivate yourself to train alone. So much easier to have someone else work out a program that will get you fit and strong. Della works on her session plans with the zeal and intelligence she developed from her many years as a lawyer. She constantly updates her fitness and nutrition know how to make sure her clients are getting the very best.
Social aspect
Tracey, another Dellafit client (a busy hair and makeup artist for film and television with an energetic 7 year old son) says: “I like Dellafit sessions because are there are other like minded people in the group and it’s a good mix of social with great workouts and motivation. The classes are always different and fun plus I love to be able to work out in the park.”
We have developed a great sense of community at Dellafit. Every now and then we do something outside of Dellaft together. Some lovely friendships have been formed and women genuinely look forward to catching up with each other at the sessions.