FUSION AT ANY AGE

My name is Amy Hodes and I am a self-professed Fusion Fitness addict ☺. You can find me at one of our studios 6-7 days a week either teaching, working out, or- most likely- laughing & chatting with friends. It’s my happy place where I go knowing that I am 100% guaranteed to feel happier & stronger when I’m leaving than I did when I arrived. Anyone who knows me well knows how passionate I am about all things Fusion: our teaching method, our classes, our instructors & most of all~ our community (aka Sweaty Sisterhood).  When I tell people that I have been working out at Fusion for 13 years, they always ask the same question: “What makes Fusion so special??” Most of the time, they follow that with something like, “I would love to try a class, but I am too old/ too out of shape/ can’t do jumping or high impact cardio.”  I have shared my honest responses to these hundreds of times, but I still feel like there are some misconceptions about Fusion that need to be cleared up – so I am here to speak my Fusion truth!

Before I tried Fusion, I hopped around to many different types of workouts. I worked out at large gyms, did weight lifting sessions with personal trainers, & also took lots of different types of classes including pilates, spin and yoga. I quickly realized that group fitness was my jam because I enjoyed the social aspect & always felt more motivated by the awesome energy that came from working out as a “team.”  I went to Fusion for the first time to see what all the hype was about; it was a new & everyone was buzzing about how great it was.  I continued going because the instructors were so knowledgeable & inspiring, the classes were tough but also lots of fun, the music & energy were exciting and powerful, and I had begun to form some great friendships with the women at the studio. I stayed because I was seeing results & realized that that the Fusion “shock your body” method not only worked, but also continued to challenge me on a daily basis because every class has a different format and muscle focus. Finally, I became an instructor because I wanted to help empower other women and share the strength,  joy and confidence that Fusion had given to me. 

 I have remained at Fusion ever since because I still believe that we have the most effective workouts along with the most encouraging & motivating instructors. That alone would be more than enough- but the truth is that the unique magic of Fusion is the women who go there- our Sweaty Sisterhood.  This amazing community of inspiring women are all about supporting each other rather than judging and competing against each other. It’s a rare phenomenon to see such a large & diverse group of ladies who genuinely want to see each other succeed in accomplishing their goals without any sort of pettiness or jealousy between them.  This culture of acceptance and encouragement started at the top with our bad-ass boss, leader & founder, Darby Brender & her commitment to creating a place where everyone feels accepted, appreciated & like they belong there. As instructors, we foster this attitude and perpetuate it through our words and actions when we teach our classes.  We are quick to remind our clients to work out in the way that’s best for them on that specific day, taking care to honor their bodies & respect their limitations. We believe that a workout should be a way to celebrate our bodies & what they can do rather than punish them for what they cannot. This positive environment creates the perfect opportunity for our clients to thrive and grow; together, we exemplify the fact that nothing is more powerful than women helping other women to become the best possible version of themselves. We celebrate our differences, learn from each other & embrace the belief that we can all rise together without stepping on each other in the process. THAT IS WHAT MAKES FUSION SO UNIQUE AND DIFFERENT!!

I feel confident that my age, along with having taken over 3,000 Fusion classes throughout the years, qualifies me to address the women out there who really want to try Fusion, but feel like they can’t take that first step and come to a class for one reason or another. First of all, I hope you know that we have all been there.. we all had to summon the courage to come in and take our first class.  My hope is that this information will address any  doubts or concerns you might have so that you can take the leap!  

To those who think that they are too old or that you wouldn’t “fit in” with the other clients~ I want to remind you that age is just a number & that I am 51 years old and still taking daily classes at our studios. If you came to class, you’d see that our clients come in every age, shape and size. Everyone works at their own different speed and level & nobody cares how old you are! Truth be told, there are actually quite a few of us who are over 40 & still kicking ass with the best of them!   Personally,  I refuse to allow my age to define me in terms of what I can and cannot do. With age comes wisdom, and that wisdom allows me to decipher my own personal limitations and adjust/modify things when needed.  At Fusion, we recognize that showing our clients how to make modifications to certain exercises is the key to keeping our workouts sustainable and successful.  Instead of looking at modifications as a way to make something easier, we like to think of them the same way the dictionary does: “to amend or change in an effort to improve.”  We are all about teaching to every level and our instructors show the various ways to modify exercises in all classes so that everyone can do them.  I think that there is a false assumption that all of our clients are 20 year old Victoria’s Secret models & Olympic athletes. This couldn’t be further from the truth- so cross that off your list of excuses. Although we certainly have some ladies who might fall into those categories, the truth is that our clients are women of every age, height, weight & color. If variety is the spice of life~ consider us EXTRA SPICY!!! Every BODY is welcome and accepted at Fusion. Our studios are judgement-free zones.  If you don’t believe me- stop in during one of our classes and sneak a peek for yourself!  Not only will you see a variety of women, but you’ll also see them doing  different variations of the same move at their own pace. We know that every body is different and we take that into account when plan & teach our classes.  Since our goal is to help all of our clients continue to see results and grow stronger with each class, we are always re-evaluating our classes and adjusting them as needed so that we can continue to “shock your body” in the best possible way! For this reason,  Fusion is dynamic; we are constantly evolving,  and changing to meet the needs of our clients and provide them with the safest and most effective workouts. We are well aware that we are teaching to a mixture of age ranges and abilities, and I can assure you that our instructors are extremely knowledgeable, very well-trained, and more than capable of teaching to ALL of them.  We meet once a month with all instructors to provide on-going education so that we can continue to improve along with our clients. We want everyone to feel welcome and safe coming to our classes, regardless of their age, shape or size.

To those of you who think Fusion is too hard for you ~I challenge you to take a deep breath & step out from the safety of your comfort zone and into the light of opportunity for self-improvement! Before you decide that you can’t do it, you owe it to yourself to come take a class and make an informed decision. Since Fusion is always growing and changing, you should know that our classes are not the same as they were 2 years ago- or even 2 months ago. Even if the format is the same, I can assure you that you will see more modifications and alternative exercises being demonstrated. We listen to the feedback & suggestions that our clients offer us and we make changes when we see the need for them. The on-going evolution of our instructors and classes is the key to us staying relevant and continuing to serve ALL of our clients.  This is how we stay on top of our game and why we have been in business for so long. I’m not going to lie to you and tell you that our workouts aren’t tough; the reason they are so effective is because they are so challenging!  But there’s a HUGE difference between putting in the effort to work hard at something that challenges you and deciding not to even try because you think it’s too hard; One is taking a risk in an active attempt at improving yourself and the other is allowing your excuses to stand in the way of you moving forward in a positive direction.  Remind yourself that some of the greatest moments of personal change & growth in life happen when you find the courage to face your fears and take the necessary steps to overcome them. Taking that first step of going to a class is the hardest part; if you have the desire, then what are you waiting for? Here’s your personal invitation.  You can come stand next to me in the back row! I’ll be the one sweaty, swearing & laughing. Depending on the day & how my body feels, I might be modifying every move, or I might be doing jumping burpees like a maniac. I always try to give 100% in class, but that looks different on any given day. I can tell you that no matter what I’m doing, I never feel embarrassed or ashamed of how I’m working because at least I’m trying my best, and that’s always good enough! 

If you want to try Fusion, THEN PLEASE GIVE YOURSELF THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO SO! Come take a class with us and see what you’ve been missing. See for yourself that we are a diverse group of women made up of all different ages, colors, sizes and shapes. Put aside your excuses and believe me when I tell you that FUSION IS FOR EVERY ONE & EVERY BODY!  Come and see that even though we might not all be moving the same way, at the same pace, or even doing the same version of a certain exercise~ WE ARE ALL UNITED IN OUR GOAL OF BECOMING THE STRONGEST & BEST VERSION OF OUR OWN UNIQUE SELVES.