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Helen's story: Our "Terrific In 10" winner!
“I don't have enough time, I don't have enough money, I don't have a gym nearby,…” For 27 year old Helen Smailes these were just some of the reasons she came up with as to why she could not undertake exercise.
Before starting our “Terrific in 10” contest, a 10 week body transformation challenge, she was not only unhappy with how she looked, but also with how she felt.
“I was constantly tired and lethargic and was slowly slipping into a mild depression. Physically, my clothes didn't fit, my skin and hair was suffering and I avoided mirrors like the plague”, Helen explains.
If we go back three years further, Helen’s life was a different story. She was an avid horse-rider, hockey player and dancer until a serious knee injury put the brakes on all her active hobbies. For two years she was in and out of hospitals as her fitness levels went down and her weight went up. The conditioning and strength she had taken for granted all her life had deteriorated and the road back to health and vitality looked pretty scary.
“The day I found the site I had just come back from taking a tour at a gym forty minutes away from my home. Convinced that I just didn't have the time or confidence to join the gym, I gave a last ditch attempt to find an alternative. I found Goodlifefitnessathome.com and immediately signed up.” Helen explains and continues, “I decided to take part in the Terrific in 10 contest after I had seen photographs that had been taken of me on holiday and I didn't recognize the overweight, timid looking woman in the pictures.”
When she started the contest she couldn't do a single half push-up, and had no strength or balance. She remembers feeling her muscles ache the day after completing the Kick'n Circuit exercise video for the first time, but that feeling changed dramatically.
“Over the last 10 weeks I have gone from pushing through a 15 minute beginner yoga routine to dancing my way through a 45 minute advanced aerobics session. I can now even manage 30 full push-ups!” Helen says. She believes that being able to access an online health club is a big part of her success. “The great thing is, not only are the videos fantastic, but the site supported me in so many other ways to motivate me and help me reach my goals. Setting preferences, goals and schedules and tracking my progress were valuable tools in helping to keep me motivated and on track. But what I love best is the ability to pick which exercise I want to do, when I want to do it and how long I want to do it for.”
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Thanks for the tremendous effort Helen - you deserve that $1000.00! When you look at the before and after pictures the visible facts are obvious - she has gone down two dress sizes - but most importantly Helen’s smile is back on her face and she is happier and healthier than she thought she could be again. It does not get any better than that!
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