Cancer Survivor Gained 10 Pounds of Muscle and Resolved Chronic Pain

Speaker 0: Alloy is different from other gyms and studios predominantly because I go in and I experience the same people in the community, and we know each other's names. And there's no competitive pressure to perform to be like someone else. And that competitive edge is often in a lot of other studios or gyms that I've been part of. I prefer a more relaxed, laid back approach that allows me to set my standard for what I'm achieving. And that seems to be the case at Alloy. The training is consistent, but there's a lot of variety in the types of exercises we do. That's also important because I get very bored doing the same thing. My name's Tashana Forrester, and I live in Cedar Park, Texas in the Austin area, and I go to the alloy gym at off Lakeline. I noticed that I was not wanting to bend down, not wanting to go up the stairs, not wanting to do the things that I've traditionally always been able to do. I'm also a cancer survivor. And after going through chemo and everything that entailed, I never quite regained my strength. And as I began to hit my mid forties and experience all the things that come with being a female in her mid forties, The challenge that I was noticing in myself was that it was my legs that were the weakest. And so I was like, it's just time. It's time to get back to it. Really just didn't enjoy the aches, the pains, the cracks, the pops, that kind of thing. I had seen the marketing ads just on Instagram or Facebook, one of those. I also had researched them a little bit before. I had some priorities I was looking for in a gym. I've been a gym member. I've trained. So I knew what worked for me and what doesn't. Having an affordable space that included a trainer would be as valuable to me, and I knew the price of paying a trainer one to one. I couldn't afford it at the time. And so, Alloy met those priorities and needs for me. I really didn't want a place where I had to think too much about what I needed to do. I know how to train, but I want a place that's gonna tell me what to do so I don't have to think it through myself. I'm a single mother. I have four kids and I'm the only income. And so cost is very important to me. I've been very honest and transparent with them and they're always very accommodating and working with me. It's family owned and they're easy to talk to, which was also another value I have. It's just having a gym I'm comfortable in. I've worked with trainers one on one. I've done group training almost consistently after I had each one of my kiddos. I find that I work better in community with people. So any kind of trainer and coach is a huge help for driving progress in my opinion. It makes all the difference. I know it does for me. And so doing it on my own is possible. It just wasn't going to have the same level of motivation. I wouldn't get the most benefit from it because the community aspect of being in a gym with people, I draw a lot of energy from being in community with other people. And so it helps me. It inspires me, it's much more motivating. When I started with Alloy, my personal fitness goals were to get stronger. And so for me, it was about increasing my muscular strength and my ability to do daily tasks with ease. I've probably gained about 10 pounds of muscle in my time there so far, and that's been phenomenal. I absolutely achieved that goal of getting stronger and noticing the reduction in pain, the aches, the pops, the cracks, all of that has resolved, as well as just the benefit of looking better when I put my clothes on. All the things that come with the physique changes that are byproduct of toning and getting stronger. What has surprised me the most since joining Alloy has been the lack of resistance to working out. For myself, there has been a lot of resistance just to getting into the gym or waking up in the morning and thinking, know I should go, but I really don't want to, but I'm paying for this thing. And so that's one of the reasons I joined groups because there's more motivation to get in there. But since joining Ally, I haven't noticed myself have that resistance at all. The workouts challenge me, but they're not over the top. I can modify. I feel comfortable speaking up if it's uncomfortable and there's no judgment. So it's been a piece of cake going in. It's just part of my routine right now. Since joining Ally, I walk up the stairs and I notice as I'm walking that I'm stronger. I also feel more energetic. I eat more food and I don't necessarily gain weight. I make better choices simply because I'm invested in my own health and fitness. New moves, new exercises, something that is challenging my mental state, and I appreciate that quite a bit. If you're sitting on the fence about joining Alloy, I would say if you're looking for a community that's gonna be supportive of your progress and your growth at a pace that is one you want to set for yourself while also being supported and challenged along the way, then go for it.