website and Instagram content created for patrons and prospective clients of Future Fit, a former ARX personal training center located in Burlington, VT
Future Fit Client Spotlight: Katie Kelley
Feature and photos by Margaux O'Connell
Self-care is (generally) rather relative and indefinable. Unearthing the most optimal form of self-care is, however, a defining moment - for any person. When you ritualize your favorite kind of self-care, you start to form healthy habits; habits you'll hopefully never need to kick.
Katie Kelley, a 66-year-old Burlington, Vermont native with a passion for self-care, regularly enjoys her unlimited Future Fit membership. She strives to feel her best, look her best and age smartly. With an undergraduate degree in social work from the University of Vermont and a master's degree from the University of Maine Orono, Katie works as a mental health counselor. It's imperative that she's able to show up for herself - first and foremost - so she can then show up for her patients.
Katie's Future Fit routine consists of oxygen therapy on the stationary bicycle three times a week, ARX training once a week and the infrared sauna about four times a week. Katie admittedly suffers from seasonal depression - something she didn't succumb to this past winter and attributes to Future Fit's infrared sauna. Katie also experiences arthritis and residual pain from a healing rotator cuff, which is why she likes Future Fit's unique approach to working out as opposed to more extreme methods. And as someone who struggles with committing to exercise on a regular basis, she appreciates Future Fit's easy-going atmosphere and low-key environment versus crowded, noisy gyms. "Rachel [Katie's coach and Future Fit founder] doesn't push me; she asks me what I'm feeling up for that day," Katie enthusiastically reiterates.
Katie's ultimate fitness goal is to maintain her health and build strength without rushing through workouts or straining her body. Her maximized sessions at Future Fit allow her to prioritize her fitness without spending hours at the gym. In addition to her Future Fit membership, Katie routinely practices Pilates, acupuncture, massage and a Keto diet. Katie also regularly sees her Network chiropractor, Julieta Rushford, of Rushford Family Chiropractic. (Network chiropractic is a type of chiropractic that uses a sequence of delicate touches alongside specific positioning of the body to restore your spine's position, tone and flexibility.) Katie loves pairing her personal means of self-care with Future Fit's pressure-free, client-first methodology.
Like Katie Kelley, you too can put your physical wellness first. Schedule a free consultation with a Future Fit coach at your leisure and discover endless ways to become stronger and simultaneously improve your mental well-being. As a bonus, your first visit to Future Fit includes a free ARX session.
Sweat In Serenity At Future Fit's Infrared Sauna
By Margaux O’Connell
New England winters aren't for everyone. Whether you embrace these frigid months with enthusiasm or you're counting the days until summer's return, a little heat and light is always good for the soul. While I thankfully don't dread Vermont winters, (shout out to snow sports and Hygge), visiting Future Fit's infrared sauna has been a welcomed activity.
Infrared saunas differ from traditional saunas in that they use infrared lamps to warm your body directly, as opposed to heating the air around you. This allows you to achieve a satisfying sweat at a lower temperature; also allowing for a longer sauna session. During Future Fit's 45-minute sauna appointments, guests may either sit, lie down or bring their yoga mat for a warmed stretch. The sauna's Bluetooth is an easy way to connect to your favorite playlist, podcast or meditation app while you escape daily stress, last night's alcohol consumption, a polar vortex, etc.
Guests adjust the sauna's temperature to their liking, along with its ambience. A hand-held remote controls the hue that fills the room, which morphs from crimson to violet, to cerulean blue and then into a lulling crystalline green. As you approach your Zen zone, your body experiences effects similar to moderate exercise, (i.e., perspiration, a higher core temperature and a faster heart rate). You'll perspire with an easy mind as you remember that infrared saunas are known to:
· Detoxify
· correct sleep patterns
· improve blood circulation
· relieve muscle tension
· ease joint pain
· lessen anxiety
· counteract aging
· increase athletic endurance
Depending on what I'm up for, I'll either remove the benches from the sauna to enjoy a stretch on my mat or I'll throw on a mellow playlist, rest my head, and wait for the heat to hit. My last trip to Future Fit's infrared sauna was my favorite to date. I rolled on some CBD and essential oils, stretched lightly and spent the remainder of my time horizontal, attaining a deep and gratifying sweat. It may go without saying, but be sure to hydrate both before and after your session in order to maximize your experience. (Water is also available during the entirety of your session.) When you finish, dry off with a towel or rinse under the soothing waterfall shower head before continuing your day.
Discover the rewards of heat and light therapy all year long with Future Fit's infrared sauna. If it's your first time visiting the sauna, Future Fit will apply a half-off discount to your session. Book online or by phone today at (802) 497 3593.