Interview With Helen Charles, PFA Client and Owner of Helen Charles Salon
How did you get interested in fitness? It was about 15 years ago when, having raised my two children, suddenly I started paying more attention to the way I looked and felt. I went on a sking vacation and found it very hard to deal with the boots and all the gear that goes with it. I realized that I was out of breath easily and did not have much energy. A soon as I got back home, I decided to join the local gym ( I was living in London at the time) and started working out with a personal trainer. The rest is history, I never looked back. Why is fitness important to you? As a hairdresser, I work in front of a mirror all day long and feel responsible to be presentable and fashion conscious. I feel being in this industry, it is my duty to encourage and motivate my clients in the same way. I owe it to my fitness level (and above all to my personal trainer) to be motivational throughout the day, inspiring each and every client as I enhance their inner and outer beauty. In other words, my fitness is an extension to my hairdressing tools. What type of fitness program are you currently on? I have tried many since I came to Florida 6 years ago. My first attempt at working out in a very upscale gym kept me going for 3 years, however I started seeing a deterioration in my fitness level and my weight started increasing. I also started experiencing some minor injuries. So without fail I started seeking a good personal trainer and found exactly the person I was looking for. I exercise 3 times a week with 3 different trainers in Personal Fitness Advantage and run 2 to 3 miles once a week. What current challenges to your fitness goals do you currently face? How do you handle the challenges? My nutrition is the biggest challenge I have right now due to a very demanding business schedule. I have learned the hard way that a few minutes spent every week planning my menu plan and organizing my grocery shopping, saves me from disaster. It is so easy for my husband and I to skip home meals and eat out after a tiring day, but we try not to give in to temptation more than once a week. We have also received a tremendous amount of help and encouragement from our trainers on this subject. It is surprising how easy it is to pick the wrong thing on the menu when eating out, even when we think we are eating healthy. How has your current program improved your life? Having just expanded Helen Charles Salon, daily challenges have certainly tested our stress levels. I am sure we would have found it much harder to cope with things if it was not for our current excercise program. Although I enjoy the gym environment, it has always been a challenge to get my husband to work out on a regular basis. Having started our present program, I have not heard him even once to complain to go to the studio, infact he is ready before me for every session early in the morning. We have once again learned to start the day with laughter. Thank you Doug, thank you Tom, thank you Gina. Doug: Helen, thank for taking the time out of your busy day to share your experience. I think you are an inspiration to many people. If you would like to know more about Helen or have her help you look your best for a night out in town, check out Helen's website at www.helencharlessalon.com Get Our Industry-Leading Fitness Empowerment Newsletter(Plus three more gifts valued at $77) Now!Gift #1: Our success-oriented "10 Strategies to having Your Best Year Ever" mini-course. We respect your privacy! Your email address will never be sold or rented |