Meet Maricar Vejiga! Head coach at Santa Maria!
Maricar took some time to answer some questions about Fit Republic and give us some tips on how to stay motivated!
1. What attracted you to the Fit republic brand?
In 2016 while looking for a gym, I was drawn to the many aspects that the club offered. Some of which include new state of the art equipment, group classes that appealed to everyone despite fitness level, friendly staff, and low-priced memberships.
2. Can you speak on the community that ‘you’ were able to build?
Camaraderie is a powerful tool in fitness today. The ultimate goal of Fiit Nation is to change lives daily and to help our members lead a healthy and sustainable lifestyle.
The community within Santa Maria’s Fiit Nation studio is something I’ve never seen in other gyms. Our members connect with each other both inside and outside the studio creating family-like relationships. Often times you’ll find members socializing after class sharing their fitness journeys and goals. Other times they’re planning the next time they’ll all be in class as well as activities outside the gym such as hikes and runs. We as a whole, staff included, are supportive of one another’s goals of fat loss, weight gain, or body recomposition.
3. When asking different members about how they felt before going Fit Republic they used words such as fear, insecurity, and injury. How do you help/motivate members to overcome these?
The gym alone can be intimidating, so I understand the idea that taking a group training class may heighten those initial fears. However, some ways I help members overcome obstacles - such as fear and insecurity - are by demonstrating progressions, regressions, and modifications for each movement. Doing this allows members and guests to feel comfortable and confident in their ability to take class without risking injury. I believe it’s imperative to give positive reassurance and reinforcement to anyone walking through our doors.
4. Do you have any advice for members to stay consistent and motivated?
Trust the process. Any fitness journey will take time, discipline, and a whole lot of patience. Everyone’s body is unique and changes at different paces so try to not get discouraged if you don’t see instant results. Instead, create small achievable goals and as you progress and accomplish them, create new and larger ones. Remember, before you can climb a mountain, you must climb a hill. Alongside that, measure your progress by utilizing our Fiit foundations program and track your progress. But most of all, enjoy the journey.
5. How would you describe functional fitness and how is it different from other types of workouts?
Physical fitness is imperative to maintaining a healthy lifestyle. In today’s culture, the younger demographic seems to be focused on aesthetics and maximal strength rather than the functionality of the movements they’re executing. Older adults may find these styles of training too challenging and as a result utilize the cardio and resistance training machines. Functional fitness, however, isn’t about how much weight you can lift or how good you look, it’s about strengthening your muscles to perform daily activities more efficiently. This form of training is low impact and designed to improve balance, posture, core strength, increased flexibility and coordination, cardiovascular health, and most importantly appeals to every individual.