All the fitness experts and gurus agree; having a workout partner increases your chances of finding more success and enjoyment in your workouts. Sometimes it can be difficult to coordinate with someone else to hit the gym alongside you. The easiest place to look could be to those closest to you. What if your workout partner is your mom, daughter or sister? Perhaps one of the best ways to spend family time is working toward a goal together. Consider these four stories of families who exercise together in our community. Their stories are as different as the workouts they’ve chosen, but with one commonality — they do it together.
The Works Cycle
When Carter Foxworth, a fitness enthusiast with a marketing background, partnered with Sarah Frick to expand The Works Sweat Studio to include cycling, a powerhouse fitness community exploded in downtown Charleston and Mount Pleasant. One of Foxworth’s favorite aspects of her life as a studio owner: having her mom Catherine Boardman as a client.
The mother and daughter have always been passionate about cycling, and being able to spin together at Foxworth’s studio is very meaningfully to them. It provides an opportunity for the two to connect more frequently than what would otherwise be possible due to their demanding schedules. They meet at the studio to cycle together several times a week, or Foxworth leads her mother in class in between her busy schedule owning Shoes on King. What could be more Charleston Women than that?
For more information about the Downtown Charleston or Mount Pleasant locations, please visit TheWorksCHS.com.
KidStrong
Kaci Marietti is a fitness enthusiast and lead teacher at Pure Barre Summerville. After becoming a mom, Marietti experienced excellent results in her journey toward better mental and physical health by joining a fitness studio and finding a community. So, when KidStrong opened in Summerville, she was one of the first moms through the door, eager to get her daughter Ava started on her own workout journey. “Giving my daughter a positive community centered around physical activity early-on is something that I hope will carry on throughout her life to help her stay fit mentally and physically,” said Marietti.
Ava loves her classes at Kidstrong and has definitely gotten stronger and more determined; and Marietti is thrilled to know that she is laying the foundation of good habits for her daughter by spending time with her in a way that benefits her health. You can find the two on the floor at Kidstrong Nexton a few times a week when Mom isn’t at the barre.
KidStrong has locations on Dorchester Road and in Nexton in Summerville and is coming soon to Georgetown Road in Mount Pleasant. For more information visit Kidstrong.com.
Fleet Feet Running Clubs
The Charleston-area Fleet Feet stores are as serious about community and connection as they are about outfitting runners with the best gear. They offer a variety of organized running clubs for both training purposes (5ks to marathons) and fun runs. Jane Hardy and her daughter McKenna are two of their regulars. “The scheduled group sessions are a great way to keep motivated and stay consistent with your running. When I’m in town, I love participating, especially on Saturday mornings,” Hardy said. And as for running with her daughter? It’s a true highlight of her life. “Running with my daughter is a joyful activity. It makes my heart happy running alongside her. What can I say? Bring on a marathon. Just don’t tell my knees,” Hardy gushed.
If you would like to ease into a running group, try a low-key pub run first. Don’t forget to recruit your mother, sister or daughter to join you. As the new year approaches, there’s no better time.
Fleet Feet has locations throughout the area including West Ashley, Goose Creek, Mount Pleasant and Summerville. For more information, visit FleetFeet.com.
Pure Barre
When Karen Corbin decided that she needed to start a workout routine, she knew that she would be more successful in a community environment. So, she booked a Pure Barre class near her workplace in Summerville and invited all of her co-workers to join her. A couple weeks later, she recruited her sister Sonya for a class and they were hooked. The two sisters had always been very close, so it “just made sense we’d workout together too” according to Corbin. Corbin lives in Summerville, while her sister lives in Moncks Corner. Working out together gives them more opportunities to spend some quality sister time during the week.
Their goal is to get in two to three barre classes together per week, after which they head to Bigby for coffee, just next door to catch up after getting their sweat on. Having a workout “date” keeps them accountable to their fitness routines, and the sisterly bond is stronger for it. For more information on workouts at the barre, visit PureBarre.com.
After reading these stories, we encourage you to take a few minutes and think about your current fitness routine. Is it serving you? Are you accomplishing your goals? Does it need some new life? If you have struggled to find your rhythm with working out, find a workout buddy. Ask a close friend of family member to join you. It’s always the right time to start (or restart) a healthy exercise routine — and you’ll get more than a workout if you exercise with someone you love.
