Tag: Fitness

  • Inspirational Interview with Guest, Chicago Fitness Instructor Haley Gunst

    Inspirational Interview with Guest, Chicago Fitness Instructor Haley Gunst

    “The Curve Confessions by Kenzie is a movement inspiring women to find happiness in ourselves, no matter our size or shape; rock the skin we’re in with confidence; openly discuss body image issues we see in the world; and create a safe space where we all feel accepted.”

    I started this new interview series featuring stories from incredibly inspiring women; in hopes of inspiring others in their own journey of fitness, motivation, and life in general. Today’s guest is Haley Gunst, who recently came back to Chicago after finding her love for fitness and the outdoors in Seattle. Let me tell you, we are lucky to have her in Chicago, and I loved interviewing her! Check out the interview and check her out on Instagram @haleygunst.

    CC: Thanks so much for doing this interview, I’m so excited! Let’s cut to the chase. When did you become a yoga teacher and why? 

    Haley: I started my yoga training out in Seattle in October of 2017 and was officially on the teaching schedule in January of 2018. I had been nudged a couple of times by instructors to become a teacher and honestly brushed them off. Yoga was the one place I could go and feel like I could let my mind relax and wander, and I was scared to have that taken from me if I started knowing the ins and outs of teaching. However, I was living in Seattle, in a new stage of life and really needed a positive extra hobby. That same week of feeling a little lost, a teacher nudged me again and I decided maybe it was time to get out of my comfort zone and try it. CorePower was also one of the main places I went when I first moved to Seattle and knew no one. They gave me a sense of community when I felt really alone and I wanted to give that back to my community. I am in the midst of expanding my horizons and really wanting to invest more time into my fitness career. I also just tried out and earned a spot as an instructor at the Equinox Fitness Club. My good friend Lauren currently teaches there and knew they were opening up a new location and needed teachers, so she put me in touch with Julie Bellis, my new trainer and manager at Equinox. To say I’m excited would be an understatement. 

    CC: That’s amazing, I can’t wait to take your classes at Equinox soon – and of course love your yoga classes already. If someone wants to try you out, what are your class times?

    Haley: Right now I teach at CorePower Yoga at the Gold Coast, Chicago location at 6:45 pm Friday nights and 9:30 am Saturday mornings. I am currently getting on-boarded with Equinox and will have to go through a training before I am officially put on their schedule, but be on the lookout! They have a very wide range of classes, but I will be focusing on the strength and toning classes as well as the HIIT – High Interval Intensity Training classes.

    CC: Amazing, I hope people reading can check you out! So what would you say motivates you, and what is your biggest piece of advice to others looking for motivation?
    Haley: Oh wow, that’s a loaded question and sometimes it just depends on the day, haha. However, I have always been a very competitive person, and I think my biggest competition is myself. I am constantly trying to break my own personal PRs or see how much further I can push my body; mentally, physically, based on strength, endurance, anything really. Honestly the feeling of accomplishment after a tough workout, a race, or a new certification is reflecting back and realizing “wow, my body just did that, how much more can it do?” I can’t tell people what should motivate them, it should come from within and whatever their story is, however, your motivation should NOT be for anyone else. Yes a “revenge” body is great, but at some point that motivation will fade. It shouldn’t be to make your parents proud or to get attention from a guy, or even worse, for social media or the pressures that come from social media. These days it is REALLY hard to decipher what is real and what isn’t – don’t even get me started with the topic of FaceTune – but focus on yourself and what makes YOU want to be better, and that motivation will not fade.

    CC: That is amazing advice and I couldn’t agree more – doing things for others won’t get us anywhere. Why is fitness so important to you, and when/why did it become that way?
    Haley: I would say moving to Seattle really changed my life and my health. I got really active and really into the outdoors and my yoga practice and started feeling what it was like to make my body and health a priority. I felt amazing inside and out. However, I have faced some of my hardest personal life challenges this past year and taking care of my health mentally and physically has been extremely important. I cannot stress enough how important it is to take care of your mental health. What that looks like for each individual is different. For me, professional therapy, yoga, long talks with friends and family, journaling and fitness helped clear my mind and regain my self-confidence and mental strength. Physically I try to do some sort of activity whether it be CorePower Yoga, Orange Theory Fitness, Barry’s Bootcamp, Equinox Classes, long runs/walks along the lakeshore path, or trying a brand new class (shout out to that one boxing class I tried when I was holding in a TON of anxiety) at least 5 times a week. When I was going through the thick of some of my tougher days the hour or so of physical activity was honestly the only hour of the day that I could see and think clearly, so I really leaned on it to help me push through each day and slowly I got stronger and stronger, both mentally and physically. It may sound corny, but I am beyond thankful for all of the instructors and trainers I have come across in the last few years because they have truly changed my life and in a lot of ways; they saved my life as well. I hope to have that impact on my students as I grow as an instructor.

    CC: I love it, that’s great you got that new perspective out there (and we’re thankful you brought it to Chi). And I couldn’t agree more about that hour being so sacred and needed. So, random, but what would your ideal way to spend a day look like?

    Haley: Human connection, the outdoors, and exercise. If I get these three things each day, it is usually a pretty damn good day. Human connection is something I would like to transform my daily routine and career towards a little more. A lot of my day is spent sitting at my desk cranking out numbers (shout-out to my fellow nerdy math brains out there), and while that is great, I do crave more human interaction. That is kind of where teaching fitness classes comes into play, and obviously getting together with friends – new and old – always makes the work week a little less stressful. If I could build some mountains out here in the Midwest, I would. I think that’s the thing I miss the most about Seattle… seeing and exploring the outdoors and how much it has to offer, however, I often walk 35 minutes to and from work each day and will jam out to music, listen to my podcasts, or call my parents/friends. These 35 minutes at the beginning and end of my day have almost become necessary, I take that time to decompress the craziness going on in my life because the craziness never ends…

    CC: I love it, and agree on the human interaction part girl. How do you recommend others get into fitness or a side hustle, based on your own experience?

    Haley: I would say first evaluate what you want to do and why. Don’t get into fitness because you read this interview and felt like you had to. However, once you have a desire to change your routine or start something new, OWN IT. Start telling people what you’re doing so that you hold yourself accountable, start prioritizing your schedule to fit in whatever you need in order to make that change, and plan ahead. Goals are much easier to accomplish when there is a very clear game plan – it doesn’t have to be perfect, but for example, if you want to start incorporating more fitness into your life, maybe that means an early wake up call to get it done – start small – plan which day (yes, start with one day) of the week that will be and make it happen, no excuses, and then grow from there. Habits, positive and negative, are created by ACTIONS. You and only you hold the control to those actions.

    CC: Great advice. Another thing I love asking; who inspires you? 

    Haley: My grandma, who isn’t here anymore, but I always think about her, and I think that living your life hoping to impact people so that they continue to remember you after you’re gone is a great way to live. A lot of decisions I make, or the way I choose to treat people is based off of that motto. Give love and positivity, receive love and positivity back. Also currently obsessed with @MarenMorris and @iamCardiB (yes, I said it) and their bad-ass woman power vibe, both of their albums got me through some tough stuff, @averagefashionblogger who literally cracks me up every single day and is un-apologetically herself, @JasonLoebig who was able to take a leap of faith from his 9-5 desk job to follow a passion and is absolutely crushing it and motivating others along the way, and my dad, because my dad just simply rocks. If you know him, you know. 

    CC: Love all those people. So as you know The CC talks a lot about body image, would you say you encourage all shapes and sizes to take your classes? Why? 

    Haley: YES. When I invite people to my classes the first thing majority of people say is “I’m not good at yoga” or “I haven’t worked out in so long, I wouldn’t make it”, or something of the sort. NO MORE. The person next to you in class at one point in their life had never taken the class before either. Everyone starts somewhere. Also, I promise you that everyone in your class is focused on themselves and themselves only. We are all in this together and just need to continue supporting each other.

    CC: Great for all my readers to know! Well, that’s a wrap. Any other notable things to say about your journey to fitness, side hustles, motivation, etc.?             
    Haley: No one is promised tomorrow, so what are you going to do with today?

    Love that quote & thanks again for taking the time, so inspiring! If you’re interested in checking out Haley in action, look her up on Instagram @haleygunst and DM her for a spot in class! 

    Keep inspiring, Hales! Xoxo.

  • How Trying New Workouts Can Boost Your Confidence

    How Trying New Workouts Can Boost Your Confidence

    Working out can be an intimidating thing – whether it’s at a gym or specific workout studio – we’ve all felt “gym intimidation” before. By trying something new and unknown, you’re putting yourself out there; where you’ll be around people you don’t know, around people who have different bodies than you, and who might just be more experienced than you at this specific workout. But what I’ve learned recently is none of that matters – and trying new workouts can actually build your confidence.

    Almost two years ago I was beyond afraid of trying high intensity interval training workout, Shred415 (Read: The Workout and Positive Mindset that Changed My Life). My best friend kept convincing me I should try, and I always turned her down out of fear. I would use excuses like “I’m not a runner” or “I don’t think I can do a workout like that.” Two years later, I’m still regularly going and it’s a workout that helped me immensely on my weight loss and health journey – and even helped me complete my first triathlon (another thing I thought I couldn’t do). It did take months and months of going completely out of my comfort zone to get there – but it’s ultimately helped my confidence for the better.

    And that goes the same for other workouts I’ve tried over the years, too – Barry’s Bootcamp, Yoga, Cycling, Barre – and there are still new workouts I want to try. Every time I walk into a new studio, I may start out of my comfort zone, but I end the class feeling so accomplished. And hell, I grew to become a regular at a place I thought I could never try!

    My point is – don’t count out a workout because of a thought or fear in your head. Grab a friend (or yourself), check out a studio, and build your confidence! It might end up changing your life. 😉

    Now what workouts are you going to try?

  • The Workout (and Positive Mindset) that Changed my Life

    The Workout (and Positive Mindset) that Changed my Life

    “I’m not a runner.”

    This was a phrase I frequently used before, as I opted for elliptical workouts, yoga, spinning, or basically any workout where I could avoid heavy cardio. I’ve always been an athlete, playing competitive volleyball through high school, but I just never loved (or was good at) running.

    But about eight months ago, my entire mentality changed.

    You might see me preaching about it on my social media channels, talking about it, and asking people to come try it. And that’s because I really, truly believe in it and LOVE it (I swear, I am not paid to write this ha). The workout I’m referring to is called Shred415, a workout studio with 60 minute high intensity interval training classes, which alternate between treadmill and floor/weight training (but with different variations/workouts every time).

    Let’s go back to the beginning. My friend Lauren had asked me to go to Shred bunches of times. I was always utterly terrified, but finally mustered up the courage to go. I remember it vividly –  I was scared, and happy to even be running the whole time (very slow, might I add). I made it through, barely.

    A few days later, the Wicker Park studio manager, Julie, reached out to me offering a first-time monthly client membership for a really good deal. Coincidentally, I had also just really committed to my lifestyle change, and Lauren suggested Shred 2-3 times per week as my “kick ass” workout. So it was decided, I was doing it. I signed up for the unlimited month in August of 2017, and truly haven’t looked back since.

    Since then, I’ve been going to Shred 3 times a week (4 if I’m feeling extra ambitious now :)) and I can confidently say I never leave class without a huge smile on my face and major confidence boost. But it took a long time to get there, along with a lot of positivity and hard work.

    One thing that’s really encouraging about Shred is the way you feel comfortable the second you walk in – the instructors and staff are incredibly friendly and welcoming – and once you get into that room, it’s straight up you against you in the mirror. But when I first started going, I was usually a little nervous since I was still getting to know the studio, the workout, the people, and just getting my bearings in a very new setting. I’ve made a conscious effort to try workouts out of my comfort zone or at new studios in the past year, but this was a whole new level of commitment and rigor – so I really appreciated the atmosphere.

    I also like that they give you modifications on the floor, and work you off your own paces on the treadmill, which truly makes it feel like it’s me versus me (not competitive with other people around you). I’ve done a lot of other workout classes, but I’ve never felt more in the zone than I do when I’m at Shred. Trust me, your ass gets kicked every time and you push your limits, but it’s a supportive environment, and one that you find yourself so motivated by every time.

    I started off jogging at best during the treadmill sections, barely making it through class, but really just focused on improving every single time I stepped foot in class. Since going on a regular basis, I’ve upped my speeds, upped my weights on the floor, heavily improved by endurance, and truly feel stronger than I’ve ever felt in my life (honestly even my fit volleyball days, it’s crazy!). If you would have told me I’d feel the way I do now 8 months ago, I would have told you that you’re crazy – but here I am, 50 pounds lighter and running/sprinting every single week. WHAT?!

    There are certainly moments when you feel like there’s no way you can keep going, bump your pace any higher, or finish the rigorous reps you’re doing on the floor – but you just do. And you just keep getting stronger, mentally and physically.

    So what I’m here to tell you is that it IS possible. Even if you feel like you could never do a class like this, don’t consider yourself a runner, or whatever thought is running through your head like it was mine – it’s so far from true. Because let me tell you, our bodies and our minds can do so much more than we even realize – but we have to believe that to see it.

    Choosing to change my life 8 months ago was the best decision I ever made, and Shred has been a huge part of that. A workout class that I never thought I could survive has quickly become my therapy, and a place I can count on to not only push my limits physically and mentally, but also make me feel amazing and more confident.

    If you have any ounce in you of wanting to feel better but not knowing where to start, I promise that you can do it. And that goes for all shapes and sizes, and relates to really anything in your life right now. But let me make it clear: it’s not about hating on yourself that creates change, it’s about loving and believing in yourself enough to really do it, and it’s so freaking worth it.

    I’m so thankful to Shred (shout out to Julie, the amazing Wicker manager) for reaching out for that first month, kicking my butt every week, and being so supportive along the way. Shred has truly become more than just a workout to me, and I’m beyond grateful to get to share my story with you all.