She’s energetic, she’s exciting, she’s fun, and she’ll help you rock your workout. She’s everything you want in an F45 trainer!

They call Cristina Chan the Face of F45 Recovery, and there’s a good reason for that. Cristina has an extensive history in sports and fitness, and her expertise is apparent to F45 gym members. 

Cristina grew up in San Jose, California. As a young child, she danced but soon transitioned to playing lacrosse. She fell in love with the sport and played through college.

After college, Cristina decided to make a career of fitness because it was where she naturally felt at home. Using her psychology degree and her gift with people, she began teaching fitness classes. She coached collegiate lacrosse at UCLA in addition to different types of training—from Krav Maga and Crossfit style workouts to corrective exercise. In 2019, a colleague and friend introduced her to the F45 community. 

It didn’t take her long to find a job as a trainer at the F45 gym in Venice, and she easily slid into that role. 

But then COVID happened and the world—and gyms—shut down. She credits F45 for being forward thinking and innovative, as it had little difficultly with transitioning to lockdown and a post-COVID world. She began helping with training videos and in September 2020, took on the role of F45 recovery athlete. 

In this position, Cristina helps build programming, works with the athletics team, and offers insight into how to offer recovery into the F45 network. She stresses that “recovery components are absolutely essential”—a lesson she strives to impart to gym members.

Additionally, she and her team work with Whoop—an app to track and monitor fitness—to create educational pieces and to encourage people’s understanding of their health and fitness. 

Cristina also leads four classes a week at the Dana Point studio and says that’s something she would never want to give up because she has “always loved being a trainer.”

But there is still more to this phenom, who also has a passion for surfing. A beach lover since she was small, Cristina gives surf lessons as part of surf therapy. While some of her clients are neurotypical, many have unique needs. She works with both adults and children who have Down syndrome, autism, or cerebral palsy, saying the lessons they learn while surfing help muscle tone, strength, agility, and self-confidence. She explains the myriad health benefits—both mental and physical—of being in or near the ocean. 

Cristina’s passion is reflected in all of her endeavors, and she wants F45 members to feel as excited about their workouts as she does. She understands that joining F45 can be daunting and that many might balk at the idea because they are not in shape or feel they don’t have the ability to do the different workouts. But she stresses that there is no need to worry because F45 is very inclusive. She wants people to know that they “can modify anything and still get a great workout that is going to meet their needs.” 

Cristina also explains the importance of the F45 community, saying that all the people there—from the trainers to the other members—want everyone to succeed. The support people find at an F45 gym will drive them to accomplish things they didn’t think possible.

Cristina mentioned that one of the unique aspects of F45 workouts came up during a conversation with a friend. The friend asked her, “So every single person in the world is doing the same workout on the same day?” Answering yes, Cristina said, “I think that’s such a cool question to answer yes to. It’s such a unique experience. It’s such a unique thought [because] . . . you’re still being a part of something that everybody is sharing around the world.”

This amazing F45 global community is unlike any you have known, and trainers like Cristina—who truly understands the importance of fitness and the relevance of recovery—work tirelessly day after day to help members become better versions of themselves.

Cristina’s talent and her role are vital to the F45 community—a community she says she is proud of and excited to be a part of. And we know that the F45 community and all the members of the Dana Point studio are fortunate to have her as well.

The post Cristina Chan: The Face of Recovery appeared first on F45 Training.

Strength and tenacity come in many different forms, but when you combine those with a passion for fitness, a love for country, and the desire to motivate others, you get Noah Galloway.

Like many of us after the attacks on 9/11, Noah was left wanting to do something—something to protect the country, something to make a difference, and something that mattered. With the images of the collapsing towers fresh in his mind, Noah set out for a jog, and that’s when he decided he wanted to join the military. He joined the 101st Airborne Infantry and was deployed to Iraq, where he served on the front lines doing exactly what he had hoped to do—protect and serve our country.

Noah found a new home in the military and decided that would be his career. But as often happens, life took a different turn.

In 2005, during his second deployment, Noah was injured by a roadside bomb in what is called the Triangle of Death—a name given to the region south of Baghdad. He woke up in a hospital six days later to find that, among several injuries and a shattered jaw, he had lost his left arm above the elbow and left leg above the knee.

The military career he had grown to love was now over, and Noah had to decide what was next.

What was next was not easy, but his grit and his determination carried him through the dark days, and his passion for fitness began to open doors he never even knew existed.

Noah had always been fitness oriented. As a young child, he worked out to Tony Little videos and even snuck into the local fitness center alone when he should have been accompanied by an adult. He laughs and says that on more than one occasion he was kicked out. But this didn’t deter him, and he would return time and again.

So as he began to recover and wrap his mind around the new life he was embarking upon, he fell back naturally on getting in shape.

He began pushing himself physically. He started running marathons, going mountain climbing, and doing things that people with a prosthetic leg are not “supposed” to do. He even participated in the Spartan Death Race—a grueling and brutal challenge run in the hills of Vermont. Noah was among a group of 100 people to show up for the race that year. It lasted 58 hours. Only 20 people finished, and Noah was one of them. 

This led to Men’s Health magazine featuring him on the cover and a host of invitations to appear on talk shows. It also led to a stint on Dancing with Stars. This appearance took some convincing, but Noah finally agreed to take part in the show, believing he would be eliminated in the first few weeks. But stunning performance after stunning performance, he kept advancing. And then something meaningful happened. Veterans and other people with disabilities from all over the country began to contact him, telling him that they were inspired not only by his performance but just by the sheer fact that he was putting himself out there.

Noah was making an impact; he was making a difference—just not in the way he had imagined on that day he enlisted in the Army. 

But as Noah once said, we should never try to second guess the things that happen in our lives because so much good can come out of even the bad things. 

And so Noah’s life took on a new direction. As he told me, “When I push myself, it inspires others.” 

Today, that is his new goal—a goal he seeks to achieve not only in his family life and within his community, but on a global scale.

Noah recently joined the F45 family because he wants to show people that life is full of adversity that can be overcome. He has traveled around the country to F45 gyms in Tennessee, Las Vegas, New York, Utah, and most recently to the F45 on base at Miramar in San Diego, where he felt privileged to work out with Marines and Navy personnel—something he hopes to do more of in the future if F45 gyms expand to other military bases.

On these trips, Noah doesn’t lead the class, and he doesn’t watch from the sidelines. He joins right in and works out alongside members, showing them that if he can overcome the challenges he has faced, they can too. He explained, “I want to be that motivator, to show what’s possible, to be an example.”

He believes that leading by example is one of the greatest motivators for people who may be struggling. And the feedback he has gotten from the trainers has been tremendous. They tell him that everyone pushed themselves harder when he was there.

That is exactly what Noah wants—to help others see that they too can set goals, achieve them, set new ones, and constantly push themselves further. 

Not only has Noah inspired the F45 gym members, but he serves as an inspiration to the trainers as well, as he has taken part in working with trainers while they learn to lead F45 classes. He helps them find new ways to work with people who cannot use an arm or a leg or who have another type of disability. 

This is vital for an F45 community that prides itself on ensuring that everyone feels included, welcomed, and valued—a community that tailors its workouts to each member’s abilities. Noah loves this about the F45 workouts—that and the fact that they change every day. But it’s not just the workouts that he loves; it’s the F45 community—a community of people who are there for each other, who are genuinely happy to see each other every day, and who truly care.

Noah stresses that anyone looking to join an F45 gym should combat feelings of intimidation and just take that step. He speaks from experience and admits that when he first started getting back in shape after his injuries, he was terrified. He joined a 24-hour gym so he could work out in the middle of the night. It didn’t take him too long to realize that hiding wasn’t necessary and that he was actually an inspiration to those who saw him. 

Knowing there are others who face similar challenges, he told me, “Those of us who have had setbacks are the ones who should have the most pride in reaching success in fitness.” And that is why he encourages people to set their fears aside and join F45.

Noah Galloway is living proof that we can create good from the bad. He is an inspiration to the F45 community. And he is an incredible example of the bravery we must all strive for when we face adversity in our lives. 

Welcome to F45, Noah!

The post The F45 Community Welcomes Noah Galloway appeared first on F45 Training.

F45 and Olympic athlete Morgan Mitchell is gearing up for next summer’s Olympics in Paris. Her drive and determination have inspired so many, and we want to introduce you to her. So here are eleven things you should know about this phenomenal athlete.

1. Morgan is an Australian runner who has competed at two Olympic games.

Morgan ran the 400m in the Rio Olympics and the 800m in the Tokyo Olympics. She hopes to run both the 400m and 800m in the Paris Olympics. If she does, she will be the first Australian female to accomplish this.

2. The Sydney Olympics in 2000 kickstarted Morgan’s love for sports in general.

Morgan was just six years old when she watched the Olympics in her home country and knew she wanted to be a part of it. After that, her parents enrolled her in several different sports, and she ultimately chose running as the one she loved most.

3. Morgan has implemented “F45 Fridays” to keep fit.

Morgan varies her training throughout the week depending upon which training season she is in. She might be at the F45 gym as many as four days a week or just one. When she is actively training for the running season, she implements F45 Fridays and says they are her “favorite day of the week.”

4. Morgan is studying fashion and marketing at university.

Morgan loves fashion and wants to eventually work as a creative director of a brand, design sets, and organize photo shoots. 

5. Morgan started F45 in 2018 upon the encouragement of her sister.

Morgan’s sister is an F45 member and persuaded her to join. Once she did, she was “hooked.” She says that she loves being part of a gym with like-minded people and people who just want to increase their fitness levels. She also loves the fun and family atmosphere of the F45 gym.

6. Morgan’s favorite thing about F45 is the diversity of workouts.

Morgan appreciates the versatility of the F45 workouts and says that they are never boring. She credits the coaches who are so full of energy with keeping the members hyped up and excited during the workouts. 

7. Morgan’s talent and determination took her to her first Olympics.

Morgan had always wanted to visit Brazil. Knowing the 2016 Olympics were going to be in Rio increased her drive to train as hard as she could to make it to the Olympics. This resolve helped her achieve her dream. 

8. The dining hall at the Olympic games was a truly unique experience for Morgan.

Morgan recalls that one of the most fun aspects of the Olympics is the dining hall because it’s the “biggest food hall on earth with some of the world’s best athletes.” She marvels at the fact that all the athletes eat together and that she got to “get up close and personal” with some of her favorite athletes while eating meals.

9. Morgan has recently started yoga.

She uses this as her recovery day after a long week of training to make sure that she’s taking care of her body, staying as fit as possible, and enjoying her training. 

10. Morgan takes a 30-minute walk every morning.

To wake her body up, Morgan takes a cup of coffee and walks along the beach near her home for about 30 minutes each morning. She says this is a great way to begin her day. 

11. Morgan loves to travel.

Morgan has traveled all over the world; she loves connecting with like-minded people and experiencing different cultures. Chicago is one of her favorite cities, and she loves the Bears. Her next trip to the states will be to New York in February, where she can’t wait to combine a race with New York’s Fashion Week!

Morgan trains hard, and she knows the importance of a versatile workout. That’s why F45 workouts are so integral to her regimen. She offers some practical advice for anyone who may be wavering about whether to join an F45 gym. She encourages people to sign up for the free trial and to see for themselves—to go every day to get the full experience and to try the different workouts. She says that every time she walks into the gym, she feels welcomed and included, and she encourages people to just take that step. She states, “It feels like family, so just give it a shot.”

The post 11 Things You Should Know about Morgan Mitchell appeared first on F45 Training.

Resilience and life-altering workouts rule the day at F45, and F45 Halls Head is no different! In our latest Functional Unleased video, we introduce you to this F45 community, located in a coastal town in western Australia. Here, strength of mind and body are evident throughout the gym and in the lives of gym members who share some amazing stories. 

Coach Jeff leads the members, who proudly proclaim that he refers to them as athletes. This does wonders for their self-esteem, and it gives them the positive attitude they need to power through their workouts. 

First, we meet Lisa, who refers to herself as an “oldie” because she’s over 50, but she has not allowed her age to deter her from working out or accomplishing her goals. She encourages other older people to just “turn up” for the class, and she assures them that they will not feel inadequate because of their age. 

Lisa goes on to explain that vertigo and the resulting dizziness had wreaked havoc on her life. She was to a point where she was constantly nauseated and even had difficulty sitting. Wanting to take control of her illness, she joined the F45 gym and found that her symptoms began to abate. She is now at the point where she doesn’t even notice the dizziness anymore, and she credits the F45 workouts with helping her overcome this health crisis.

Mick was a soccer player whose wife encouraged him to join F45. He had fallen into a party lifestyle, and he knew he needed a change. She encouraged him to just attend the week free trial; he did, and he was hooked. Now four years later, he encourages anyone thinking about joining F45 to take the plunge.

We then meet Barbara, who is a two-time breast cancer survivor. After multiple surgeries, chemo, and radiation, she felt that her body was “shattered.” When she joined the F45 gym, she was weak and had been on so many meds that they caused her to lose bone density. Always experts at meeting people where they are and helping them grow in strength, the F45 trainers worked with her to rebuild her body. 

As many older women know, loss of bone density after age fifty is a normal thing. But just because it’s normal doesn’t mean you can’t do anything about it. Through weight training and the exercises at the F45 gym, Barbara was actually able to regain some bone density! Her doctors were amazed at her progress, and Barbara feels better now than she has in years. 

These are just some of the amazing stories and people you will find at F45 communities around the world. Though these individuals and their stories are unique to F45 Halls Head, there are thousands more just like them—and just like you! 

We encourage you to watch these Functional Unleashed videos to see for yourself. We believe their inspirational stories will motivate you, and through their stories of strength and determination, you will see that you, too, can become healthier and stronger. 

If this sounds like a community you would like to be part of, visit our site to find an F45 gym near you.

The post F45 Halls Head: Where Strength Prevails appeared first on F45 Training.