FEELING EMPOWERED AFTER FINDING RISE

Like for many of us, dealing with the pandemic became a challenge to Monica Barton's mental and physical health. "Over the past year, I continued to gain and, in turn, was feeling more and more lost," says Monica. "I knew I needed to start making some changes."

After doing a lot of research on different programs, someone in a local Facebook group mentioned RISE and a new challenge coming up. Although Monica had no idea what the RISE Challenge was, she was intrigued. "I called the studio and spoke to Jen, who was incredibly welcoming and encouraging," she says. "The day I called was the last day to sign up so took a chance and have been very happy with the journey."

Monica first became a client using Rise Replay (Recordings of Live Classes) at the start of the Challenge this past January, finding the flexibility of being able to workout when it worked best for her busy schedule to be a major perk. "As a working mom this has been an obstacle to getting back into a routine," she says. "I have recently branched out into in-person classes and will continue to follow a combo of both virtual and in-person workouts. Everyone has been very welcoming and supportive."

This support along with the community and friendships at RISE are something Monica hasn't experienced in other programs. "In the 2021 Rise-olution Challenge we were placed in groups of four," says Monica. "I was very surprised how caring and supportive the other members of my team were even though I had never met them before. I also found that the RISE leaders and instructors went above and beyond to connect with me and support my goals."

From weight loss to happiness and overall wellness, Monica has found so many amazing benefits from RISE thus far. "For one, I am happy," she says. "I feel like I have goals and the tools I need to achieve them. Even though my goals are large I know with the support of RISE I can break them down and accomplish them in time. I feel more and more comfortable with who I am both inside and out. I have lost weight and have continued to do so in a healthy way with overall wellness becoming more of my focus."

Since conquering the RISE Challenge, Monica's is now focused on staying active even when life gets more challenging and choosing wellness on a consistent basis. "I do have a large weight loss goal that I am working on, but I am discovering wellness is much more than just the number on the scale," she says. "RISE is providing the environment that I need to be successful."

Today Monica is finding time to workout 6 days a week with a mix of Rise Studio Zoom and Replay classes and since winning the Challenge has continued to focus on nutrition, resulting not only in weight loss but also eliminating chronic migraines. "I have also shifted my goals to focus on more of a healthy lifestyle than a specific goal," she says. "RISE has also shown me ways of clearing my head and feeling empowered to deal with the challenges in life. I am truly grateful for that."