Fighting fit
Rachael Ferguson’s stage four cancer diagnosis was a stark reminder that health really is our wealth
Rachael Ferguson’s stage four cancer diagnosis was a stark reminder that health really is our wealth
Photos Tim Ingle + supplied
When Rachael Ferguson was diagnosed with stage four bowel cancer no one was more shocked than the former competitive bodybuilder herself. At just 32 years old, Rachael was the picture of health.
“I’d just got back into training,” explains Rachael. “I had been a member of Clubfit Baywave for five years and did a bit of running, too.”
At the time she was feeling a bit more fatigued than normal. Having just got married, Rachael put her tiredness down to the stress of the wedding and all the COVID-19 lockdowns that came afterwards.
Rachael and her husband Glen were planning to have a baby in the near future so she visited her doctor, to make sure she had nothing to worry about.
“Hand on heart, if we weren't planning to have a baby, I probably wouldn’t have made that call,” admits Rachael. “Had I not gone, it’d be a different picture for me today.”
After her diagnosis she had what is called definitive surgery treatment
– surgery on a sufficient margin of tissue. Her margins returned clear, but she still had to undergo chemotherapy, to catch any rogue cells.
Twelve rounds of chemo later, Rachael is thankfully one of the lucky few to survive stage four cancer.
“My treatment took place over six months, with one every fortnight.
I just kept an open mind every time and didn't fixate on side effects.
Plus I worked out the whole way through.”
Her doctors recommended she continue her fitness regime as best she could.
“I was told it’s really important to replenish your body after chemo, because it absolutely knocks you. Exercise can be the last thing you want to do and often I'd feel average for a couple of days after treatment,
but as soon as I would start to feel okay, I’d either be out going for a walk or back in the gym.”
Rachael continued training at Clubfit throughout, allowing her to still attend her favourite classes of Body Step and Body Pump.
“Everyone at Clubfit was so great,” says Rachael. “They knew what I was going through and where I was at. It’s always been such a nice community to be a part of. There's no judgement and there’s so much support for everybody, which you don't often find in a gym.”
Just six weeks after her last round of chemo, Rachael fell pregnant with her son, George. These days, with George having just turned one, Rachael still makes sure she prioritises fitness. She goes to Clubfit classes twice during the week and once on the weekend when George is at his swimming lesson at Baywave below the gym.
“I really believe being healthy and fit played a huge part in me fighting
the cancer the way I did,” says Rachael. “Everyone knows what the gym means to me now. It’s more than just staying in shape. A lot of women believe that once they become a mother their needs don't matter anymore, but you can't be your best if you're not feeling right. In many ways, looking after yourself is the most important thing.”
The fitness diaries
Editor Hayley Barnett faces her fitness fears - and the dreaded fat scanner - to embark on a year-long self-improvement journey.
New beginnings. Editor Hayley Barnett faces her fitness fears - and the dreaded fat scanner - to embark on a year-long self-improvement journey.
Photos Salina Galvan
Gyms have never been my jam. I joined one with a friend back in high school and we would regularly show up, hit the stationary bikes for five to 10 minutes, then saunter off to the sauna feeling very pleased with ourselves. It wasn’t until I joined my university gym that I realised I wasn’t really achieving anything. All that beer, combined with not growing taller, wasn’t doing me any favours either. So I started running, outside, away from the gym.
Over the years, the running has helped to keep me fairly fit, but as you get older, apparently, you need to build muscle everywhere. Something to do with your metabolism slowing down and hormones being thrown out of whack.
I liked the idea of joining ClubFit at Baywave because it was close to home, my kids did their swimming lessons there and I wanted to try the Body Combat class my friend always raves about. But, on my first consult with trainer Kiriwai Poroa, she advised that kicking my way to a stronger body in the beginning was not a wise move, and so reality kicked in instead.
She suggested having a BodyScan, a machine that measures everything from your weight to how much muscle and visceral fat you have. ‘Visceral what?’ I hear you say. The fat around your organs - the most dangerous fat. It turns out mine wasn’t that bad. My muscle to fat ratio, however, wasn’t great. It wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t great, and Kiriwai had a plan.
For the first few months, I am to focus on resistance training. Not only does it build muscle strength and tone, it also protects your joints from injury - magic words for a runner. She set up a programme including a circuit of five resistance machines, two body weight exercises and two cardio machines for warm up and cool down. I then downloaded the ClubFit app, where my workout is kept, showing exactly how many reps, weight and time to be spent on each exercise, so there are no excuses to be made, like blaming a foggy memory. The app even includes videos showing you the correct form for each exercise. You can connect it to other devices and monitor your heart rate while you exercise, as well as track outdoor movement, calories burned and distance travelled. It’s an all-in-one hub for your health and fitness. Technology has come a long way since my uni days.
Together with two resistance days a week, we agreed I would attend one Body Balance class per week, to get my stretch on and relax those muscles after a couple of outdoor running sessions. This is getting serious.
The biggest motivator (besides having my face splashed across a magazine) is going to be my visit back with the old BodyScan machine in three months’ time. Watch this space!
Follow Hayley’s journey at @unomagnz
Measuring success in the gym with Clubfit’s Stu Stevenson
It’s all good to want to look great, says our Clubfit manager fitness columnist Stu Stevenson, but is that your true measure of success?
It’s all good to want to look great, says our Clubfit manager fitness columnist Stu Stevenson, but is that your true measure of success?
PHOTOS Hunter Studios
When it comes to health and fitness, there are many ways to define success and measure your results, but the real question is: What do they mean to you? It’s not what others tell you they should be or what social media leads you to believe.
Figure out what you want from your body and from an overall health perspective. Then create your own success metrics that are less about the number on the scales and more about how you feel. Consider these questions when measuring your health and wellness progress:
How do you feel? Paying attention to your mood and energy level is a great indicator of whether you’re on track or not.
How quickly do you recover from exercise? Are activities that were once challenging becoming easier? As we get fitter and stronger, it’s important to reflect on how much easier exercise becomes (and remember that progressive overload is a simple yet often underrated exercise principle). Can you lift more, run further, last longer? Even a marginal improvement is progress.
How well are you sleeping? Improved sleep quality over time is an indicator of success. More sleep (we should aim for a minimum of seven to eight hours each night) and less stress will also give you a better chance of achieving your health and fitness goals.
What’s your resting heart rate? A normal resting heart rate for adults is between 60-100 beats per minute. Checking that yours is either stable or slightly decreasing over time is a simple fitness test you can perform when you wake up each day, going old school with a watch or with a wearable device that’ll do the counting for you.
What do you weigh? Actually, this simple measurement isn’t always as helpful as people think. In fact, if you’re going to measure your body weight, it’s important to assess it alongside your body composition (the proportion of fat and non-fat mass in your body). No matter what your goal, focussing on building or maintaining lean muscle sets a platform for success.
True fitness success is more than just achieving a certain body composition or look. Of course, it’s good to look great, but it’s more important to feel great and have a body that can perform when you need it to. Although there’s nothing wrong with having a weight-loss or aesthetic focus, it can take the joy out of exercising and make it a punishing journey, so I encourage you to work with a coach in an environment that promotes positivity around goal-setting and a balanced approach to defining success.
At Clubfit, we can work with you to create a fun, sustainable workout plan that’s focussed on making you feel good – plus all Baywave members receive a free Evolt 360 body scan to help you track your health and wellness journey. Here’s to your success!
Get motivated at F45 The Mount with new owners Brett and Nicole Taylor
F is for functional, friendship and fun - and forty-five minute group workouts that really deliver results, as Nicky Adams finds out.
F is for functional, friendship and fun - and forty-five minute group workouts that really deliver results, as Nicky Adams finds out.
WORDS Nicky Adams PHOTOS Jahl Marshall
F45 first came onto my radar about three years ago, when I noticed that one of my friends had – within what seemed like a startlingly short time frame – honed her body into one that was svelte, toned and stop-in-your-tracks what-the-heck-have-you-been-doing-to-get-that-figure? The secret, she informed me, was F45.
Now, as pretty much everyone knows, when it comes to fitness, there’s no quick fix or easy way, but F45 has developed a high-intensity interval training (HIIT) formula that keeps its clients keen through short bursts of energy that maximise results. The gyms themselves are part of a franchise and follow the same model, although each site brings something different to the mix.
The Mount Maunganui branch of F45 has recently been taken over by Nicole and Brett Taylor, who both have extensive experience with F45, and a real passion for fitness. Nicole is a clinical exercise physiologist who has also worked as an F45 manager, and Brett has been in the industry for more than 12 years. Owning their own F45 gym revolves around their genuine desire to be instrumental in transforming people’s lives, as well as their perceptions of health and wellbeing. They love that F45 is an incredibly effective form of exercise, not only for athletes who already have a high level of fitness, but also for those at the start of their fitness journey.
The couple were drawn to F45 The Mount by the phenomenal community that already existed here. According to Brett, “The vibe grabs your attention straight away. When people come in the door, they realise, ‘Hey, this is cool’ – and that’s what appealed to Nicole and me. We felt the connection with our members from the first day.”
Family environment
“Once you come into the gym, you’re part of our family,” says Nicole. “It’s a really inclusive environment – the members, trainers, everyone is welcoming.”
The pair have a definite vision of where they want to take the gym. Nicole’s clear that “although we want to grow our membership base, we also want to make sure our current members are valued”.
Brett believes what sets them apart is that “we understand what our members want: unique driving through our trainers – strength, encouragement, understanding.” In addition to the focus on individual goals, other benefits of F45 The Mount (aside from the all-important sparklingly clean bathrooms) are the class format and instructor ratio.
For the uninitiated, the set-up at F45 is slightly different to the average gym. Specific equipment is assigned to each 45-minute workout and exercise sequences are projected via screens on the wall. This frees up the trainers to move around the room to help and motivate class participants.
As Brett says, “You’d seldom find a class elsewhere where you’d see two personal trainers engaging at the same time. Here, you get that one-on-one connection, which ensures correct technique.” Furthermore, they pick only trainers who have preventative injury-management experience. “This enables them to motivate our members to push past comfort but stay within their physical limits.”
Accountability for the win
F45 is fast-paced. Your interest is held by a range of exercises within a number of different sessions, and by different concepts introduced into the mix. A good starting point for any of the opportunities and challenges is a 10-minute benchmark fitness test known as the Playoffs.
F45 The Mount’s members genuinely support each other, which Brett says is part of what makes the studio’s regular six-week challenges so successful. A combination of exercise and diet, these challenges are where people can really see not just results but transformations – and says they work because “when you’re in a group environment, you don’t want to let anyone down – everyone keeps each other accountable.”
It’s hard not to be impressed by Nicole and Brett’s expertise and enthusiasm. After I gave F45 The Mount a whirl, I’d barely left the building before I was messaging friends to see who wanted to sign up with me.
The mind-body connection at Natural Fit
An exercise revolution is afoot at this Mount gym. We spoke to co-owner Beth Ratcliffe about their purpose.
An exercise revolution is afoot at this Mount gym. We spoke to co-owner Beth Ratcliffe about their purpose.
UNO: What’s Natural Fit great at?
BETH RATCLIFFE: Our ‘what’ is grounded in purpose. We’re good at understanding what our members need because we aim to listen more than we speak to gain a deep appreciation for where they’re at. This begins by getting to know them and allows us to offer well-coached classes and personalised programmes, and to create a relaxed community that cares about connection, support and expertise in sport and health performance, exercise rehabilitation, dynamic functional movement techniques and the very best yoga offerings.
Why do people come to you? We feel the entire fitness industry needs a shake-up. People are walking through the doors of Natural Fit because we’re a signal in an industry full of noise. We teach people to move and function with self-awareness and control, and to build on their strengths. We’re proud of the beautiful environment we’ve created in the heart of the Mount, but we’re so much more than a room full of exercise equipment. We know that change comes from within, and that it’s not so much what you do but how you do it that counts. At Natural Fit, success isn’t measured in body scans or on the scales. Igniting healthy habits; moving with true purpose; feeling in control; celebrating strength, endurance and flexibility outside of the gym; and gaining confidence is how we notice and name success.
Who are you best suited to? We have a diverse range of members, from people who’ve learned to stand again following disease or injury, right through to competitive athletes. People in our community have begun to notice that we’re different. An entire community is choosing to learn and relearn how to move with purpose and trust their intuition. Fitness doesn’t always need to occur at a million miles an hour. In order to meet goals and make an impact, it needs to be purposeful and be a constant practice of self-reflection. By facilitating people to make a brain and body connection every time they choose a class, or to put in the hard work of following their goal-oriented programme, they’re forming healthy habits that can be applied outside of our supportive gym environment. Currently, the intended vibe within Natural Fit is a mirror for the diversities that exist in our community. We proudly have all members “come as they are” and help them articulate the goals that will affect their wellbeing.
What are you proud of at your gym? It’s the meaningful connections we have with our members and that they have among themselves that we’re most proud of at Natural Fit. Our membership is diverse and although each individual has unique goals, the culture that exists within Natural Fit means that we all work together and inspire each other.
What kind of classes do you run? Cardio, strength, mobility, agility… What makes our classes unique is less about what we do and more about how we do it. We teach people to move well, listen to their brain and body, and challenge their individual limits.
Who is this type of fitness best suited to? We welcome people that are willing to challenge the status quo and noise that exists within the industry. Our membership is full of people who understand that in order to take control over their health, they must be accountable to themselves and make inherent changes, rather than rely on the variety of bells and whistles that promise a shortcut to success.
What are your top tips for getting beach-ready? If you’re confident in your own skin, then you’re beach-ready. This is a function of being ‘strong’ mentally, emotionally and physically. Learning to move with self-awareness and control helps instill this sense of confidence, which sets you up to enjoy feeling good in any situation.
18 TAWA STREET, MOUNT MAUNGANUI
07 542 3163
VPT Health Club: Omokoroa’s gym for everyone
Omokoroa’s gym for everyday people, VPT welcomes folks from all walks of life.
UNO: So, what’s your gym great at?
VANCE ELLIOTT (owner): We’re great at being accepting and encouraging of our members, and we work hard to make all of our clients feel comfortable to be in our space. We make sure we know as much as possible about why they came to us, so we can best help them to reach their goals. We really try to cater to everyone and believe listening to client feedback is key to being a quality gym. Why do people come to you? Because we’re not just an equipment-based gym. At VPT, we’re about creating lifestyles and encouraging positive habits. What kind of classes do you run? Our gym boasts a massive number of classes for our size – currently 25-plus, all included in our membership fees. They range from beginner to advanced circuit training, box-fit, Pilates, Body Balance, yoga, and Pound with Aotearoa’s only New Zealand-certified instructor. We’re also lucky to have an incredible karate teacher, who’s a New Zealand champ – he works with us to run after-school sessions for local kids, so kids can do karate while their parents work out.
UNO: What other services do you offer?
V: We run seminars and supermarket tours that allow us to educate our clients about healthy living, mental health, injury prevention, rehabilitation, exercise techniques, how to read food labels and more. How do we book? When they sign up or start a trial, each member gets access to our app that lets them book classes, personal training sessions, seminars and events. It also allows them to add and track their health and fitness goals, add and edit measurements with photos, view any workouts we’ve uploaded for them, message us, view their membership details and update personal information. What are you most proud of at your gym? We’re really proud of what we offer our clients in our great little community. For the dream we have, we might be starting small, but we’ve been all about quality from the get-go. What are your top tips for getting healthy and fit for summer? Surround yourself with people who will support your goals, be consistent – and join VPT Health Club!
MEET THE OWNER
Meet the owner Vance Elliott Vance started VPT as a small personal-training business in Hamilton, with a dream to one day run his own gym – a dream that has now come true with VPT Health Club. Committed to creating healthier lifestyles in the community, and specialising in rehabilitation, weight loss and habit-changing, he has a bachelor’s degree in Sports and Exercise Science, along with training in injury prevention, rehabilitation, sports training, and pre- and post-natal exercise.
VPTHEALTHCLUB.CO.NZ
168 OMOKOROA ROAD
OMOKOROA, TAURANGA
027 333 1465
Looking for a bit of variety in your exercise regime? Clubfit could be it!
Its availability at not one but two sites – one in Tauranga and one at the Mount – isn’t the only thing that makes this gym ultra-accessible.
Its availability at not one but two sites – one in Tauranga and one at the Mount – isn’t the only thing that makes this gym ultra-accessible.
UNO: What’s Clubfit good at?
Personal trainer Mark Berry: We build great relationships and support our customers through their exercise journey while making it fun. For us, it’s about the long game. Beyond just getting a new member started, we’re here to keep them motivated so they make steady progress towards their goals and enjoy the journey.
What do you specialise in? Functional training, strength and conditioning, rehab, CrossFit and Olympic lifting.
Who are you best suited to? Anyone looking for a modern gym that provides value for money, great service and support will find it at Clubfit. We also offer great variety, with more than 60 group fitness classes per week. Our gym is also unique in that it offers gym and swim memberships; you can choose a membership that also provides access to five pool facilities, including spa, sauna and aqua-aerobics classes – and even the iconic Mount Hot Pools. Clubfit caters for all levels and the variety of workout options means there’s truly something for everyone. Join the club for a fun, supportive exercise programme that gets results!
What kinds of classes do you offer? Les Mills Classes are some of the world’s most popular – we’ve got Body Combat, RPM and Body Step to get the blood pumping, CX Worx and Body Pump for strength, Grit and Sprint for high-intensity training, and BodyBalance and Tone for muscle tone and flexibility.
Our Clubfit Home Grown Programmes (HGP) are our own range of classes designed to complement the Les Mills offering. HGP Hiit ’n’ Run and HGP Blitz are intense circuit-style classes that are suitable for intermediate to advanced fitness levels, while HGP Mobilise and HGP Full Function are perfect for members who are returning to exercise and need to take it slow. There’s also Yoga, Pilates and Zumba classes available, and with our gym and swim memberships, you can also attend AquaFit classes at Baywave.
What are you proud of at your gym? Without a doubt, it’s our team, from our group fitness instructors through to our amazing reception staff. The level of support and commitment they provide to our customers is outstanding and keeps people coming back for more. Around 30 percent of our new customers each month come to us through a referral from a current member.
We’re in the business of helping people live better lives and seeing people transform in terms of confidence, mental wellbeing and overall health is what we’re here for. Although we hear lots of success stories about physical transformations and fitness gains, now more than ever we’re hearing about the mental benefits that exercising at Clubfit is providing. People often comment about the fear and anxiety they’ve had to overcome just to get started on their fitness journey, and these same people also often tell us just how significant being involved in a good exercise community and developing healthy habits have been in transforming many other areas of their lives. That’s the stuff that makes us feel good.
What are your top tips for getting beach-ready? Consistency is king or queen, so show up often, do the work and enjoy the process. Also, remember that your body isn’t your enemy, so be good to it, build up slowly and watch the results start to appear.
Meet the trainers:
Mark Berry
Mark’s a Clubfit personal trainer and group fitness instructor who has worked in the industry for a decade – a job he loves. He brings an all-round training philosophy to the gym floor and his down-to-earth approach is based around the following points: aim to move your body the way it was designed to move; consistency is key – and not just in the fitness world; enjoy what you do – it’ll be a boring life if you don’t; success comes in many forms – the number on the scales is just that and nothing else; and strive for balance in all areas of training and life.
Monique VanDijk
Monique works at Clubfit as a fitness instructor – a role that’s all about coaching and support. She started her journey as a group fitness instructor through her interest in sports performance and holds a degree in Sport Science. Today, her key passions include strength training, CrossFit, Olympic lifting and gymnastics. She says she really enjoys her role and connecting with a wide variety of people through exercise, and believes quality movement in exercise is paramount to quality movement in everyday life. Her goal is to help people find a method of training that’s effective and enjoyable for them, so they can move for as long as they’re able.
1 KITEROA STREET, GREERTON, TAURANGA, & CORNER GIRVEN AND GLOUCESTER ROADS, MT MAUNGANUI
07 577 8555
Everything under one roof
You might catch a glimpse of boxing champ Joseph Parker when you work out at this budding super gym.
Fit Nation
You might catch a glimpse of boxing champ Joseph Parker when you work out at this budding super-gym.
Meet the owners.
Monique Alvarez: With a background in beauty therapy and customer service, Monique understands the importance of ensuring every client is happy and comfortable with their experience at Fit Nation as soon as they step through the doors. She wants her members to feel as though they are part of a Fit Nation family and is committed to making sure she builds that connection with everyone. As someone who has a passion for taking care of people and helping to bring out the best in them, Monique’s approach to health and wellbeing is an overall one. She recognises the benefits that come with feeling good about yourself and believes nourishing your body from the inside out is just as important as fitness and exercise. Monique is looking forward to utilising the skills she has gained over the years to help people reach their goals through being attentive, supportive and a present part of their journey.
Nic Haldezos: At 19 years old, Nic joined the New Zealand Army, where he learned discipline and the importance of a strong work ethic. Those qualities have proven fruitful in his career. With a background in marketing and having graduated from AUT’s sport and recreation programme, Nic’s career in the fitness industry has spanned 10-plus years. He has spent much of his career managing and opening gyms across New Zealand and he’s excited about his new role at Fit Nation with big plans to help people make positive changes in their lives. Nic is also the son of a hairdresser, which is where he witnessed and learned about communication, mastering conversational skills and understanding the value of listening to a client. He believes being able to help one person can create change in a whole community and he’s committed to making that happen with the Fit Nation team.
What sets your gym apart from any other in Tauranga? Nic: It is 2000sqm of pure training turf and every corner of the place has been thought out so meticulously. There is nothing like this in New Zealand. We have an on-site massage therapist, nutritionist, physiotherapist, personal trainers, 360 biometric scans, a cafe and smoothie bar and boutique toilets and showers. We have 2021 Technogym cardio equipment, there are four separate group fitness rooms that will each run 15 classes, we have a full comprehensive boxing studio and spin rooms with walls that will light up with heart rates and exercise displays. It’s an experience.
What are some of the best features of your facility? Monique: We’re a one-stop shop gym and wellness centre. We’re able to offer everything in one place and the welcoming approach we have from staff shows we want to be there with you for your whole journey. We have infrared saunas, a Kids care zone so parents can work out knowing their children are taken care of, on top of the cardio and weights equipment, yoga, pilates and functional HIIT classes. Members can burn up to 600 calories a class. We’re just trying to offer everything under one roof.
How important is having a sense of community in your gym? Nic: Everyone can go to a gym and get results but not everyone can go to a gym and say they know everyone by name and can connect to each and every single staff member as well. We’re actually trying to change people’s lives here and by changing people’s lives we can change a community. What we create here in our first Fit Nation we want to be able to spread that through New Zealand.
What experience do you hope clients have when they’re at your gym? Monique: A positive experience as soon as they walk in the door. They might be stressed or rushing in from a busy day but after being greeted by our team and the positive energy we have at Fit Nation I hope they walk out from the whole experience feeling amazing each and every time.
150 Newton Street, Mount Maunganui - 07 575 0470