Action Hero Fitness

I am so glad I found Tonja at Action Hero Fitness. She is extremely knowledgeable about physiology and she’s careful to make sure my workout strengthens me without pushing into injury territory.
The best thing about Tonja is that she is a HAES (Health At Every Size) trainer. This means she embraces the idea that larger (even super-​size) people can enjoy exercise and be physically fit. So many trainers rigidly equate a fitness goal with a weight loss goal, but Tonja isn’t like that. She is completely supportive of my goal to improve my energy without focusing on weight loss. Tonja’s HAES approach is so precious for anyone who has struggled with eating disorders and wants to learn ways to be more active without opening a Pandora’s box of weight-​related anxieties.
In addition to all the other good stuff, I have found Tonja’s rates are very reasonable. Even though she’s great at what she does, she chooses to focus on making physical training accessible, and doesn’t charge an arm and a leg. I really appreciate the chance to see her every week, which I couldn’t do if she was charging $ 100 a session.

When I started working with Action Hero Fitness early in 2012 I weighted around 235lbs. I had had a baby the year before and led a largely sedentary lifestyle. I was winded to go upstairs and exercise made me so nervous I would cry. I had tried many large gyms and trainers always feeling unwelcome I would give up.
When a mutual friend introduced us I quickly made a training appointment hoping someone would help me turn my life around. Even my doctor was concerned about my weight threatening that did I not make changes I would be diabetic by 30. Tonja spent our first session taking note of my physical limitations, concerns, and soothing fears. She tested my current level of fitness and worked with it.
Tonja invested a lot of time in right fitting every exercise and workout to my needs and desires. She taught me about good food habits and small lifestyle changes that would benefit me. It was hard. I had to moderate things I loved like carbs and sugar while also dragging my butt down to the gym.
Then one day I started noticing changes I could run up the stairs, I didn’t get tired carrying heavy groceries, my pants were lose, and my body didn’t hurt. It turns out exercise and good eating miraculously cured health problems I didn’t even know were problems. I had become so used to a low level of physical discomfort I did not realize that it wasn’t normal! People do not feel sore, mildly ill, and lethargic all the time. You do not have to feel tired day in and day out. It turns out a sedentary lifestyle and lack of exercise make you MORE tired than getting 30mins of exercise 3−4x a week. Whoda thunk it!
I think the most amazing thing though was standing on the scale in early November and seeing the scale dip below 200lbs. For the first time since I graduated high school at 16 I weighed less than 200lbs. I bought size 16 jeans and could shop in an XL. This changed my world and the person cheering me along ever step was Tonja at Action Hero Fitness. She never stopped thinking I could do it even when I whined, cried, pleaded, and wanted to give in. She showed up at my house on our scheduled time each week with a smile and an expectation I do my best. She kept me accountable and this forced me to accept change.
Making a commitment to change your life is scary. You want to give up. You want to think you cannot do it. You want to make excuses. Stop! This wonderful woman will come to your house. She will find a time that works and bend over backwards to make it work for you. She will come to your office, your gym, your home wherever you want to get a workout. The rates are reasonable and the quality of service is top notch.