Zainab Al-Mehdar
Fort Coulonge Feb. 16, 2022
Getting in shape is not all about the major weight loss, it’s about incorporating fitness into one’s life, Portage du Fort’s resident fitness trainer, April Shepherd, explained.
“I want people to be excited to come see me, I’m a positive person, I wake up with a smile every day. So I try and encourage that and share that,” she said.
Without an initial plan to move to Portage du Fort, Shepherd and her family didn’t think twice when they saw a house go up for sale near the river. For a family that loves to spend time outdoors fishing, four-wheeling and snowmobiling, “it offers all the . . .
outdoorsy stuff right out of our laneway,” she explained. Just outside her window, Shepherd has a view of the river, when she saw that view she knew this place had a lot to offer.
Born and raised in Ottawa, Shepherd said she loved the city for many things but always gravitated towards smaller towns. “Small communities are definitely my thing.”
Her journey to becoming a full-time trainer wasn’t a linear one, right out of high school she studied aesthetics and although she loved making people look pretty and feel good, she didn’t feel like she was on the right path.
“It didn’t fulfill my heart, it wasn’t enough. I needed to challenge myself, and I needed a more active job.”
She also studied dance in her youth, but she didn’t see it as a realistic career goal, and later started incorporating her dance experience with fitness and started teaching fitness dance classes.
That’s when she decided to take a leap of faith and focus completely on fitness. At the age of 28 she became a licensed trainer through Canadian Fitness Professionals Inc. (canfitpro) and took various college courses to become a nutritionist.
Because she wanted to equip her clients with all the tools to achieve their fitness goals, Shepherd pointed out nutrition and exercise go hand in hand which is why she studied the two.
Being an active person herself, once she made the full career change, she knew she had chosen the perfect career and knew she could make a difference.
Shepherd started off at Tay River Reflections, a gym in Perth teaching group classes and training one on one. “Even in a gym setting, you’re still recruiting your own clients,” she noted. Once you get one client and you connect personality-wise, she highlighted her client list grew because of word of mouth.
She ran a studio from her home in Perth for two years and then got her own studio and ran that for about six years. The best part about being a fitness trainer and having her own space was being able to be a mom and do the work she loved and felt passionate about. “I wanted something so that I could be a mom and work too.”
Her clients normally came from Perth, Carleton Place and Smiths Falls, but she lived a little outside Perth and so one of the challenges she faced when deciding to go solo and run her training from her home, was getting people to drive the extra mile. But she was well known at her gym and so most of her clients came to her that way, she pointed out.
Being a trainer for almost 15 years, she has picked up on people’s behaviours. Training with people one on one she noticed that accountability is what keeps her clients on track. When they commit to seeing Shepherd at least once a week and being tied with the financial obligation, people have more reason to show up.
Her clients could always count on variety. “One thing about my workouts, whether it’s my group class or individual, is that it’s always different.” If it’s a squat every session, people can expect to do it differently using weights or other tools, just so it’s never the same each time, she added.
Her goal is to meet her clients where they are and then shape the classes to their needs. She encourages her clients to schedule a class with her once a week to start and then build from there. “When you go too hard, too quickly it’s overwhelming. Then you get discouraged because you’re overwhelmed and you’re feeling sore if you haven’t been moving for a long time,” she claimed.
It’s about setting realistic goals that you can accomplish, emphasizes Shepherd.
Over the years some of the misconceptions Shepherd heard about getting in shape are needing to do lots of core exercises to achieve a flatter stomach, that you need to be in shape in order get in shape, a common one is women often feel if they lift weights they will bulk up. Rest assured, Shepherd told The Equity these are all false.
Nutrition is a major aspect of weight loss, and eating well yields results, Shepherd explained. If a person is focusing on weight loss it’s 90% nutrition and 10% exercise, paying attention to what you eat is an important factor in the fitness journey, she said. “I love that I can help my clients with the whole package.”
When it comes to eating healthy, it’s about the 80/20 rule. Eat well 80 per cent of the time and 20 per cent of the time, have what you want. “Allow yourself to have what you enjoy, but in a more proportioned and balanced way.”
The services she is currently offering are virtual, she offers half hour group workout sessions five times a week for $50 per month. When you sign up, clients are invited to a private Facebook group where the videos are done live every morning, but are saved for anyone who wishes to rewatch or work out at a later time. This is more of an intermediate level class.
She also offers personal training, and works with her clients time preference. The training is done over Facetime or another preferred video conferencing program. Shepherd offers a ten session package each class 30 minutes for $300. Her meal plan is $120, but if you purchase both the ten sessions and meal plan she offers a $20 discount.
In March she plans on offering an online beginner program. It will be three workouts per week 30 minutes for $30 a month. It will focus on the basics: proper form, alignment of the body, strength training, core conditioning, stretch and yoga. She hopes this program will be great for folks who are new to fitness or if they have been out of fitness for some time.
Once she has her studio set up in her home, she hopes she can move to in-person workouts once restrictions are lifted, but will continue with smaller groups as she finds she enjoys a more intimate class, and it allows people to get to know one another.
The most rewarding aspect of her job for Shepherd is seeing people light up with excitement when they see improvements she noted. “So whether it’s with strength or reduced pain, mobility, seeing those progressions and how excited they get about it.”
To contact Shepherd for training visit her Facebook page at Studio FIT – April Shepherd or contact her at (613) 850-9959.
