EXL Fitness & Performance

12/07/2025

Not all stress is created equal. 💪

Some stress makes you STRONGER. Other stress breaks you down.

The difference? Eustress vs. Distress.

EUSTRESS = Beneficial stress ✅
Your workout at the gym
Cold plunge therapy
Learning new skills
Challenges that make you adapt and grow

DISTRESS = Harmful stress ❌
Chronic work pressure
Sleep deprivation
Overtraining without rest
Persistent worry
Stress that overwhelms without building

Here's what matters: Your body NEEDS beneficial stress, especially after 40. Without the eustress of strength training, you lose muscle mass and bone density. But harmful distress accelerates aging and disease.

New blog post covers:
✔️The science behind good vs. bad stress
✔️Why workouts create beneficial eustress
✔️How cold exposure builds resilience
✔️When training becomes counterproductive
✔️11 proven strategies to manage distress

For adults 40-75 focused on staying strong and vibrant, understanding this difference is essential.
Link in bio to read the full post 👆

The goal isn't to eliminate all stress—it's to maximize the beneficial kinds while minimizing the harmful ones.
That's how you build sustainable strength and health for decades.

Drop a 💪 if you're embracing eustress!

11/27/2025

When was the last time you thanked the people who make your health journey possible?

My wife supports my unconventional sleep schedule. My physical therapists keep my body functioning. My hormone specialists help me maintain energy and vitality. These people make my commitment to health SUSTAINABLE.

This week at EXL Fitness: Gratitude for YOUR PEOPLE.

Think about it—behind every consistent gym-goer is a support system:
💚 A spouse who accommodates training schedules
💚 Professionals who provide expert care
💚 Workout partners who show up with you
💚 Friends who encourage healthy choices
💚 A community that celebrates commitment

Sustainable wellness is never a solo endeavor.

Our final Gratitude Series post explores why support systems matter and how to express meaningful appreciation for the people who help you stay healthy.

10 actionable ways to honor those who support your fitness journey.

Read the full post: https://link.gymacademy.info/sp/31551640bf5

Then do this: Tag ONE person below who makes your health journey possible and tell them why you're grateful. Let's celebrate our support systems! 👇

Who's your person?

Sustainable health is never solo. Week 4 explores gratitude for family, professionals, workout partners & community who support your fitness journey. Learn why appreciation strengthens results & how to express thanks. Personal training Orem/PG area.

11/26/2025

After 30 years as a personal trainer, here's what I know for certain:

No one achieves sustainable health alone.

My wife tolerates my crazy sleep schedule. My physical therapists keep me moving properly. My hormone specialists help me stay vibrant and energized. Without them, my health journey wouldn't be sustainable.

Week 4 of our Gratitude Series is about THE PEOPLE who make wellness possible.

Your support system might include:
✅ Family who adapts to your training schedule
✅ Professionals who provide expertise and care
✅ Workout partners who keep you accountable
✅ Friends who encourage instead of sabotage
✅ A gym community that celebrates your commitment

The most successful clients I've worked with at EXL Fitness understand this: health requires a team.
Our new blog post breaks down:

👉 Why family support increases long-term adherence
👉 How to build your professional health team
👉 The power of workout partnerships
👉 10 ways to express gratitude for your supporters

For active adults 40-75 in the Orem and Pleasant Grove area, building the right support system is essential for maintaining strength, bone density, and functional fitness for decades to come.

Read it here: https://link.gymacademy.info/sp/31551640bf5

Who's one person who makes YOUR health journey possible? Tag them below and tell them thank you! 💚

Sustainable health is never solo. Week 4 explores gratitude for family, professionals, workout partners & community who support your fitness journey. Learn why appreciation strengthens results & how to express thanks. Personal training Orem/PG area.

11/21/2025

A typical morning. Our parking lot. Just after sunrise sprints. 🌅

Every morning at our Orem gym, I step outside and watch the sun rise over Mount Timpanogos, Cascade Mountain, and Provo Canyon. It's become my ritual—a moment of gratitude before the day begins.

But some mornings are different.

We take our workout outside. Running sprints in the parking lot under THIS sky. The clouds are painted in orange and pink. The mountains silhouetted against the dawn. The cool morning air fills our lungs.

And I thought: This is why gratitude for WHERE we live matters.

We could have stayed inside. But we didn't because we CAN step outside. Because the air is clean. Because the view is stunning. Because we live in a place that invites us to move, breathe, and experience beauty while we train.

Week 3 of our Gratitude Series is all about appreciating location—and how place shapes our wellness journey.
Here in Utah, we have access to recreation and natural beauty that most people only dream about. Mountains, trails, four seasons of adventure—all within minutes.

The privilege comes with responsibility: to not waste what we've been given. To build bodies strong enough to explore it fully. To actually USE what's available to us.

Morning sprints under a sunrise like this? That's gratitude in action.

New blog explores how location impacts your health + 10 ways to honor where you live through fitness and outdoor adventure.

Read it: https://exlfitness.com/post/gratitude-for-where-we-live-how-place-shapes-our-health-and-happiness

Then tell me: When was the last time YOU trained outside and truly appreciated where you are? 👇

11/19/2025

I joke that summer is my fourth favorite season... but honestly? Living in Utah means even my LEAST favorite season is pretty incredible. 😄

Week 3 of our Gratitude Series is all about appreciating WHERE we live.

Our gym in Orem faces east. Most mornings, I make a point of stepping outside to watch the sunrise over Timp, Cascade, and Provo Canyon. It's become a ritual—a moment of intentional gratitude before the day begins.

And I've noticed something: on the mornings I take those few minutes to pause and appreciate the beauty around me, my entire day feels different.

We live in a place where you can:
✨ Train at the gym in the morning
✨ Hike a mountain on the weekend
✨ Ski Sundance on Saturday
✨ Paddleboard after work
✨ Trail run through canyons
✨ Mountain bike on a lunch break

This isn't normal. Most people don't have this kind of access.

The privilege comes with responsibility: to not waste what we've been given. To build bodies strong enough to fully explore everything Utah offers—not just this year, but for decades to come.

That's what functional training is all about.

New blog: 10 ways to practice gratitude for location + how to connect your gym training to outdoor adventure goals.
Read here: https://bit.ly/4oKu02f 🏔️ Comment, what does where you live mean to you?

11/14/2025

"For years, I criticized my body for everything it couldn't do anymore.

Then I started thanking it for what it CAN do.

Everything changed.

This shift in mindset transformed my relationship with myself, leading to greater peace and joy." 💜

This is something we hear from clients all the time at EXL Fitness.

The shift from criticism to gratitude doesn't just feel better—it actually improves results.

When you approach fitness from a place of appreciation instead of punishment:
✨ You're more consistent with workouts
✨ You make better nutrition choices
✨ You recover faster
✨ You enjoy the process
✨ You build sustainable habits

This November, we're exploring how gratitude impacts every aspect of your health and fitness.

Week 1 is all about your relationship with your body—the most important relationship you have.

Our latest blog breaks down exactly HOW to practice body gratitude with 10 concrete action steps you can implement today.

Because you don't have to wait until you reach your goals to appreciate the body that's working hard to get you there.
Read the full post → link in bio 👆

Tell us: What's ONE thing your body did for you today that you're grateful for? Even something small! 👇

11/11/2025

Your body is already remarkable. 💜

It doesn't need to be different to deserve your gratitude.

This November, we're dedicating the entire month to GRATITUDE at EXL Fitness—specifically how it impacts your health, fitness, and wellbeing.

Week 1: Gratitude for your perfectly imperfect body ✨

Our new blog post shares 10 actionable steps to start practicing body gratitude TODAY (while still working toward your strength and longevity goals).

Because here's the truth: gratitude and goal-setting aren't opposites. They work TOGETHER to create lasting change.
"Realize how short the walk is from gratitude to happiness."

Read the full post (link in bio) and let us know—what's ONE thing you're grateful for about your body right now?
👇

11/21/2024

This week we’re talking about having a gratitude practice, and one of my clients shared this Jordan Peterson quote with me.

07/18/2024

Shoutout to the families that workout together! Here we have 3 generations of Shelley’s getting and staying strong together 💪

06/28/2024

For our spotlight this week we have none other than ! Steve has been married for 29 yrs with three boys. His favorite hobbies are all things bikes/biking including e-bikes, mountain, road, gravel, and motor. But on the weekends his favorite thing to do is cook Sunday dinner with his family. Steve has been with us at EXL for 4 years. And his favorite exercise in the gym, is trap bar deadlift. Steve said about working out at EXL, “It’s literally changed my life. Strength is the secret weapon of aging well after 50! And so many fun people at the gym.” Steve is an incredible light and friend within our EXL community. We are grateful to have him around as he brings with him, an authentic ease, happiness and love of life. Thanks for being you Steve!

06/13/2024

Our spotlight for this week is !! Steve has been married to the lovely for 27 years. Together they have4 kids: Grace 23, Ethan 21, Elsa 18 and Anna 14. Steve is quite the collector and currently into collecting Jordans but also has quite the baseball card collection I hear! One the weekends he loves being outdoors but mainly hanging out with his family at their pool. Steve grew up in Southern California and he loves to do anything involving the water or the beach. His favorite shows are Seinfeld and Breaking Bad. Steve has been working out with us at EXL for 5 years and we greatly appreciate him in the gym. We all love his easy going California energy, his love for life and positivity that emanates from him. You’re awesome Steve!!

06/06/2024

Our spotlight for the week is the boss herself !
Erin has been married for 22 years and has 3 kids from ages 19-15. She enjoys reading/listening to books, hiking, working out with friends (because working out alone is no fun at all to her 😁) and traveling … she loves to explore and experience new places and tries to go out of town as often as she can. Erin’s favorite show that she could watch over and over again is The Office but is also really into WW2 movies/series but during either one you would catch her snacking on her favorite food which currently is chips and dip of any kind (who doesn’t love a good dip?!) Erin has been working out with us at EXL for a little over 6 years and her favorite workout at the gym is back squat … “but only when I’m done with it” she says. Thank you Erin for bringing your light and energy with you when you come to the gym each day. You keep us laughing and pushing and growing. You are a delightful presence and we are all so grateful for you.