What is Boutique Fitness?

Cowboys Stadium: About the closest I got to a workout.

So, this month I had the crazy idea to drive to Texas for Spring Break… by myself… with my three sons. We’d go see Gas Monkey Garage where Fast N Loud is filmed and drive to Magnolia where Fixer Upper is filmed, even visit the Ft. Worth Stockyards and Cowboys Stadium. Best Spring Break ever!
 
‘Couldn’t be so bad’, I thought. 18-hours each way, broken up by two days. Do it one week. Do it again the next.
 
Woof!
 
Let me just say, while I'm glad we went, I’m super glad it’s over and I’m happy to be home and working out again. My body was crying from riding in a car for so long, not to mention I was mentally exhausted. And, there’s always that traffic or pit stop you didn’t account for that adds to your travel time. And did I mention my kids?
 
Goodness. What was I thinking?
 
The advantage of going home though, was that I got to reconnect with my family, also part of my renewed health plan. I think fitness, food and family all equates to self-love and care, which is the foundation for my other relationships. (Plus, I love all the F’s in that alliteration.)
 
On this visit, my aunt gifted me some goodies that included my late uncle’s vintage Coca-Cola metal button sign, my late grandmother’s china and a box of photos from when I was a kid.
 
And that was a treasure trove.
 
Most of the pictures were of me back in the days of dance lessons and performances for Ballet Folklorico. That’s how I got my dance training - thank you very much, in this dance form based on the Mexican state dances, (The costumes are hilarious. See below.) the pictures a reminder of so many great memories. And, that brings me to the point of this post.

Recently, I was asked what exactly Boutique Fitness is. At the obvious, it’s comparing a small fitness studio to a small retail store where you buy clothing and/or accessories.

Some of the items are unique, rare, hard to find – perhaps they’re created by artisans or imported from other countries, you may even pay higher prices because they’re a luxurious treat from the every day giant retailers where you get your mainstays from.
 
So, TURN is a boutique – we offer unique, hard to find, fun, effective cardio classes sure to keep you engaged in your workout all within a tight-knit, friendly community.  TA-DA! There’s your answer. But wait – there’s more.
 
I think Boutique Fitness goes one step further. If you’re like me – you were a pretty active kid. I took lessons in everything and played sports too: dance, band, twirling, skating, gymnastics, soccer and swimming. I was busy all year long without factoring in school.
 
And it didn’t stop. In college, I was on the drumline, in a sorority, active in the Radio/TV department and still played intramural sports.
 
Then, I started my career. Moved into my own place. And it’s like, now what? So many empty hours after I got out of work. So much sitting idle. So, I joined a gym, joined a soccer team (or three) and then fell back into dance class – now called, Dance Trance. It’s a lifestyle I’ve grown accustomed to.
 
So, that’s what Boutique Fitness is to me. My childhood activities re-TURNed (see what I did there). I’m bringing back the classes I enjoyed then and adding in ones I really want to try or want to try to do better. They’re activities for me. Just like my kids have activities for them. And in the process, we all get to have fun and make lasting friendships.
 
P.S. Skipping a week of Barre and Bootcamp is not recommended. My calves are mad.
 
Real mad.