Maitri Fitness

One whole year since I took the plunge and made Maitri my full time gig, and what a year it’s been 💕

One year ago today, I wrapped up my last day at my accounting job, feeling a mix of nerves and excitement, and immediately set off for my annual hiking trip in Pukaskwa National Park. It was a leap of faith into the unknown, trading comfort and stability for the rewarding challenge of fully investing in Maitri.

Fast forward to today, as I’m about to leave for that same cherished trip, my heart is overflowing with gratitude. This past year has been a whirlwind of growth, learning, and joy. I am deeply thankful for my incredible clients, friends and family for your unwavering support.

Going into this long weekend, I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to everyone who has been part of this journey. Here’s to celebrating the milestones, embracing the challenges, and looking forward to another year of growth and success. Happy long weekend, everyone!

Get you a trainer that looks at you like… 💕

The origins of Maitri 💭 I remember stumbling across this Sanskrit word while reading the book Comfortable with Uncertainty and knowing instantly that I had found the name for my business 🥰

Imagine transforming your gym experience into the highlight of your week... Going to the gym doesn’t have to be a mundane task or a painful chore. Instead, it can become an exciting and social part of your routine, where you not only meet your fitness goals but also have a blast doing so.

Our small group training options are designed to bring out the best in you, both physically and emotionally. With groups of 2 to 4 participants, you can enjoy a supportive and enthusiastic environment that makes working hard feel incredibly rewarding.

I offer flexible pricing to suit your group size, ranging from $40 per hour for two participants to $25 per hour for groups of four. This way, you can experience the benefits of personalized training without breaking the bank. So why not take the plunge? Gather a few friends and turn your gym sessions into a social event that you look forward to.

Speechless 🥰 The most beautiful and thoughtful gift from my very talented friend Stefan Shindle Pottery

Maitri Fitness is taking new clients! Contact me today to set up your free initial consultation 📝

The people have spoken - votes on which logo to use were split down the middle so shirts will be ordered with the logo/text combo pictured here!

All shirts are priced at $35 and are available in the following colours & styles:

Ladies Racerback Crop: Heather Mauve, Heather Olive & Dark Grey Heather

Unisex Crewneck: Olive, Denim & Military Green

Unisex V-Neck: True Royal Blue & Solid Black

If you would like to place an order, DM me by no later than Wednesday April 17th and I can send you further details on product sizing etc.!

When it comes to your workouts, it's natural to wonder if you're lifting enough weight to challenge yourself and make progress.

A simple and effective way to gauge this is by paying attention to how you feel during those final reps. Ideally, in your last two repetitions of a set, you should be exerting a significant effort. Your form should remain solid, and while you might feel capable of squeezing out one or two additional reps, pushing beyond that should feel like a stretch.

If you reach the end of a set and realize you could easily manage five more repetitions, it may be an indication that it's time to increase the weight 🏋

By tuning into your body's signals during your workout, you can ensure that you're pushing yourself in a way that's beneficial and safe. Striking that balance where the last couple of reps are challenging but doable is key to promoting strength gains and muscle growth!

Attention Maitri-ers 📣 I'm excited to announce that I'm offering a few extra morning time slots each week. Secure your spot now before they're all gone!

One photo to perfectly capture why I love my job as much as I do 🥰 These women, and the many others who come through the doors of Maitri Fitness each week, continuously inspire me and bring gratitude and joy to my life.

As a trainer, I am of course passionate about the physical aspect of my work, but it’s the human element that really fills my cup.

Building connections with so many incredible, strong women.
Sharing laughter and tears with them.
Watching them lift each other up.
Helping them achieve their goals.
Hearing them talk about how being strong has created ease in their everyday lives; reduced pain; increased bone density; improved energy levels.

These are the moments I cherish 🙏

I’ve been working behind the scenes on a little brand refresh for Maitri Fitness and I’m so excited to finally share my new logo, and a few sneak peeks of the photos you’ll be seeing on my website and upcoming social media posts.

Thank you so much to Ryan Novak for the creative design and Scott MacKay for the beautiful photos - you both so perfectly captured the heart of this business. The logo might look a little different now - but I continue to provide the same compassionate approach to personal training, and encourage unconditional self acceptance and love for all my clients 💕

Stay tuned for merch orders coming up in the next few weeks, and take a look at the updates to my website in the meantime 👩🏻‍💻

http://www.maitrifitness.ca/

One of the many reasons I love what I do 🥰 so proud of my littlest, sweetest client for achieving his goals 🏒

With the never-ending information circulating the internet about how much/what/when to eat, sometimes the basic nutritional building blocks can get lost in translation. For example, did you know that one of the easiest ways to gauge a serving of vegetables is by using your fist for reference? ✊

For the average woman, a good starting point for vegetable intake would be four servings roughly the size of your fist per day (for men, it would be roughly double this). This often comes as a bit of a shock to clients when they think about what their current intake looks like, so our focus begins with gradually working towards this benchmark.

One of my favourite ways to work on adding vegetables is by sneaking it into the foods you’re already eating. For example, a handful of spinach into a smoothie, stir fry or soup will go virtually unnoticed, but we’re already one big step closer to our benchmark. It’s a simple and effective way to get more servings in – and requires almost no change to what you’re already doing.

What do YOU do to ensure you’re getting enough vegetables in your day to day meals?! 🥦🥕

New blog post alert 📣

http://www.maitrifitness.ca/blog/language-in-the-gym

Language in the Gym Has anyone ever used the term “girl push-ups” in reference to the exercise on the right? I know it’s something I used to say – I specifically remember the term being taught to me in high...

Who says working out can’t be fun?! Something tells me this may have been more fun for one than the other, though… 🤔

Happy International Women’s Day, Thunder Bay 💕

Shoutout to all the strong women I’ve trained over the years, who have inspired me every day to keep doing the work I love. My goal has always been to make women feel confident, safe and loved, both in and out of the gym, and watching you beautiful humans grow has been nothing short of amazing.

Thank you to all the incredible women that I get to work alongside every day - , , and Leah Hemsworth. You guys make me proud to be a female business owner in this industry.

Special shout out to my friend and fellow trainer .functional.fitness - our conversations about feminism, training women, and BEING women are something I cherish xo

I personally attended one of Monique’s last in-person sessions before the pandemic, and I have carried what I learned into every aspect of my personal and professional life. I could not recommend this course more 💕

We are offering our FIRST in-person Mindful Self-Compassion Group in our beautiful new office space in downtown Port Arthur.

Dr. Bryan MacLeod and Monique Mercier will guide you through these 8, weekly, 2.5-hour sessions including meditations, teachings, practices, and discussion.

Self-compassion isn’t just an idea in your mind. It’s a practice that becomes part of your experience of yourself and your life.

Many research benefits of taking the course include reductions in anxiety, depression, burnout, and stress with accompanying increases in self-compassion, mindfulness, and reported life satisfaction (self-compassion.org).

Our group begins Tuesday April 5 - May 24th from 6-830pm. The cost is $450.

Insurance receipts provided. Some sliding scale options considered based on financial need. This with indigenous status are eligible for funding through NIHB and IRS programs.

Read more on our website: https://www.kindfulpsych.com/groupofferings

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My body was telling me last night that a workout was too much, so I chose to do one of my lovely sister’s online yoga classes from the comfort of my cozy home 🧘‍♀️I might be biased because I love her, but it was just what I needed… I felt so peaceful and headache free when I was done. Thank you Leah 🥰

Hope. I think we could all use a bit of this right now…

As of 12:01 this morning, the Ontario government has mandated gyms to shut down once again. In the past two years, Maitri Fitness has been forced to close for 5 months, then 9 months, and here we are again. While I am in an incredibly fortunate position of having another job to support me through all this, the impact this has had on the business that brings me so much joy has been truly devastating. I feel such a wide range of emotions both personally and professionally, but if I had to label the most prominent one, it would probably be despair.

I’ve let myself feel that, deeply, the past few days, but seeing these words this morning reminded me that we all can, and will, get through this again (thanks Brené Brown for always having the words to lift me up). The resiliency of human beings that I’ve witnessed throughout this pandemic is astonishing, and with a little hope, I know we can all keep fighting through 🙏

My hope for all of us is that we can remember to be kind to one another. Have compassion for everyone around you, knowing that we are all uniquely impacted by this pandemic. Just because you perceive your struggles as being worse than someone else’s, does not mean that they are not entitled to feel what they feel. Have openness to viewpoints that challenge your beliefs. Just because someone does not share the same opinion as you does not make them the enemy; you might even learn something from them. Have faith that people are doing the best they can with the resources they have. And above all else, have love for YOU. Prioritize your health, both physically and mentally, because you are the most important thing ❤️

Sending hope and love to all of you small businesses owners, students, parents and any other human struggling through yet another shut down. If you have any questions on services that will continue to be offered by Maitri Fitness in the coming weeks, please reach out to Kristina at:

📧 [email protected]
📞 807.629.3415

I set myself a goal at the beginning of my holidays - to ski 100km during my 11 days off. Had some serious regrets this morning about leaving the last 14km for such a frigid day… but I was too stubborn not to finish what I started and I did it!! 🥶 ⛷

I’ve cross country skied a bit my whole life, but over the past 3 winters it has become a form of therapy for me.

It started in 2020 when my dad unexpectedly ended up in Toronto for an emergency surgery - taking care of my parents property in the country and skiing the trails that he groomed helped me feel connected to him, and took me away from constantly worrying. In 2021, when the world was upside down, gyms were closed and I was living in a basement by myself, it was a saving grace to keep me active and sane. Even though the world is still upside down… I’m hoping my skis of 2022 continue to be less about escaping hard times and more just enjoying the magic of our beautiful winters 🥰

Well, that’s a wrap on 2021! Having only been operational for three of the last twelve months, its hard to fathom that an entire year has gone by. With our natural tendency to focus on the negative, it’s easy to forget all the good things that came with 2021.

For me, there were definitely plenty of wonderful moments along the way - I feel especially grateful for the continued loyalty and support of my my amazing clients.

I hope you can all take some time today to reflect on both the rewarding and challenging aspects of this past year, and hope for a smoother 2022 🎉

I will be putting in an order of Maitri T-Shirts with Ungalli Clothing Co. early in the new year! I will be ordering black shirts of the following styles:

- Unisex Crew Neck T-Shirts, $20
- Unisex Long Sleeve Shirts, $25

If anyone would like to order a shirt, please message me the style and size you will like by no later than January 3rd!

Merry Christmas from Maitri Fitness 🎄 🎅🏻 Sending lots of love to all of you, and a little extra love to everyone out there who, for one reason or another, is struggling with the holidays this year xo

First ski of the season was magic 🎿🥰 Hope you’re getting out and enjoying all this wonderful snow, Thunder Bay! ❄️ ☀️

After much, MUCH too long, Maitri Fitness is finally back up and and running! 💪🏼

To book in or for information on our updated COVID protocols, contact Kristina at:

📧 [email protected], or
☎️ 807.629.3415