Telstra Business Awards Finalist 2019
Telstra Business Awards Finalist 2019 and Winner of the Local Business Awards Canberra 2019
Who is Define Fitness?
Define Fitness is a community of people with a focus on an “inclusive and mindfully active community.” We are a mixture of clients, staff and community organizations all past and present. This community is called our #definefitnessfamily.
Define Fitness (originally, Definition Fitness) was established in 2009. We began by servicing women and mothers via small group training. These ladies had common goals and often wanted to lose weight. In 2009, we had 5-10 clients that were regular attendees.
In 2010, we decided to expand our services further and started taking Personal Training sessions and Group Fitness classes in the great outdoors in Tuggeranong, Belconnen and Woden. At the end of 2010, Define Fitness was put on hold as my wife and I travelled Europe.
Upon our return in 2012, Define Fitness was rejuvenated. We came back from our travelling adventures and quickly added 3 x staff to our team. During this year we added a Group Class timetable to our service offerings and introduced our Group Fitness Membership.
Between the years of 2013-2016, Define Fitness rebranded and broke away from the 2009-2012 Definition Fitness name. During this time, we realised our client avatar and started to develop a niche. The vision of a ropes and chain style fitness business was placed to the side and the realisation of assisting people with mental health challenges was adopted. This was a bold move but one that essentially paid dividends.
It was in 2016, when Define Fitness focused intensely in building capacity of people with disabilities. This alone has been the biggest game changer for us as a community and highlights our inclusive approach to all we do.
In 2017-2018, Define Fitness expanded the team to a maximum of 10 coaches. This time allowed us to nail and scale the business model by focusing on what everyone in the fitness industry isn’t doing, essentially dialing in our niche to be a true and tested targeted market.
During this period, we signed our first commercial lease and moved into a perfect sized shopfront in Macquarie at Jamison Shops.
Fast forward to 2019, Define Fitness has refined service offerings and continues to assist people in need. Recognition of our unique and caring approach received national attention via the Telstra Business Awards in the Small and Succeeding Category. This placed Define Fitness in the top 0.8% of Australian Businesses. A very proud moment indeed. Define Fitness also recently won Local Business Awards Fitness Services of the Year 2019—a great way to cap off a huge year.
What is Define Fitness all about?
Define Fitness is about you. Helping you become your fittest and healthiest yet. All our programs are uniquely tailored and led by our expert team of personal trainers. We design workouts to suit your needs. Exercise that gets you results. We offer personal training sessions, partner sessions, Group Fitness and corporate programs. Let’s get your body back, the real you back.”
- Move – Get ready to move. It’s time. We kick start your body into a routine that you will love. Have fun. Start moving and taking action.
- Feel – Breathe in the great outdoors. We take exercise outdoors, in the fresh air. Inspired by nature and all its’ glorious natural beauty. Your body will thank you for it. Get motivated and feel exhilarated.
- Achieve – Results is what we deliver, what you experience. Victory and accomplishment. There is no better feeling. Let’s make it happen
What Services are Offered at Define Fitness?
At Define Fitness we offer the following services, with a focus on our core values of Community, Personalisation, Positive Relationships, Fitness Rigour and Friendship and Fun:
Personal Training Sessions
Our group fitness classes are the best in Canberra! They for the client who wants to achieve some weight loss, transform, feel better and more fit.
Partner Training Sessions
Our group fitness classes are the best in Canberra! They for the client who wants to achieve some weight loss, transform, feel better and more fit.
Group Fitness Classes
Our group fitness classes are the best in Canberra! They for the client who wants to achieve some weight loss, transform, feel better and more fit.
Yoga Flow Classes
Our group fitness classes are the best in Canberra! They for the client who wants to achieve some weight loss, transform, feel better and more fit.
Community Participation Sessions
Our group fitness classes are the best in Canberra! They for the client who wants to achieve some weight loss, transform, feel better and more fit.
Assisting Personal Activities Sessions
Our group fitness classes are the best in Canberra! They for the client who wants to achieve some weight loss, transform, feel better and more fit.
Where are Define Fitness Services Conducted?
Sessions and classes are held all over Canberra and are personalized for the individual, heck how is it personal training if it’s not personalized?! We predominately work out of these areas:
- Wherever the client wants to train, mobile training
- DF Headquarters, Macquarie
- National Gallery, Parkes
- Scrivener Dam Lookout, Yarralumla
- Ilesso Studio, Aranda Shops
Why is Inclusivity so Important at Define Fitness?
We believe that assisting less able people is what we should all do. We should all embrace difference whether it be age, ability, race, colour, gender or heritage.
The word “disability” has a negative connotation to it and we set out to change perception regarding this. We believe that we should be focused on and adopt a growth mindset, with attention to those things we do so well and not the limitations imposed upon us.
Fundamentally, this is the reason why we do what we do. We hope to change perception within our circle of influence and make for a better existence for all.
What does it mean to be Mindfully Active?
The inclusion of the terms “mindfully active” in our vision was an important step in changing mindset and evolving the fitness industry service offerings.
Being mindfully active is twofold:
To be mindfully active, you are mindful of the need for physical activity. You know that when you actively move you release happy hormones in your brain and that this hormone release is good for you. Being mindfully active is about connection with community, for us that is our #definefitnessfamily. We know that human connection is essential to growth as individuals. We are not solitary mammals and via involvement in our community we build an emotional connection to environment and people.
To be mindfully active, is to activate the mind. Through this we work on our “mental fitness.” How we do this is via social interactions and community participation services where clients engage In active recreational activities.
We take clients on outings to places of interest, places of interest to them and places where they are emotionally connected to learning. We have clients engage in activities like visits to the National Zoo and Aquarium and we walk tVia this two-step process you result in a “clear mind” where you are physically and mentally satisfied. Your capacity has been built and a platform is established where you have solid footings to build better wellbeing, a better you.he Zoo, covering many kms while going to all the exhibits/animals that the client wishes to see.
What do you Believe is Impacting Mental Health of People these days?
There are many things impacting people’s mental health and wellbeing in modern times. We have noticed the following:
Connectivity via technology is disconnecting us more than we know. This means that community is no longer what it used to be. The use of technology is a challenge but it is not all doom and gloom. We just have to work with people and differentiate service. We must use technology and incorporate it into exercise.
Apps like Zoom and Virtual Reality setups can have us riding the Le Tour De France, rowing the River Thames or fighting off zombies with lightsabers. This is where we can “hide exercise” and gamify physical activity.
We are looking to the next task
I have alluded to sedentary lifestyles already as it is impacting upon us as a society. Humans are built to move and when we don’t move and become sedentary we are likened to an old rusty car in the paddock, all ceased up.
The consumption of processed foods is inflaming us making us feel tired and unmotivated to be mindfully active. We believe that this is due to society becoming time-poor and distracted. Due to this, we are up for a quick meal and then move to the next task.
We are failing to be in the moment and are looking to the next task when still engrossed in the previous task. This is then compounded by lack of sleep and our first point—technology overuse.