 Sarah Abell has been officially running Adapt365 for about a year and a half, but she has been working as a personal trainer for the last seven years. "I have been in the fitness industry for, oh my gosh, at least ten years," Sarah explained. "I started out as a fitness instructor, and then I got more into group fitness and personal training." Sarah then started to have her own kids, and transitioned into working with postpartum women, stroller fit classes, and mom and baby type classes in facilities in the London area. Then, COVID-19 happened, and the gym she had been previously working for shut down. "By then I had two more kids, and when COVID-19 started ramping down I had people coming to me asking if I was going to start running stroller fit classes again," Sarah recalled. "So I thought let's start running some stroller fit classes again, see how it happens, and it was great! It branched into people that have been coming to different classes of mine from years ago, and now they have moved on from that stage in their life, but they wanted to work out with me again." Sarah then started to do women's only workouts and increased her availability for personal training to fit the demand of her clients. "It all kind of naturally blossomed into what it is now, and then an opportunity came up to sublease a gym space here in Aylmer and I went with it." Sarah has now been at her Aylmer gym location for over a year, and Adapt365 is now her full-time business (in addition to being a full-time mom).  The business name speaks to Sarah's experience as a personal trainer, small business owner, and mom. "I created the name because my life has adapted," Sarah explained. "I've adapted everything around having a family and growing a business. I adapt the way I workout throughout every week and month of my life. There are periods when I don't have the capacity to train as hard as I would one week to the next, and that's the same within my classes. I'm always adapting to the needs of all my women that come to my classes or my clients for personal training." Sarah has a unique lived perspective on being passionate about fitness and health, while also balancing the daily tasks of being a mother. Having been in the fitness industry for over ten years, Sarah has learned through her own experiences and through providing personal training to clients. She has taken a real interest in women's health, and bases a lot of her training off cycle thinking and working with moms to create classes and schedules which they can (and are encouraged to) bring their children to. "I'm very big on cycle thinking and making sure that you are nurturing your body through the different female cycle phases," Sarah explained. "One week you will have the ability to workout harder than you would the next week based on your hormonal fluctuations. And I have classes where, well really all my classes, women are able to bring their kids. I'm there and I'm doing my best, and as long as mom is comfortable with it I can take care of their kids while also coaching them through a workout." Sarah didn't always have this unique outlook; it has been a product of adapting to life changes with kids. Earlier in her career Sarah was very high intensity, teaching multiple spin classes a week, HIIT (high intensity interval training) classes, and more. But when she became pregnant and started having kids, Sarah modified her lifestyle and noticed that a lot of her clients had also become moms or had different changes in life which also impacted their workout pathways. Sarah's passion for accessible and welcoming fitness for women is evident, and it's easy to see how much she truly cares about her clients. "I just want to be a support for women in our community who may feel lonely during those first few months or first year of motherhood," Sarah said with a caring smile. She has had women new to the area come to her classes and leave with good friends and community support in and out of the gym, and her business has allowed her to create lasting relationships within her communities. "I want people to know this space exists and the ability to support yourself physically and mentally is available while also caring for your children," Sarah stated. "This is a space where you can still come and not feel like you're going to be a burden or be worried about your child crying or screaming or feeling unwelcome. You are welcome and can come and better yourself, and in turn you'll be better for your kids." "There's times when I'm carrying two kids around [while coaching]," Sarah said with a laugh. "I'm getting my own workout in, just coaching and managing kids. But then there's times when the kids don't want to leave their mom, so then I modify and adapt the workouts for them specifically. So instead of telling them all to do the same exercise, I'll get them to do a different exercise instead where they can still hold their kid, because that is what's needed right now. I'm going to give you what you need to be able to complete this workout." Because of her own experiences, combined with feedback from clients, Sarah is a pro at adapting. Once she became a mother, Sarah took more notice of the gap in the fitness industry for moms. After having kids, she wanted to get back into coaching and classes again, but it was hard as she had no daycare options for her oldest and her husband was fully booked with his business. "It was hard to balance [being both a trainer and mom], until I found a female specific gym that allowed me to bring my daughter to classes and to the gym so I could still train my clients and teach classes," said Sarah. "So when COVID-19 happened and the gyms shut down, I knew there was such a need for this because I felt like I had been able to do what I used to do and love to do, but I just have a tag along with me. I wanted to be able to give that space to other women to be able to come to the gym and come to a class and bring their kid along without worrying about finding daycare. I wanted to be able to create a space where mothers can come, feel their best, focus on their workouts, and fuel their day. Their child is right there with them in the same space, and if they want to stop and tend to their child they can, or I will do my best to tend to them; give them a snack, a toy, make a funny face at them, carry them around the gym, whatever is needed so mom can do her thing and still have her time." Sarah uses all of her knowledge, experience, and similarities and puts it into the needs of her clients, so she can give them the support that she wishes she had during her pregnancies and postpartum times. Adapt365's rental space at Maximum Potential Fitness also allows for unique advantages for Sarah and her clients. Set near the Aylmer Stockyards, the gym space has access to ample parking and wide open fields. "In the warmer months, especially in the summer when I have my oldest children with me, I have other women who bring their older children and they can go outside in the field and play soccer and run around," said Sarah. "Our door opens right up to the field, and mom can still be inside with her younger child getting her workout in, but still being able to watch her older children outside through the door and windows. It's a nice, quiet, hidden gem; a private space with the freedom of being out in the country."  Combining her lived experiences and continuous education (which includes CanFit Pro personal training certifications, HIIT training certifications, pre and post natal training, and more), Sarah has also added fascial stretch therapy to her offerings. "It's a one-on-one manual body treatment, similar to massage and chiro," Sarah explained. "I added that in to support my clients with their recovery and to continue to build my library of education that's never ending". Weather dependent, Sarah also runs stroller fit classes outdoors in St. Thomas, mainly utilizing gorgeous park spaces and trails like the ones at Pinafore Park. She is also in the process of launching an online personal training app, where clients can find personalized workouts, do weekly check-ins, and connect with her for one-on-one support. Adapt365 also still has spaces for classes; just reach out to her over her website, call her, or send her a message on her social media accounts. And when it comes to flexibility due to life changes, Sarah has that in mind for her policies as well. "Again, as a mom myself, I know that life can change by the minute," she explained. "I have class packages, so you can purchase each class individually, or you can purchase a package and use it for any class on my schedule." When asked about what advice she would give other small business owners or entrepreneurs, Sarah found herself reflecting on her journey. "I get a little emotional because there have been so many times I question myself," Sarah explained. "Why am I doing this, what am I doing, should I be doing this; you know, just the emotional rollercoaster of entrepreneurship. I think the only advice that I have because it's the advice I keep giving myself is you're on the right path, keep doing it, you're making an impact, and it's worth it. The biggest thing is keep going, it's worth it, just do it". If you go
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