As a pre-professional ballet dancer with Charlotte Ballet, I walked into my first class at Hilliard Studio Method thinking it would be a breeze. Any workout involving a ballet barre would be easy for me, right? Within five minutes, my expectations were proved wrong. My arms were shaking and I quickly dropped from five pounds to three pounds to no weights at all. I had to drop to my knees countless times during the plank and push-up series. I finished the class in utter shock. This was the hardest workout that I had ever done, but I didn’t feel discouraged. In fact, I felt so motivated that I actually came back the very next day. The classes and instructors at HSM are filled with an infectious, positive energy and for the first time in my life, I genuinely look forward to working out!

In addition to attending classes, I have taken on the HSM no sugar lifestyle, which has completely changed my relationship with food. As soon as I began drinking the Signature Smoothie, I noticed that I had more energy and less cravings, allowing me to make better choices throughout my whole day. My physical and mental health have improved greatly as a result of cutting our refined sugar from my diet. I have more energy throughout my long days of ballet classes and rehearsals, my skin has gotten clearer and my cravings for sugar have diminished greatly.

After attending HSM for only eight months, my body has changed completely. I honestly never thought I would be able to do a real push-up and now I see muscles in my arms and back that I never knew existed. But for me, HSM has impacted more than just my toned upper body and strong abdominals. HSM has given me a new sense of confidence, both in the ballet studio and in my every day life. I feel proud of my body and my abilities to make healthy choices for myself. HSM has taught me to “Be Powerful” in every aspect of my life and I am so grateful to Liz, Clary and the rest of the trainers who have made that possible. -Liz Corsig

Unlike my daughter, I did not expect HSM to be too easy. Nor did I expect it to be too difficult. I was an even greater skeptic because I thought HSM would be a pretty ordinary, overpriced, exercise class. At 48 years old, I’ve done it all: jazzercise, aerobics, step, weights, machines, bands, balls, circles, RUN, cardio-funk, circuit training, a first/last mud run and triathlons. HSM, I thought, would be ordinary.

So I did what any mother of a teenage daughter would do when Elizabeth asked me to join her for a HSM class: I went. What I found wasn’t ordinary at all. This work out is effective, efficient, challenging, consistent (how DO they do that!?!), thoughtful, varied, inspiring and welcoming. The pull of gravity on our bodies that comes with age seems a little more diminished and I move throughout my day with more youthful energy.

Thank you to my daughter, Elizabeth, for rescuing me from cynicism and broadening my perspective. Because of you and the team at HSM, I am stronger on the outside and softer on the inside.  -Laura Corsig