“If you own your body, you own your life,” says Andrea Rogers, fitness entrepreneur and BODi Super Trainer. “If you do the hard thing in the studio or press play on that online workout, you can do hard things in other areas of your life.” Rogers inspires this positive feedback loop of life-changing energy through her own brand of exercise called Xtend Barre.
A dynamic combination of Pilates and dance, Xtend Barre is designed to empower women and strengthen both their physical and mental health. “My goal in life is for women to feel the natural badass-ery they all have!” Rogers says. “Everyone walks away from my workouts feeling more confident and that confidence trickles into other elements of their everyday lives.”
‘Just press play’ is Rogers’ motto. It speaks to that first step that we all need to take. Whether it’s pressing play on the exercise video, joining the gym or getting outside for some movement, that first step is the crucial one that will change your life. “We are all under the assumption that motivation is something that should just be present without effort,” she explains.
“But it is not automatic. Most days it requires a level of dedication to do that first thing. Just press play. Just press the button. Get moving. Even if you only do it for five minutes at first, that’s great, but just press play.” This first step begins the motivation cycle because the rewards of feeling good inspire you to do it again next time. Once it’s a pattern, the results themselves become more motivation so then you’re on a roll.
“Once you press play, you’re going to be proud of yourself,” says Rogers. “Start with tiny steps and before you know it, you won’t be procrastinating in your work or personal life any more. You will know that you just have to do that hard or boring thing to get rewards, it is the same thing as pressing play on movement!”
Rogers appreciates the effort it takes to just press play and overcome any mental obstacles to working out. “It takes a lot of guts,” she says. “We all know how intimidating it is to walk into a gym or a studio or even to press play on a workout at home. That’s why I am always celebrating the women in my classes just for being there. That is the first step.”
To help start your fitness journey, Rogers advises finding an exercise your body enjoys. “There is no point doing something just because a celebrity mentioned it,” she says. “To become a sustainable habit, you need to enjoy your workouts. They have to feel good on your body and I always encourage every individual to find the type of workout that makes them feel good.”
This approach perfectly suits Rogers’ position as a Super Trainer at BODi, a fitness and nutrition community that offers over 125 programs with different workouts. Rogers’ charismatic blend of encouragement and celebration obviously makes her clients feel good. Her goal with every workout is to make them feel like they belong.
“We are embracing the challenge and engaging in the journey,” she says. “It’s about progress, not perfection. Every little win should be celebrated and that’s what I’m here for. Every workout is another building block of confidence that will transform your life.”
This life-changing energy is now consolidated in Rogers’ international retreats. “Over 50% of people on each retreat are repeat visitors,” she says. “Every group is made of incredible, like-minded women who come to the program at all types of ability level. The atmosphere is so welcoming and it’s a very bonding experience.”
Going on a wellness retreat is out of the comfort zone for many, but that is what each workout challenges you to do. “Every time you press play, you are one step closer to the life you want,” says Rogers. “No task is a small task. No victory is a small victory. Whether it’s 1 push-up or 100 push-ups, it takes the same type of resilience and willpower and mindset to execute.”
Coming from Michigan, Rogers likes to apply the Midwestern approach of personal connection to her program. “We take time to get to know each other sincerely and authentically,” she says. “I wanted to embed that ethos into Xtend Barre so everyone who walks in our studios or attends an online class feels that sense of belonging and community."
Regarding the type of exercise that Rogers favours, she says, “Pilates is effective and long standing. People can do these workouts for their entire life, through all phases of life, and they are going to remain, in the most part, injury-free. All of those categories of strength, stability, stamina, and stretch increase. They're going to feel better. They're going to know how to breathe better and their posture improves. So just press play!”
To find out more about Andrea Rogers and the Xtend Barre program, you can check out her website and follow her on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.
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Tagged in Pilates