KarenLyonsAGE: 52 years young

PROFESSION: Mother / Producer

HOMETOWN: Arlington, VA

FAVORITE RESTAURANT: Mastros Steak House

FAVORITE PLACE VISITED: Israel (I would live there if I could)

HOBBIES: I’m a person who enjoys being outdoors. I love activities like horseback riding, running, rollerblading, and most importantly taking care of my family.

BACKGROUND: I joined Sonki Fitness over 5 years ago but had to take some time off to take care of my family. As of January this year, I was able to start back up with Sonki! Since starting again, I have lost 5 pounds which doesn’t sound like much but when you are over 50 years old it’s a big deal. Also, my endurance had gone downhill during my absence from Sonki Fitness, which I clearly noticed that first week back with Sonki Fitness. Well, with all the great training (cross training, sprints, stairs, intervals and long runs), I can see that my endurance has gotten a lot stronger. Furthermore, I have significantly improved my upper body strength and core stamina (doubling the number of push-ups and sit-ups in just 5 weeks). What I love the most about Sonki Fitness is that we work every body part of our body and the time just flies by. I just love the results I get from Sonki Fitness!

What is your current exercise routine? Sonki Fitness three days a week and hiking on Thursday and Saturday’s.

What is your motivation to stay in shape? I would have to say it is mental for me. I just feel better when I’m in shape, especially when I see results. I also love seeing my Sonki Fitness group on Monday, Wednesday and Friday’s. It’s a great group of people.

What is your greatest challenge to staying in shape?  For me it’s getting up early.

What is your key to success?  Sonki is really the key for me. He pushes me beyond what I would push myself. He is positive, and that gives me an incentive to work harder.

What do you like about Sonki Fitness Boot Camp and how has it affected your life? EVERYTHING. I just love how convenient it is for me and how wonderful it is to exercise in the beautiful Palisades Park location. And Sonki is really good about changing up the workouts and using different parts of Santa Monica to make it fun and interesting. At the end of each class, I feel really good about what I accomplished.

What advice would you give to others about fitness? Just start! Look for something that you think you will enjoy and invest your time. It’s so important to take care of your biggest asset which is your body. So invest in your fitness which will increase the odds of longevity.