By Kathy Brown.
Alli Behnke started Soul Fit in June 2019 in her home studio in Higganum, where she runs a variety of private fitness groups for a small number of clients. She has come to be a coach, trainer, and therapist in a roundabout way. Alli has been a social worker for the past 18 years, focusing on children and families who “struggle with a variety of challenges: depression, anxiety, stress, low self esteem, etc.,” Alli explained.
“Fitness has always been an important part of my life,” explained Alli, “but it wasn’t always in the healthiest way.” After having children, she ran as a way to cope with the stress of balancing career and family. She found that running helped her to “remain positive, empowered, and provided natural stress relief.” She earned her SPIN certification, and then completed training as a Certified Personal Trainer, and decided to blend her two passions: mental and physical health.
One of the challenges that Alli helps with is fitting fitness into an already stressful and busy life. “I utilize Motivational Interviewing skills in my private and group sessions to motivate and empower members to achieve permanent results and lifestyle changes,” explained Alli. “I want to provide an environment where you discover what has been holding you back from fitness and what skills I can support you in developing to achieve overall well-being and happiness.” This approach for the whole person is what sets Soul Fit apart from other fitness studios and gyms.
She knows that many factors play a role in holding people back from achieving their goals. She wants to be that “trainer, coach, and therapist who understands that it isn’t just as simple as losing weight, eating healthier, and exercising more.”
Alli offers 7-10 group sessions a week, with a maximum of five members in each class. She also offers private training.
“I utilize SPIN (indoor cycling), as well as various HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training), sports conditioning, and Boot Camp strength and power training to achieve fitness goals,” explained Alli. “Many of the Soul Fit group sessions include a support group approach to empower members to support each other through all of the challenges that are often a part of all of our lives. My goal is to help motivate you, guide you, educate you, and hold you accountable so that you can build that lifestyle you choose and desire.”
“We have lived in Higganum for eight years, and LOVE the community,” said Alli. “My goal for Soul Fit is to be a resource for the HK community. I hope to encourage more community members who just haven’t found the right place where they feel safe to increase their fitness, empower themselves, and make new friendships, to reach out and try a class!”
She has a new group that might just be what you need: a group of 5-6 people who are all hoping to move forward, end bad habits, and find wellness. It will meet every Saturday morning, starting with a spin class to “ignite your body” then moves to a class/group that “will cover a variety of topics around nutrition, wellness, fitness, primary foods, secondary foods, and achieving goals.” She is in the process of becoming certified as a Integrative Nutrition/Health Coach.
“I hope in the future to be a leader in the combination of physical and mental health,” said Alli. “I truly believe that fitness has a real place in helping people find life satisfaction and overall well-being. I hope to encourage more mental health professionals to find ways to incorporate it into practice in the future.”
Check out her website and see if it’s the right fit for you!
Photos provided by Alli Behnke.
