Hustle
/huhs-uhl/ (noun)
To have the courage, confidence, self belief, and self determination to go out there and work it out until you find the opportunities you want in life.
This is the exact mentality I gathered when I spoke with Abby Hanselman about Hustle Group Fitness. In comparison to the several gyms I have been to, this one was and is different. I walked in at the end of a session and sitting in the waiting area and listening was just relaxing. I have never experienced after care like this at the end of a workout since my high school track days.
So, why Hustle? Abby was once affiliated with another studio and always used the statement, “hold your hustle”. At first her business partner/advisor, who just happens to be her dad, said maybe it isn’t such a good idea to call the gym “hustle” as it refers to the slang term used in the 60’s and 70’s to perform illegal activities. However, in today’s day and age, the term really refers to how life is a hustle. So, that is how the name for Hustle Group Fitness came to be, but wait, there’s more! I wondered, what exactly made her start Hustle Group Fitness? Being she had been to other gyms and fitness centers prior, they just seemed cliquey and just overall there was not a good feeling of being in those types of environments. Along with creating a new fun and friendly environment for people to achieve their fitness goals, it was being a mom that fitness led to a means of stress relief and selfcare. I wondered how one can keep the hustle going and keep it fun and friendly and really it was simple. “We have a culture of kindness”. The instructors are people Abby knows. The people who come are wonderful and kind. Right now, they work in smaller groups which has helped in this mission.
I had to ask, because as a mother now myself, I just don’t seem to find the time to do the self care that I would like to do. “I got up at 530am everyday to practice my self care.” As someone who is currently getting up at 530am because my little one is up, it made me wonder, maybe in between his naps I can practice this. It’s only been a day since the interview with Abby and I have gotten the chance to meditate while he napped and it’s been a relief. Just 10 minutes did wonders and honestly, getting back into exercising isn’t such a bad idea. A little something to do for myself? Why not?
Speaking of being a mom, did you know that Hustle Group Fitness is all female owned and operated?! For me, this is huge and it is for Abby also. “It is female empowerment to keep it (Hustle Group Fitness) female owned and operated.” She went on to say that it shows her daughter that there are positive female role models out there as well in a very high male populated field. So, I wanted to know, as a female trainer, what makes her a good fitness trainer? Come to find out, she has a psychology background! This has allowed her to be sympathetic and empathetic in her work. Then, she also has a child who is differently abled which has allowed her to be patient in what she does along with learning styles. She knows that not everyone is going to learn the same. Some individuals are book learners, some learn by doing, so she understands that one person is not like the other whereas other places may only train one specific way. Being said, she also wanted to learn the sciences behind fitness. Needless to say, she had some injuries and in today’s day and age, we just get back to the grind when really we should take it easy. Then, when you’re running, not a lot of people take into consideration that it isn’t just cardio. You have to do strength and stretching. You need to ensure that you are doing everything properly so you don’t injure yourself. You should ALWAYS stretch no matter what. This is something that I even learned back in my high school days, but surprisingly not a lot of people do that. They go straight to the activity and end up overdoing it or hurting themselves. This is incorporated with her training. Then its ride, circuit, and then chill. I came in at the very end of the chill.
Abby also keeps up to date with her knowledge as well. I noticed this when I walked into the waiting area at Hustle. There were two certificates on the wall. One was for Schwinn and the other for NETA. Schwinn is for their cycling program that they provide to their clientele. Which I have ALWAYS wanted to see in action. Primarily because of movies, but it looks like SOOOO much fun! NETA is NCCA accredited. What does that mean? The NCCA or national commission for certifying agencies, “is the accreditation body of the Institute for Credentialing Excellence (ICE). ICE, established in 1977, is the leader in setting quality standards for credentialing organizations. Through its annual conference, regional seminars, and publications, ICE serves its membership as a clearinghouse for information on the latest trends and issues of concern to practitioners and organizations focused on certification, licensure, and human resource development.” * https://www.netafit.org/about/ncca-accreditation/ * So, what does this do and mean for Abby? “Accreditation of a credentialing organization by the NCCA is the standard for a large majority of well-respected allied healthcare professionals and others professions (nursing, nutrition, athletic training, etc.). By earning an NCCA-accredited certification, fitness professionals demonstrate that they are qualified to take a legitimate place on the healthcare continuum based on what is usual and customary for healthcare and other professionals which is critical for developing an appropriate level of professional recognition which should also positively impact compensation levels for fitness professionals.” In all, this is excellent! She also goes through and also takes free courses online through coursera that is provided by Yale University. She recommends one that is free right now called “The Science of Wellbeing” or “Science of being Happy”.
One thing I wondered, as I know some locations host events, whether or not Abby had done events there before. Unfortunately at this time they don’t HOWEVER, they had one and in the future she would like to do so. They would host private parties to do workouts of choice, and turn the strength room into a banquet. They once did a brunch and it was a huge success. This is where fitness and hospitality would intertwine. Which personally sounds amazing. Can you see yourself having fun with a group of your friends, then having a brunch with all the good foods you should eat? Let’s also mention that she has other connections with female owned businesses that include nutrition, fitness, and many others.
In all, we all have the power in ourselves to get up and ‘hustle’. You just have to decide what you have to do. If we have time to sleep in, scroll the internet, binge a tv show, we have the time to get up and get moving. You need to set that time you’re using to do those sit down activities and get up and hustle. One place you can go is Hustle Group Fitness. They are located at 3212 Watson Blvd Endwell, NY 13760. For more information feel free to contact Abby either by email, abby@hustle4real.com or through their facebook page https://www.facebook.com/hustle4real607 . “Endwell’s only boutique fitness studio. Low impact high intensity functional fitness. Spin classes.” To be honest with you, I can’t wait to start working out again. You may just find me here sooner rather than later.
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