FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

At Square One we aren’t just personal trainers. We are fitness tutors. We want to educate you in a language you understand. We’re not just counting reps - we are guiding you into a better understanding of your body and what it is capable of. As you explore movement patterns we will be right there with you, listening every step of the way.

If you are not comfortable on the floor, we want to work with you on the reasons you are not comfortable on the floor. Are you afraid you won’t be able to get back up? That is something our personal trainers can explore with you as you progress with the patterns. Being able to get up from the floor is a good skill to have. Not only in the event of a fall, but for general fitness. Some studies have shown that the ability to sit and get up from the floor can be used as an predictor for mortality rates. Not to get all dramatic or anything!

The goal of Square One Fitness is to help you move better – and help you find an activity that you enjoy so that you can keep moving long after your time with Square One is finished. Depending on your goals, and your starting point, you may only need 5-10 sessions to achieve that level of functional mobility. Then, you can be active closer to home. Square One Fitness is easy to access from either freeway, offers free on-street and lot parking on the premises, and is on a bus line and bike route.

Yes. The key to creating a consistent activity program is finding something that YOU enjoy. If you don’t enjoy it, you won’t do it. We can help you figure out what you do (and don’t) like. Think of our gym as your playground, a safe place to try out new things and figure out what clicks with you. Another roadblock to fitness: jumping into a new activity, overdoing it, getting hurt, and then thinking “well, I guess I just can’t do that.” Because we truly start at “square one” we can help you build a strong foundation of movement. You won’t be pushed beyond your abilities, but up to them. For some folks, the idea of showing up at a gym, or working out in front of strangers, is overwhelming. You won’t have that problem at Square One Fitness. Our small group fitness classes are limited to 3-4 students. We cater to introverts! Challenge is an important motivating factor as well. The key is finding an activity that is challenging enough to engage your brain, but not so challenging that your body fails. In other words, frustration is OK, but panic is not. It’s called creating a “success experience." For those of you who like jigsaw puzzles, it’s that perfect puzzle where you have to think a bit to drop each piece into place, but not so much that it becomes discouraging. The puzzle flows along with a lot of little challenges, a lot of little successes, and then, at the end, a huge sense of accomplishment. This technique is called working within the “neural edge”, and our instructors apply it to optimize the student’s experience and learning process.

Possibly. Moving better and recruiting the right muscles for a task can often reduce or eliminate pain. However, if you have a mechanical problem, exercise alone may not fix that mechanical problem. It's important to note that our personal trainers will only allow you to perform exercises that don’t hurt, and want you to inform them if something triggers pain during class. If you are experiencing pain with a movement, your brain will be on high-alert and will create a compensation pattern to work around that painful movement. That's exactly what we are trying to avoid. We want to find movements that you can do pain-free and build from there. Square One Fitness is a place for you to explore what you can (and can’t) do.

You can't cheat on the floor, and your compensations are quickly revealed. Also, the stability of the floor allows your brain to focus on a specific movement without also worrying about holding you up against gravity. Working on the floor lets you focus on learning a specific movement pattern without distractions.

Twice a week is ideal. Our goal is to help you integrate proper movement into whatever exercise you are doing the rest of the week.

Probably not at first. The goal of Square One Fitness is to get you moving efficiently so that later, when you want to increase intensity or add weights (Smart Strength and Golf Fitness), you are less likely to get hurt. Initially, the training is focused more on movement than burning calories. Later, however, we can certainly work on building strength and intensity. The Smart Strength and Golf Fitness classes use weights that are appropriate for your ability level, with the goal of progressing you safely into more and more strength. It's important to note that while you are in the beginning stages of getting fit with Square One, this is the perfect time to examine other aspects of your health – how well you sleep, how well you eat, and how much stress you carry. Once you do start to increase activity and are hungry after a strong workout, it’s beneficial to already have good eating habits in place. Again, we want to prepare you for increasing your activity, and part of that is proper nourishment.

Yes, Doc Emily would be happy to help you with your nutritional goals, just ask, and we can set up a separate appointment for that service. If you want to learn more about the Precision Nutrition process

Many of these movement patterns seem quite simple, until you try to do them! As a baby we eventually earn the right to stand, through many months of trial and error. As adults many of us are standing, walking, and working out using a system of compensation patterns. We think we are doing “ab” exercises, but we are really straining our back muscles. We think we are strengthening our shoulders, but we are actually just over-activating our upper trapezius. Many fit and athletic people are surprised when they try to do the most basic patterns on the ground (where they can’t cheat or compensate). It’s harder than it looks! Of course, some folks will move faster through the progressions than others. As long as you “own” the pattern each step of the way, then you can go as quickly through the process as your body allows. Once your foundation is strong, then we can start adding in weights and challenges. Don’t worry, we’re nice, but we can kick your butt when you’re ready for it!

Just checking to see if you're still reading! If you are still reading this then you're most likely an inquisitive person who enjoys learning about movement. This means that you would be a perfect fit for Square One Fitness. So, c’mon, book an appointment already!

Are you a patient of Doc Emily? Is Doc Emily physically present in the room with you? If the answer to either of those questions is “no," then no, this is not medically supervised training.

Of course! Give us a call any time you like with any question at all. We’re happy to help you figure out if Square One Fitness is a good fit for you! No long-winded reading required. 505-835-0049

Yes indeed! Just call or e-mail and we’ll schedule a time for you to drop by.

Yes indeed! Just call or e-mail and we’ll schedule a time for you to drop by.Yes, but don't take our word for it! Book an appointment or take a free tour, and see for yourself.