February Member of the Month: Michele

We are excited to announce our February 2026 Member of the Month: Michele!

Just 2.5 weeks after joining Rise, Michele broke her ankle outside of the gym. But that obstacle didn’t slow her down, and in fact, she was able to find motivation by working through something so challenging. If you know Michele, you know she is one of the kindest, most joyful people around. We love having you at Rise, Michele, and we’re so proud of all your hard work!

Michele said, “I always worked out and lifted weights until Covid when all the gyms closed. I lost nearly 40 pounds during Covid but what I didn’t realize was how much of that weight loss was muscle mass. By the winter of 2021 I was realizing how much strength, stability and muscle mass I was missing because simple things like shoveling and operating the snowblower were much more difficult. I kept prioritizing everything else and everyone else in my life ahead of myself, until my youngest went to college in 2024 and I told myself things had to change. I was almost 53 and had never been so thin and weak. I knew I needed to add muscle mass, strength, and flexibility otherwise my current trajectory was not going to allow me to live a full, long, healthy life like my parents (living independently into their 90’s).

My biggest challenge when I first started at Rise was being able to shift my mindset to prioritize myself for three workouts a week. (I schedule them into my planner two weeks ahead and do everything I can to stick to that plan.) My next biggest challenge was breaking my ankle about 2.5 weeks after I started at Rise. A few days after the break, I showed up in a walking splint (I refused a cast so I could be more mobile) and asked Megan and the team if they could accommodate me. I told her “I have three good limbs, we may as well keep working them.” And that is exactly what we did. The trainers continued to modify my workouts and help me rehab. I had an InBody scan a couple months after the break and even with the modified workouts, I had put on pounds of muscle in a short period of time!

Being able to add muscle with only three working limbs was a huge boost for me. Even before the InBody I could tell my body composition was changing, I was gaining strength from the inside out and seeing little areas of muscle definition. The house projects, yard work, snow blowing, etc. were all getting easier a little bit at a time too. Friends and family were noticing my body composition was changing and also noticed I was handling physical projects easier and more independently. From a nutrition standpoint, my body was craving more protein and balanced meals and not craving sweets and carbs anymore. It’s like the muscle growth was telling my brain what it needed. Rise is exactly what I needed (and continues to be). It was time to prioritize my health and wellness and allow myself to take the time to commit to three workouts a week. Last year’s theme “Standard over Feeling” really hit home for me. I committed to a standard workout schedule, added it to my weekly planner just like it was a meeting or outside appointment, and then committed. That motto absolutely helped me through some of the tougher weeks. Rise is more than “the gym” to me…I have found Rise to be PT, OT, mental health, a community, nutrition, overall wellness, education, accountability, and personal check-ins all in one place. I can’t wait to experience the next little and big wins!”