Founder of Body Conceptions in Denver, Mahri Relin, spent 12 years dancing around the world professionally and ultimately discovered her passion for health and fitness. Today, she offers her own dance-inspired, exclusive in-home training in NYC, Hamptons, and Denver (everywhere in the world virtually). We asked her to weigh in on creating the best version of you no matter what your fitness aspirations.
How do you help women reach their fitness goals?
“The important first step is to ask someone about their goals when we first start working together. There are so many reasons to exercise, from losing weight of course to gaining muscle strength, recovering from injury and feeling happier and more balanced. As a company we like to focus on times in life when women are going through transition and need extra support and guidance, so their goals often include navigating those times with more balance and knowledge and without injury.”
What happens if someone’s goals change?
“One interesting point about goals is that they change all the time. Someone can begin with physical goals (e.g., losing weight and recovering post-pregnancy), and they can realize over time that their favorite benefit of fitness is relieving stress. Some clients find that they [prefer to] work out with friends online, and their fitness sessions become a big source of personal connection. Seeing people benefit in different ways is why I love this work so much.”
What is your area of specialty?
“We do a lot of work with pregnancy and postnatal recovery, and we also help people use fitness to support their fertility process. What I’m especially excited about is supporting women through perimenopause, another part of the life continuum. This can be an extended time in your life when your body starts to change and your hormones fluctuate unpredictably. It can be confusing, and it can be really hard to find fitness professionals or even doctors who understand how to support you with exercise. We have devoted ourselves to understanding these hormonal changes and helping women continue to exercise in ways that help them feel stronger, happier, and more energized.”
What are some key exercise tips for the beginner?
“My first tip is always encouraging someone to find out what makes them happy. It’s nearly impossible to make exercise a regular part of your life unless you enjoy what you are doing. Second, I recommend joining a fitness community or consider asking friends to join your workout. Connection with others creates a great source of support, accountability, and fun. Thirdly, I encourage people who are very new or who have taken a lot of time off to be gentle with themselves and start slowly. One of the biggest mistakes you can make is to be too intense and burn yourself out too quickly in the beginning. Also, consider wearing fitness clothing that makes you feel cute. Believe it or not, clothing you love can add confidence, fun, and spice to your experience!”
Anything else you’d like to add about your business, your mission, or fitness in general?
“I feel honored to be able to work with women during times in their lives when they need it the most. In my opinion, the fitness world tends to focus too much on intensity and achieving dramatic physical results. Too much intensity can be harmful for women and their hormones regardless of their age, and it can leave all of us feeling inadequate. I want to change the narrative and encourage women – and all people – to listen to their bodies and do what feels wonderful. This approach is more apt to prevent injury, encourage you to exercise your whole life, and lead to much more physical balance and happiness into your later years.”
