September Member Spotlight: Denise Johnson

We are so happy to announce Denise Johnson as our September member spotlight.  Denise has a quiet way about her, but once you get the chance to meet her and have a conversation with her you quickly realize what a friendly and caring person she is. Denise’s commitment to her health and fitness is evident from her consistency with her Fit Camp and Saturday Morning Mobility workouts. 

Denise is a lifelong resident of St. Louis.  She grew up in a family of seven girls and attended St. Elizabeth Academy and graduated from St. Louis University. After high school she began playing on several different softball teams, which is how she met her husband, Frank. Denise and Frank have been married for 44 years. They have 2 sons and 2 adorable grandsons. Denise lived her entire life in South St. Louis until 6 years ago, when she and Frank moved to Shrewsbury. At the end of July, she celebrated her retirement from her 42-year career. 

When she was younger, she worked out to maintain a healthy body weight. As she aged, she began to understand the countless benefits of exercise, including a healthier heart, stronger bones, improved flexibility and muscle mass, and an improved mood. Denise states that she gets a little crabby if she doesn’t get to work out. Her husband Frank joined Forward Fitness first and encouraged her to give it a try. She did and has been a member for over 4 years now.

Over the past few years, she has had a few injuries and been bothered by an arthritic knee, but she hasn’t let that slow her down.  Instead, she has worked with the coaches at Forward Fitness to find alternative exercises when necessary and recently she has decided to try Semi-Private workouts so that she and the coaches can focus on her improving her knee health. 

She is proud of completing 3 consecutive 100 Workout Challenges and she is well on her way to completing a 4th this year.  Denise credits the fitness classes as motivation to keep her working out on such a consistent basis. “I like working out with others because you develop a sense of community and mutual support. So glad to be a part of the Forward Fitness Fam.”  

Denise has this advice for someone thinking about adding a fitness routine to their lives, “Get on a program you enjoy, don’t judge yourself against others, and proceed at a consistent, sensible pace.”

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