Triple Threat: Richmond social worker, a realtor, and a former WHL player want to help you get fit

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Image by Niko Myyrä.

Leslie Reilly, Patti Martin, and Anthony Ast are the co-owners of Shift and Lift, a private fitness studio in Richmond. Reilly is the Head Spin Instructor and offers both beat and road cycling style classes (45-60 minute classes, max 14 people). Martin, a successful Richmond realtor and a runner as well, met Reilly at a music class when their children were toddlers, and they started running together. From there, fitness became a shared passion, all culminating in their dream of opening a private fitness studio. Ast is the Head Personal Trainer and offers personal training, small group (2-4 people) training, group fitness classes, and lifting classes.

While Reilly and Ast are very happy to have found their passion for fitness, their path to it couldn’t have been more different. Reilly says that she was never an athlete until the age of 18, when she discovered running, saying that it “changed my life.” She says that the more she wanted to push her body, the more she became interested in other aspects of fitness, such as strength training.

Ast, for his part, was a professional athlete for much of his youth, playing in the Western Hockey League for the Vancouver Giants, as well as the Medicine Hat Tigers. He eventually played overseas in Germany before retiring in 2016. After a long career of being professionally fit, he wanted to help others to achieve their goals as well.

Though it is clear that both Ast and Reilly walked very different paths in their journey to athleticism, one thing is clear for both of them: they truly aim to motivate people to reach their highest potential. For Reilly, it comes from a personal and professional standpoint. Outside of the gym, Reilly is a registered Clinical Social Worker and a Private Therapist. She says that we can’t leave out anything when it comes to wellness: “helping people become healthier – mentally, physically, emotionally – is my goal. Health includes all facets of our being, and we need to nourish each part.”

Reilly and Ast base their training on an integrated concept of mind, body, spirit, and credit their small class sizes with the ability to truly hone in on each client’s needs. Martin helps out with the spin classes and business end of the enterprise.

If you’d like to learn more about them or learn about April’s free weekly strength-training classes, head to their website. You can also call Anthony for information at 778-891-6695 or drop in to chat at 120-6091 Dyke Road, Richmond.


SOURCE: RICHMOND NEWS