Fitness, Nutrition Instructor Offers Hope, Health to Women Over 40

graduate Christine Bond, co-owner of  Women’s Fitness, 954 Brookwood Center, Fenton, is on a mission to offer hope and health to women over 40. Bond’s desire to help women comes from painful experiences in her childhood that she rose above.

“My father died at 49 when I was 13,” she said. “He had heart disease for 10 years, and I saw what he went through.”

She also watched her mother suffer.

“My mother is overweight, and her five sisters are all over 300 pounds,” she said. "I’ve seen them very unhealthy and unhappy with many aches and pains."

The Affton grad decided early on that she did not want to live in pain. She participated in sports, excelling in gymnastics, softball and soccer. She worked at various health clubs, but about five years ago she decided to “retire” from the fitness world. That didn’t last long, however, as she missed the day-to-day interaction with people and seeing the positive impact she could have on their lives.

“Being a personal coach is like the beauty shop and the bartender all wrapped up in one,” she said. “Women need someone to talk to, and they like coming to me because they get their work-out and they get their therapy.”

She watched as her mother and her mother’s sisters started new diets every year the day after Thanksgiving, and from her experience in the fitness business she saw that women tend to start a workout regimen and then quit.

“Women won’t work out if it’s not fun,” she said. “They won’t stick with it unless it’s something they can handle.”

Bone density starts to decline in women over 40, and they need to take steps to cut the risk of osteoporosis, Bond said. There are also pre-menopausal issues such as decreased skin elasticit, changes in metabolism and decreased energy. Bond wants to help women age gracefully and powerfully.

Nutrition and weight loss management are an important part of Bond’s teaching, and her goal is to help women who want to lose weight lose it quickly—and cater to those with difficult schedules.

“My mom is always giving me tips on eating healthy,” said Christine's son, Brock, who plays baseball in the San Francisco Giants. “And she kills me when I go up to her gym and she trains me.”

Christine has drilled healthy eating habits into her children—Brandon, a pilot in the Air Force; Brittney, a college student; Brett, quarterback for the freshman football team at Lindbergh this year; and Brock.

“Brittney jokes that when she was in high school I didn’t say ‘don’t drink’ when she went out on Friday nights, I said ‘don’t eat desserts,’” Bond said.

She and her husband, Al, have always tried to eat together as a family and attend their children’s busy schedule of activities.

“I wake up at 4:30 a.m. so I can help those women who want to work out at 5:30 before work,” she said. “Then I have some free time in the late afternoon, early evening and go back to work.’”

She is a certified personal trainer and has studied yoga, kickboxing and boxing and tries to make each visit different for her clients. She teaches a workout class twice a week and does individual meetings.

The Women's Fitness personal training studio was started by Christine Bond and her business partner, Rebecca Amelung to help women over the age of 40 have good health. "It's all about helping committed women achieve their fitness and wellness goals—regardless of their age or current fitness level," she said.