I have found Dakota Personal Training incredibly helpful. I met Penny soon after having my second son. I was still nursing and having two children in two years after 40 had taken quite a toll on my body. Penny was able to create a plan for me that combined diet and exercise appropriate for a nursing (and sleep deprived) mother. The strength training was very critical to building my stamina. We were able to work through some long standing injuries in a program that was challenging, never boring, fun and different. I have worked out for many years but had neglected training for balance and had been just skipping injured areas. Penny put together a well rounded program that helped me to work through the injuries, strengthen the weaker parts of my body and overall increase my balance and flexibility. In approximately six months, with the appropriate diet, I lost three sizes and 30 lbs. I don't have much time (I am a working Mom) but working with a trainer helped me to leverage every aspect of my workout to overall improved health. Now, with a three and a four year old, I know that I would not be able to lift 70 lbs of child and keep up with my active boys without regular, strenuous workouts. Penny has provided support and friendship that has made this a particularly fun and satisfying part of a very busy life.

I started out with Eric because I knew he was a specialist in the myriad of sports injuries that former athletes like myself bring into middle age. Over the past 15 years I have come to depend on Eric to know just how far I can be pushed -- he has a knack to sense exactly what my body can and cannot handle and over the years he has set a baseline of fitness that has kept me in shape and injury free.

When it comes to my fitness, Penny is my rock and inspiration. For approximately 6 years now Penny has been my trainer and my fitness mentor. When I first began working with Penny a number of years ago, my goals were to build strength and keep my bones healthy. Both have been accomplished. When I incurred a shoulder injury while away on vacation a few years ago, Penny worked with me, tailoring the exercises so that I would not feel any pain while working out. Currently, I have been experiencing neck and back pain due to several pinched nerves, again Penny has been remarkable in keeping me going, doing Pilates, which has proven to be extremely therapeutic. Her knowledge of fitness has kept the workouts within the guidelines of my limitations and also have afforded me the ability to do many varied and interesting workouts.

Andriette has tailored my program specifically to my goals and has helped me change the shape of my body. Dakota Personal Training and Pilates is the only facility I have ever been in that enables you to combine Pilates workouts with free weights. Andriette designed a program for me that focused core training and flexibility with Pilates as well as helped me build strength,change my muscle to fat ratio as well as my metabolism. It is awesome to have personal training and pilates not only with only one trainer, but also in the same session. The studio is such a private, professional environment. I would recommend Dakota Personal Training and Pilates to anyone who is looking to get in shape and really enjoy the experience.

Penny has helped me increase strength, improve my balance, and keep my weight down. I have had a quadruple bypass and it is important for me to be challenged physically in a safe way. My physical limitations also include (believe it or not) a torn rotator cuff, arthritis in my knees, as well as an anticipated hip replacement. Penny has not only been able to work with these specific injuries, but has been able to help me improve my overall level of fitness. She took the time to speak with my sports medicine doctor about what is recommended for me specifically to maintain and improve my activity level. When we first started training years ago we were in a commercial gym. Although I loved my workouts, I disliked the loud music and the lack of privacy in the space we were in. Since Penny and Eric have owned their own studio I exercise in total privacy in a beautiful environment. They even let me choose the music I prefer. There is no other way I could find this level of professional attention and expertise anywhere else