Testimonials
ChallengeU peaked my interest and then motivated me to do my first 5k ever, at the age of 60, even during a Connecticut February! I recommend it.
Jane
I have a story that I think you will like! The day we left it was very foggy, Cape Air was running really late. We finally left at 12:30, and had a 1:30 connection out of Logan. Never thinking we would make the flight, we ran! We had to change terminals, and luckily we are TSA pre-check! We got to the gate while they were calling our names for final boarding. We got into our seats, Cami turned to me and said “boy would Denise be proud of you!” Today after walking up who knows how many steps, she said “aren’t you glad you did all that exercise?”
Anyway even being so far away, I just wanted to say thank you again!
Ruth
Challenge U is EXACTLY the right thing for a busy person to integrate fitness into her life. Denise Gaylord has really come up with a brilliant design which measures you against yourself, although for the competitively-inclined you can find ways to compare yourself to other competitors. And the time commitment is a maximum of 20 minutes per day, 6 days a week! There’s a food management component, water consumption component, as well as the mental training needed to make changes that last. I already paid careful attention to my food, writing it down everything day, but nevertheless with the combination of aerobic training, exercises, and attention to water and heeding my time plan for exercise, I lost 4 pounds, and inch off my waist and another off my thighs, plus dramatically increased my endurance in held postures (like plank and squat.) Best of all Challenge U is portable: I could be in a hotel room in China, in my own house, or in someone else’s and satisfy my daily commitments, no problem. I look forward to do this Challenge when it comes around again.
Meryl Moritz, MCC
I have hand weights at home and also belong to a gym…but I thought the 10 minute workout using your own body weight was brilliant, and I loved the flexibility of it.
Lisa Westervelt: Attorney & Busy Mom
The Challenge will change your life.
George Myers: One of the First 5 Challengers
It Revolutionized My Body And How I Feel About Myself And How I’m Moving Forward. “When She Was First Training Me On The Treadmill, It Was Like Running With A Sack Of Cinder Blocks On My Back. I Had No Strength. I Was Really Lethargic.
Note: Eric lost 26 pounds and was one of the first 5 challengers.
Eric Martin
The PFC is an excellent way to get physically active, conditioned, and improve your diet. Twenty minutes a day is all that is required. The program combines cardiovascular conditioning with strength training. I was able to fit the daily workouts into my busy schedule with no trouble. By the end of the program my weight had dropped ten pounds, my muscle tone was much better and I was back in the exercise routine. I heartily endorse the PFC. As a doctor and as a participant.
Dr. Gerard Kinahan
Denise is a real gem, she not only has the in depth knowledge of all things physiological and nutritional – she really cared about me and finding my way to make it work and stick. I was one of her guinea pigs on the first ever PFC, and I can honestly say that the experience made me happier and more fulfilled than anything I have done in a long, long time.
If you have the desire to change, Denise has the skills to make it happen. She is simply the best!
Note: Tony was one of the first 5 challengers – he lost 18 lbs and several inches.
Tony Barton
Why exercise when there are soooo many good books to read? Because in the PFC I learned I could do more than I thought I could.
Linda Fitzell
I absolutely love the PFC. It suits me perfectly, and most enjoyably, Iʼll never think of going on a diet again. Your focus of fitness, rather than on weight loss, strikes exactly the right balance.
Thank you for coming up with such a brilliant plan. You should really publish it so that people around the country could benefit from your guidance, expertise & wisdom. We are lucky you live in our town!
Note: Jeannette lost weight/got stronger/had less back pain/regained level blood sugar levels.
Jeannette Bragger
What changed in me was that I began to think more about working out and the gym, and made it part of my day…most of the time. The days that did not, I was conscious of the fact that I was short changing myself.
Chip Capelli
The Provincetown Fitness Challenge brought back Support + Possibility + Activity + Choice + Energy into my life. In short the S.P.A.C.E. to become fitter, healthier and happier! Huge thanks to the PFC and Denise Gaylord!
Note: Tracey Lost 75 pounds 6 months from Day One, and doubled strength tests.
Tracey Anderson
I got a jump start which motivated me to keep going.
Jeffrey Pickens
I loved getting more clarity about what I am eating-making a committment to a meal plan each day, and creating a structure and a discipline I didnʼt have before. The freedom to determine what was on my plan worked for me as well, because I hate the idea of being on a “diet.” Knowing that I was deciding what Iʼd be eating from day to day, gave me the autonomy I needed. Once I committed to each dayʼs plan, I was much less likely to eat junk. At the same time I wasted alot less food, better for me and the planet.
I lost 10 pounds during the challenge and my LDL cholesterol went down by 40 points. Since the challenge Iʼve continued to loose weight, 18 pounds so far, six months after day one.
Lynn Stanley
Denise helped me turn my life around, not just physically, but mentally, a true life coach.
David McFarlane
Denise is an amazing coach. She worked with me on two fronts: My diet and exercise. On the exercise front, we worked on a daily exercise plan. On the diet front, I would update her daily (via text) on my progress using her point system. It really helped keep me on track. And then, with the weekly conversations, we discussed areas where I was having challenges. She provided amazingly creative suggestions and great coaching to keep me on track. I lost weight – and felt so much better after my work with Denise!
Stewart Clifford
I wanted to tell you what a good job you did with me, and I finally think I know what I want to be when I grow up.
Chris
Denise Gaylord has stewarded me through one of the most profound periods of transformation in my life. A shift in place, work, as well as understanding myself. Her continued faith in my capacity to figure it out, and completely non-judgemental nature allowed me to go deep and making lasting changes. These changes have positively impacted my family, re-focused my work around what i care about most and given me personal practices to keep me grounded in my own inner clarity.
I recommend Denise Gaylord to anyone who is courageously seeking to shift their life, so they can be happier, more productive, and in better relationship with those they care about.
Tim Merry
Hello! I just wanted to let you know that it has been 3 weeks since the last time I had any pain in my hip flexors!! I can’t tell you how happy this makes me.
Also, thanks to your work out, I was able to bike 75 miles around Denmark, carry a very heavy bike and back pack up flights of stairs and on trains, hike around. and still somehow be pain free. Thank you!
Dr. Sadie
Let me provide a testimonial for Denise. She offers personalized training specifically tailored to you, and she makes it fun!!
Jane Barber
For the past five years, I have had the experience of working with five different personal trainers. The other four trainers were adequate but by no means exemplary. Denise Gaylord is truly exemplary.
Denise exemplifies what a personal trainer should be. She listens to her clientʼs individual needs and wants, then creates customized individualized programs for them. I hired Denise for at least 4 sessions a week, and sometimes five or six. During that time, Denise developed programs that fit my personality, and also worked for me physically. This included different streching exercises, use of fitness equipment, use of free weights, playing basketball, water aerobics and cardiovascular exercises. All of this work led to demonstrable results. In addtion to much betterbody definition, my strength, range of motion and energy levels were greatly improved.
Denise is not only a highly competent personal trainer, she is also a good listener, responsive, conscientious, organized, creative, motivational and fun! Deniseʼs approach is so superb, that multiple times, I have arranged my work schedule around her availability.
Judy Hirsch
As an accomplished athlete who likes to challenge herself regularly with long distance runs or swims, I always look forward to my workouts with Denise, they are fun, productive and get results. I truly value her attentiveness, expertise, professionalism and genuine likability. Engage Denise if you are looking for someone to guide and support you in achieving your fitness goals. You won’t regret it.”
Kathryn Rafter
I’ve worked with Denise for almost ten years. What makes her so special? Her commitment to me as a complete individual – not just what my body needs and can do but making sure I understand the essential connection between the physical, mental and emotional me.
Sessions are tailored to my needs – there’s no cookie-cutter program and over the years the routines have changed as I have. What remains the same, however, is her challenging me to do the best I can. Denise is the consummate professional and simply a terrific, funny, warm and caring person.
Ricki Nenner
I have trained with Denise for more than a decade. In that time, my athletic interests have ranged broadly to include: Distance Cycling, Running, Open Ocean Swimming, Yoga, Stand up Paddle Board, Boxing, and more. For every new interest, Denise has identified the core fundamentals of that discipline and generated an in gym training technique which in turn supported, strengthened, and advanced that practice. To say she is a thoughtful trainer is an understatement. Her intelligence, intuitiveness, and spiritual sensitivity transports the gym practice to a playing field far beyond any I have experienced with trainers I work with in NYC. She dedicates herself not only to advancing me towards my goals but reigning me in, such that I have grown to foster balance and honor my recovery times. In all ways possible , Denise is “my coach” and I am deeply grateful.
Thomas Lussier
It is with great pleasure that I compose this referral for Denise Gaylord, my personal trainer for two challenges. Denise manages to be professional, attentive, creative, calming and inspiring all at the same time. I am not quite sure how she manages to accomplish this on such a consistant basis, but my best guess is it is the result of an exceptional innate grace, combined with the good fortune of being in the right profession. She is simply excellent at what she does. Allow me to site some facts: At 40, I have not been this fit in nearly 10 years. My weight has dropped, my knees are no longer aching, I can play basketball and tennis again, two sports I thought I was done with after my knee surgery. It is only as we finished, that I see how masterfully she guided me to this point. She was helping me see my way not only to real progress for the time being but to an autonomy that will keep this progress going.
Patricia Farrell
This is a recommendation without reservation for Denise Gaylord. I have been her client for two years. Her knowledge of the exercise field is immense and she constantly brings to her clients new information and motivational skills. She is dependable, kind, considerate, professional and extremely genuine in her concern for her clients. In the 38 years that I have been an active member in the field of Physical Education and athletic training, Denise is one of the most outstanding human beings I have been priviledged to know… anyone or organization who employs Denise will indeed be quite fortunate.. she is a shining and inspirational light.
Judith Borne
When we met, I was a 40 something guy who weighed 205 pounds and was considerably out of shape. I had fat around my waist, chest and abdomen, due to over-eating, a poor diet and lack of exercise. Three & a half months later I weigh 195 lbs, I feel alot healthier, and more importantly, I am beginning to take shape. This is in no small way to Denise’s great advise on exercise & diet. Denise has been instrumental in helping me overcome many challenges, most importantly my intimidation of joining a gym and getting beyond the first weeks. I have no doubt she will continue to excel at personal training.
Ken Hassett
My physician complained that I was overweight, my blood sugar was out of hand and my cholesterol was not so good. Denise & I started our workouts, as I was concerned I would soon be wheelchair bound. Denise did her homework and we started to progress to more complicated and harder workouts. I began to move more easily, with a proper gait and get around pretty well for an 80 year old. As a bonus, I lost 30 pounds and have normal blood sugar levels and cholesterol, and most importantly she made this fun. It was amazing how aware she is of a new problem and what needs to be done to fix it. If you do not work with her, you have missed an opportunity to work with a very special lady.
Ruth Heibert
Having Denise as my trainer has been incredibly motivating! Her knowledge and skill only strengthened my desire to do my best. I lost weight/body fat, gained muscle and strength, and learned about my own food patterns, and what works and what doesn’t. Her guidance and training were invaluable to me!
Rob Costa
The answer to your question is YES, someone would certainly benefit from your training or coaching. Denise is professional, effective, fair, encouraging, inventive, fun, and most importantly authentic. Training with Denise for the past few years has been quite beneficial on many levels. “She’s the boss applesauce.”
Paige Mansfield