Meet Ashley Jones of Group Fit by Ash

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ashley Jones.

Hi Ashley, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My name is Ashley J. although most people call me Ash. I am an L.A. native, born and raised. As a young child, I trained as a dancer, I was apart of dance teams in high school and even continued throughout freshman year in college. In high school, I recall trying out for the volleyball team and not making it and I recall wanting to run track but having asthma, my mother didn’t think it was the best thing at the time. Both instances were frustrating. Although my dream of being an athlete never came to fruition, I still figured out ways to stay active such as dancing, climbing the Santa Monica or Culver City stairs or doing follow along video workouts.

What triggered my interest in fitness and an active lifestyle, was really understanding the health history of my family and possible predispositions to certain health conditions. I used that as my “why” to remain healthy and possibly curtail any health conditions. Through my own experience in learning how to work out and having gone through own fitness/weight loss journey, it sparked something inside of me. I took a look at my friends and family and realized we all can benefit from moving our bodies more. I began inviting friends and family over to work out together in the backyard or at a local park to encourage them to be more active.

In 2017, I decided to study to become a Certified Group Fitness Instructor because I loved the energy in the group classes I would go to. I wanted to curate that energy for people as well. Discouraged and frustrated because I did not pass the test in 2017, I put it off for 2 more years but remained active. During this time I started running with running with KIRH, took Crossfit classes, boxing etc. Fast forward to December 2019, I became a Certified Instructor and that is how Group Fit by Ash was created.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Outside of waiting 2 years to retest simply because I doubted myself, it has been a relatively smooth road. I believe it is important to note that, the challenges we go through, provide us with the right amount of assurance that we have what it takes to push through even the toughest challenges.

I, like everyone else, have periods where I am on top of my diet and workouts and then there are periods where I have to convince myself to workout or clean up my diet. This is where the difference between motivation and discipline kicks in.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Group Fit by Ash has a mission of bringing people together one sweat session at a time. This is a community for people to come and build their strength and confidence in a judgment-free zone. I look at every participant as an athlete in their own unique way. When we were first put on lock-down at the beginning of the year, I started out offering free classes virtually twice a week. In June, we decided to take it outdoors and begin working out at the park. Ever since then, free, community-based classes have been offered on Saturdays at Holly Park in Hawthorne. If you can’t make it out to a Saturday workout, semi-private in-person and virtual training options are available. The workouts are typically circuit style focusing on time or reps. I want everyone that comes to class to feel welcomed, appreciated and respected. I want everyone to leave knowing not only did they sweat, but they laughed, danced and smiled at some point throughout their workout. I make it a point to remind everyone, “You Got This! Whatever you do, just keep moving your body”.

In addition to workouts, I recently launched GF Athletics which offers affordable and trendy fitness apparel which can be worn in the gym to train or even around town. GF Athletics also includes equipment such as GF Resistance Bandz and GF dual-sided Sliderz. There are workout ideas and examples on the Instagram page that shows how to incorporate these pieces of equipment into your workouts.

With the 1 year anniversary of Group Fit by Ash rapidly approaching, I am reminded how thankful I am for having this community and reminded about my passion for helping other people.

What does success mean to you?
Success is seeing your mission unfold. Success is hearing testimonials from clients and customers and seeing the impact you have made in their lives. Success is knowing you play a significant role in the lives of others.

Pricing:

• Clothing ($25-$65)
• Equipment ($10-$15)
• Training (starting at $20)

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: groupfitbyash.com
• Instagram: groupfit.by.ash

Image Credits
@stokley.jpg