A day in the Life of Lerien van Zyl

What is your average day like?

I wake up at 5am and open the studio at 6am. Together with my team, Maretha and Marguelete, we work shifts to give our clients nothing but the best.

We have a variety of clients throughout the day with different reasons for using the Power Plate. Some have terrible backache whereas others are desperate to fit back into a beautiful dress! Based on the clients needs we devise a personal fitness program to help them achieve their goals. The last client leaves at about 7pm and I prepare the studio for the following morning.

I also practice as a Physiotherapist and have a special interest in chronic back and neck pain due to postural imbalances. My third job is to be as mother for my three precious kids: Johan (11), Albert (8) and Jana (6) and thus my afternoons are quite busy with their school activities.

What is the best thing about your job?

The best thing about my job is when a new client arrives for their first session on the Power Plate, I wish I could actually capture it on film! The complete surprise, the absolute astonishment of what they experience, is one of those things in life that can't be described in words! The next best thing is to see how people gain a better quality of life from one week to the next. They will tell you how wonderful they feel, and how well they are sleeping. I have a client that has been with us for two years and she's convinced that Power Plate changed her life!

And the worst?

The worst part of my job is when a client has to say goodbye! We become like a family and when one client has to leave, the exercise partners feel the emptiness.

What makes you passionate about your work?

My true passion is physiotherapy and I love to have people around me. I try to bring out the best in everyone and when somebody is in absolute agony, I know that the solution lies within that person. I need to teach them to recognise their abilities and show them how to use them to change their lifestyle, exercise patterns, job related stress and expectations of themselves. Knowledge is Power. When people understand how their body's work, they can start to listen to them and feel in control once again.

Do you have any advice for someone who wants to be involved in your line of work?

A bit of advise for someone who wants to work in this profession is that you need a passion for people and want to make a difference to other people's lives. Working with people requires a lot of energy so you have to believe in yourself so that the people around you can believe in you.

Who inspires you?

My dearest husband inspires me everyday! You need someone that has a completely different outlook and not emotionally connected with what you are doing. Pieter is somebody like that and he will never take NO for an answer. He has creative ideas, which sometimes sound a bit silly, but just give it some time and the idea will emerge like a butterfly.