A FITNESS STUDIO ADDS FAITH INTO THE #WOD
Photos by Ashlee Glen
In a world where we always seem to be focused on appearances, sometimes the emotional, mental and spiritual aspects of our lives can get overlooked. When Kat Seay opened Live Move Be Fitness on Timberlake Road last year, she was on a mission to provide a well-rounded fitness experience that went beyond what you could see in the mirror.
“The name [of the studio] came from the Bible verse Acts 17:28, ‘For in Him we live and move and have our being’,” said Seay. “As soon as people walk through our doors, we want to help them live with purpose, move with joy, and be all that they were created to be. We want them to feel like they belong here.”
Live Move Be (or LMB for short) is a faith-infused fitness studio that offers exercise for the body, mind, and soul. There is a place for everyone, and there is a class for everyone—from cardio kickboxing to yoga.
LMB has many unique group class formats that are hard to find anywhere else. Want to get the heart pumping? There’s RW HIIT, a 30-minute high intensity class. Want to take it easy but still get a good workout? Try Rev and Flow, a movement-to-music class.
“We kind of run the gamut of all the different types of classes you could be looking for in a fitness class,” said Seay. “I feel like we really do have something for everyone.”
One of Seay’s favorite workout formats is movement-to-music: “I just like moving with joy. I love movement. I love music.”
Seay got her first taste of this when she began teaching Zumba classes at the YMCA in Bedford in 2009. From there, she began a women’s fitness ministry at her church. In January 2020, she opened Live Move Be.
“I saw the positive results of addressing someone’s full person. Their whole body, not just their physical body but their spiritual and emotional needs, addressing all those needs in a fitness class.”
Seay and six other instructors have carried this positive impact into LMB, especially the spiritual and emotional aspects. At LMB, exercise is more than just a physical activity.
“You see these hashtags, #legday or #armsday. Here we have #everydayisheartday. Having a strong healthy body is important, but we want the heart to be the primary focus of our classes,” said Seay.
From their inspiring music choices to the intentional words that they speak, the instructors do everything they can to motivate participants. They want participants to leave the studio with full hearts and fewer burdens.
“It’s very important to us that we speak life over the people in our class. It’s a big responsibility to have people’s ears and hearts in your class for an hour. We want them to feel mentally and emotionally lighter than when they came in,” explained Seay.
Because they want everyone to experience a fulfilling workout, LMB offers a non-traditional membership format. Anyone can drop into a class for $5. For $40, 10 classes can be attended, and one month of unlimited classes is $70. Angie Coleman is on her third 10-class pass.
“I came out to my first class, and I just loved it. I’ve been coming for three months, twice or sometimes three times a week,” said Coleman.
Coleman was diligent about exercising her brain by playing solitaire and doing word searches, but she realized that her body needed exercise too. After coming to classes at LMB, Coleman has seen various improvements in her life.
“My attitude is better. My breathing is better. My clothes fit better. I feel so energized. People are starting to ask me what I do because they are seeing the differences,” she said.
Coleman is just one of many who faithfully attend LMB.
“We have people that are 20 years old and there’s a lady here that’s 80 years old. You don’t feel like you’re out of place. Everybody’s welcome,” said Coleman.
Learn more about Live Move Be Fitness at www.livemovebefitness.com.
