Rural Fitness and Remedial Massage

From Past and Present Fitness Clients

2007

"My weight ballooned after my 3^rd child.  I was never one to sit around but whatever I did I wasn’t getting any results.  I felt so unfit.  I was miserable and frustrated, people were starting to except me as a larger person and I didn’t like it.  I decided one day to start on a good eating plan, but didn’t get huge results.  My family were very supportive.  I started going to the gym, this is where I first met Paula.  After a while I decided to train with Paula on a one-to-one.  She showed me different, specific exercises to aid my personal fitness challenge.  I was shown how to push my body to aim for better results.  I got right into it, I got a real buzz,  I soon started to feel so good.  I decided to do an intense 8 weeks training programme with Paula, she expected full commitment.  It was all very progressive, the first lesson was that weight is not the first and only focus, it’s often the last.  I felt so much fitter and I looked forward to my exercise every day. Oh I managed to fit it in my day and I lost heaps of weight." AF

2009

"I started working with Paula about 5 years ago, weighing in at a whopping 139.8kg.  At only 5ft I had a lot of health issues and found it hard to get going in the morning and hard to walk.  Today, I have lost over half my body weight and a lot of health issues have gone and I feel great.  I have sustained my weight for the past 3 years.  I’m not going to say it hasn’t been hard because it has, and with injuries also its not been easy but I put my trust in Paula who has never taken me over what I couldn’t do which turns out was quite a bit for a 49 year old. Put your trust in Paula she is one of the best and will never take you past what she knows you are capable of doing.  That is not the way she works.  All I can say is I have never, not even as a child, been able to do the things I do today if it wasn’t for Paula and her training.  I have achieved half marathons and triathlons, things I would have only dreamt about.  It has been life changing." TS

2011

"Goals that seem unattainable become achievable.  With Paula’s expertise and guidance I have learnt first-hand the value of exercise and good nutrition and the vital role these key life elements play in maintaining health and self-worth.  From 100kg to running 12kms, triathlons and duathlons – anything is possible." MA

2011

"Paula is great at motivating her clients.  She is fun to work with and keeps things varied.  She has taught me to train myself, and has given me the tools to succeed both mentally and physically.  And that was having to deal with long term injuries too.  I have achieved many things which I thought were out of my reach." JT

2012

"I met Paula about 5 years ago when I took up her challenge to begin running for fitness.  Not only did she awaken in me a desire to run and increase my fitness, but she coached and trained me always with great motivation and determination.  Little did I know that I would still be running years later but continuing to enjoy it and loving any opportunity to renew that training relationship with Paula.  She is a true professional, knows her 'stuff', and is a great friend.  I highly recommend her for fitness help, coaching, rehabilitation, nutrition information and massage." CR

2012

"I was unfit and getting worse when I went to Paula.  My reason for not exercising a lot was that I had a back injury and a knee problem.  I had gone to the gym quite a few times and quailed at the sight of all the different machines and the weights that were on them.  So I left without any result.  To my surprise I discovered that I could exercise under her guidance and help make the problems that I had better. At my last evaluation I had lost 8.3% of my body fat and my muscle mass had increased 5.8% and my metabolic age dropped from 50 to 41.  I have had an all over lost of 29cm.  My balance has improved along with my flexibility.  Also my lung capacity has increased. This has been a gradual process that was set to a pace that I could cope with and has proved to be very beneficial to my health.  If you haven’t got the courage to face the gym alone I would recommend giving Paula a call.  Paula is very helpful and encouraging so check it out." JS

2014

28/3/14 – Spin Bike

Thank you Paula Dobbs for helping me achieve my goal weight for my wedding! So far I have lost 11kg with the spin bike program and love it! I am totally addicted to spin and rural fitness now, love the positive atmosphere and great people I have met. I cant believe the strength and fitness i have gained in 6 months, and the same goes for my spin buddies! We are on fire!!! Once again thankyou Paula I couldn't have done it without you! KM

Massage:

Clinic - 2012

5/4/2012

1. Very polite and professional.  Massage was very relaxing.
2. Great trigger point, great relief in right knee.  Very helpful and knowledgeable.
3. Great even pressure, and good flow. Felt nice and relaxed.  (From a fellow Remedial Therapist)

10/4/2012

1. Paula has excellent hands to find the tense and stiffness in the muscles, would have liked a longer session.
2. Paula explained the process well, and then reinforced the process as we went on. Continually checking on my comfort and pressure etc. Very happy with the treatment and professional manner.
3. Lovely personality, strokes were great, especially kneading, felt very comfortable.
4. Paula greets you very professionally, communicates clearly, listens well and helps to achieve your goals.  The pressure of the massage was very appropriate and I would recommend Paula to others.
5. Awesome massage, very good at relieving my pain.  Have had many massages before (USA) and I must say this was very good.

12/4/2012

1. Very relaxing, we found a few spots that needed extra work, in particular my right calf which was extremely painful but then the pain was relieved with some deep tissue massage. Thank you Paula for a wonderful massage great amount of pressure applied throughout.
2. Good pressure for the tightness.  Paula knows how to listen to find the tension spots.
3. One of the best massages I’ve had.  Have never had my ankles/feet massaged before but was very good.
4. Paula is excellent, and I was very happy with my massage.

May 2012

The massage was brilliant.  I got more out of that massage than I have had of any of the massages I’ve had in the past.  I am very keen to get my leg better to be able to train more. SG

May 2012

Not sore after the treatment, it feels great.  I think the stretching also helped my lower back, so great for just one session. After the second session I had no pain at all in my injured knee, my knee has been awesome. LT

2014

4/4/14 - Massage treatment and back into training.

I went to Paula because I had a lot of tightness in my shoulders and neck. After trying other treatments, without success.
Paula has made a massive difference to me with her knowledge, experience and ‘can do’ attitude. Paula has helped with targeted massage and stretching exercises. Thank You Paula  MB

2017

"For a number of years I have battled with Achilles tendinopathy and have found it difficult to manage. Tried the physios, exercises and shock wave therapy, all of which gave me some relief. After another bout, when I was unable to even run 1.5 km without pain, one of the physios recommended a deep tissue massage with Paula. Even the term, deep tissue, scared me! I made an appointment and was pleasantly surprised on a number of fronts. Firstly, Paula took the time to explain the massage process and gave me some understanding of the different muscle groups that may be affecting my sore Achilles. She then assessed my problem and suggested a calf release massage that she was sure, would help. Sure, there was some pain during the massage, however, Paula was very mindful of my pain threshold.
After just one 30 minute massage (I wasn’t game to book an hour!) I felt a bit better.
I booked another 1 hour session and felt a lot better. Within a week I was back running 5km runs. Amazing!
I now have a calf massage about every 5 weeks and have never looked back. Did a 15km run this morning, no problems! I am now definitely a convert to regular massages and in my opinion Paula, is the best I have seen.
Paula is a consummate professional, who uses her skills to always give the best outcome for the patient. " BA

"After years of hard heavy work in hospitality as a chef and a mother of 5 I found myself over weight and my body felt broken.

Over the last 2 years I have lost 60 kg and feel great but I wanted to be strong and fit. This year I have decided to do something for myself.

In January this year I joined pilates as it would be a gentle way for me to start and strengthen my body . Paula has been a great teacher and has made it easy and fun. After a couple of months I have gone from 1 day a week to 2 days. Along with pilates I am also having massage treatment to correct my poor posture .

Paula explains all the muscles and why she is massage each one so it gives me a understanding of my body and enabled me to do exercise at home to strengthen my back. Combining pilates and massage I feel fantastic for the first time in years."