Dree Stagni, Fitness Trainer

If you’re finally ready for that transformation-to feel good and look good, not just for the class reunion, but for the long haul- you’re going to want to meet Dree Stagni. A personal trainer since 2007, your health and hers is of the utmost importance to her.

  “I’m in the gym all the time,” Stagni says, “and in the spring I’m doing things like roller blading, biking, and jogging. I’ve always been interested in fitness, since I was a kid.”

  Witnessing our sedentary culture inspired her to become a personal trainer. “I see people getting unhealthier. When I’m biking, I don’t see too many people outside, and I don’t see kids playing. They’re sitting on the couch playing video games. And I see people in the gyms who have been there for years but are not seeing results.”

  Stagni, who is certified in CPR and AED (the use of automated external defibrillators on someone in cardiac arrest), has several certifications as a fitness trainer. She trains people in their homes or at the gym, and says each training is individualized. Her clients are looking for muscle training, bodybuilding, training for an event, weight loss, endurance training, or simply to get healthier and more active.

Some of the key issues she addresses are adherence to the program, variation in the routines, nutrition, and progress. Changing bad habits, she says, is a gradual process, but once people start seeing results, they're motivated to continue.

  In December she finished her course work in general studies, at Middlesex Community College, and will be graduating with honors. Currently a full-time student at Central Connecticut State University, she is working toward a bachelor’s degree in physical education and health. She plans to teach, but will still do personal training.

  She stresses the importance of good eating habits to her clients. “Nutrition and fitness go hand-in-hand,” she says. “No matter how much you exercise, you’re not going to see results if you don’t eat right. And proper nutrition helps build muscles, which then burns more fat.

  “It’s okay to have junk food maybe once a week. People are all gung-ho and think they will never eat anything bad. Then they get off track because that doesn’t work. Nobody is eating 100 percent clean; you need that 10 percent for sanity reasons. If you deprive yourself, you’ll start wanting things you didn’t want before.

  “Eating healthy should be a lifestyle, not a short-term thing," she adds. "The food that was put on earth for us is what’s good for our bodies. People don’t see that. They see the man-made stuff in the stores and think it’s good for them because it’s fat-free, but it usually has a lot of sugar. I’ll take a client to the grocery store and will show him or her how to read labels and decipher what is healthy and what is not.”

  Stagni says she likes helping people to feel better about themselves through lifestyle changes. “I like making a difference in people’s lives. We live in stressful times, and getting healthier will reduce your stress level. If you look and feel better, you’re happier.”

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