Empowered Client Testimonials
Ayanna Penn
Team Beachbody Star Diamond Coach
"Whenever I enter Lateefah 's presence I am rest assured that my spirit will be both enlivened and calmed at the same time. She is an amazing instructor and friend to all because she sees potential in each student that they don't yet see in themselves. Such an inspiration!"
Carol Cochi, Ph.D.
"Lateefah has been my Pilates trainer for over a year. In that time, and under her tutelage, I have become stronger, and more flexible, and am in better physical health. She has taught me about making healthier choices in my eating habits as well as incrementally increasing my day-to-day excercise routines. I have noticed improvements in my health, but more importantly, my husband has noticed that I am physically more toned and have more energy. It is truly my pleasure to support Lateefah in any efforts she pursues. A person who can have such a positive impact on guiding individuals and groups to make better and more health-conscious choices is a definite benefit to society."
Rachel Taylor
"Lateefah is inspirational! She has a special way of getting you to want to be your strongest, fittest, best self even as she makes you believe you're already beautiful as you are right now. With Lateefah it's not about "no pain, no gain." It's more like, let's have some fun and get it done! Her positivity and energy is contagious. You cannot help but feel good around Lateefah!"
Cherise Canton
"Lateefah is an amazing woman, a great encourager and teacher. My body is stronger than it’s ever been. I love boot camp because it pushes me to work all areas of my body. I hope to one day incorporate her into my schedule twice a week instead of one. Thank you for sharing your talents and gifts with me."
Namrita Swarup
"Lateefah, your positivity and energy is infectious. Your style of teaching heals.. And, as a result I am a much stronger person in body and mind. Keep up the good work!"
Lisa Marra
"Lateefah and empowerFit are truly an inspiration! I've learned more than exercise here. I have gained self-confidence and motivation to pursue my personal dreams and goals. empowerFit teaches you to embrace your body, love it and understand that you are already strong and powerful. She and her vision have motivated me to challenge my body both physically and mentally through yoga and dance. When it came to fitness I never found things that truly challenged me until I began belly dancing and learning yoga. Lateefah motivates and inspires you to be the best version of yourself through much love. She also celebrates EVERYONE’s progress and accomplishments! At empowerFit you gain strength, self-confidence, motivation and lasting friendships. To be a part of the empowerFit family is a true blessing!"
Nasreen Watson
"I never thought I would find fitness again. I was the gym RAT and after some reconstructive foot surgery, my doctor told me I would never be at 100% again. I would no longer be able to engage in high intensity spinning, running, and boot camp classes. Anything that would be hard on my feet, I could no longer do. After foot surgery in 2012, I did months of physical therapy. The pounds started to creep up and my hip and lower back started to hurt. I began seeing a chiropractor 2-3 times per week. I didn’t want to do yoga but my chiropractor said that doing yoga wouldn’t hurt my back or joints. In fact, my chiropractor encouraged me to take yoga. Additionally, he said that if a yoga move hurt I should modify each move until I got stronger.Fast forward to 2016 and I started yoga with Lateefah. I have taken classes for the past 10 months now and I find yoga to be the hardest form of exercise I’ve ever done. I would collapse after 10 minutes of flowing but I was determined and encouraged because of Lateefah and the group of women I saw every Saturday morning. The class is very engaging and fun. I am a testimony that yoga can help any joint ailment that you have. I no longer have excruciating back and hip pain. Yoga moves that I had to modify six-months ago; I can now get into them. Because of Lateefah’s yoga basics, I have been able to build my yoga technique. I’ve grown stronger, my mind is clear, and I am a lot LEANER. What’s even better is that I am no longer a slave to the scale and I actually enjoy being the strong fit/thick woman.I encourage you to work with Lateefah's and the empowerFit crew. You will not be sorry and guess what? I do yoga 2-3x per week now and I guarantee that you will find your spirit filled and your body STRONG. Yoga opened up my eyes and mind to inner peace and through my peace I’ve found happiness. To all my yogi friends, I want to say, Namaste."
Carol Cytryn
"Lateefah is the consummate professional! I've been lucky enough to have taken many classes with her. She manages to watch every single person and keep them in the right position so they benefit from the exercise both properly and safely. Her enthusiasm and up beat nature is infectious. A more dedicated person is hard to find!! Due to taking her classes I then hired her for private sessions."
Debbie Williams
"Give your body to Lateefah and she returns it better than ever :)"
Theresa Brancheck
"I have trained with Lateefah in both group and 1-1 classes for about 5 years. She is incredibly talented in many domains. As a dancer (cardio dance, belly dance, Zumba) she is beautiful to watch and inspirational to work with. Superb sweat to enjoyment ratio! In her group Pilates classes she has to be the BEST possible Pilates coach I have ever met. Let's face it: who the heck can make Pilate’s fun? It just is amazing-- Lateefah really does make it fun. After her, it is really difficult to want to do it with anyone else. Her classes are the hardest but the most fun. I have also done private Pilates on the Reformer with her and that is the also really terrific. An amazing challenge. I learned to do things I never dreamed I could do. I think I lost an extra 10 pounds laughing too! Her body sculpting classes are also excellent. As a person, Lateefah is smart, witty, kind, sensitive and charming. She makes you want to do your best and beyond."
Jaki George
"Lateefah Fleming is in the life saving business. In 2013 I was diagnosed with ovarian cancer, the previous year, working with lateefah I strengthened my core, learned to love planks and was the push up queen. Post- surgery and chemo, I can still beat any teenage boy with up to 25 push-ups! Lateefah has brought together a diverse group of women who continue to not only dance together but we love, support and connect on several layers of love and life. I am convinced that the training I was exposed to in 2012 with Lateefah assisted in my recovery and saved my life. Lateefah is a holistic coach who deals in mind, body and soul. I will forever be indebted to my pineapple life saver, for the time she has made for my well-being. Much thanks and love to Lateefah.
There are certain methods/practices/modes for health purposes that I hate. I have watched her develop and sharpen her practice, practicing what she preaches. In a very short period of time I have watched her practice of yoga strengthen and transform her body. Watching on the sidelines I am finally trying yoga. It's not easy but I'm convinced by her example it's the thing to add on to my life.
Nobody does it like Lateefah; she’s not just a teacher but a life coach, too!"
Mindy Goldfischer
"Before I started working out with Lateefah, I HATED exercise and I HATED to sweat. Since she started “training” me, I actually look forward to waking up at 5:30 for our sessions. I still don’t like to sweat. I don’t have an athletic bone in my body and I am barely coordinated. I started exercising in my early 20's and I’ve never found a workout routine that I liked or could stick with. I have had other personal trainers, but they were not focused on form and they were not encouraging. If I said that I couldn’t do a particular exercise, there was no further discussion. Lateefah has me doing the exercises that I never dreamed that I could do: real push-ups, squats and lunges with Weights and even inchworm exercises! My next challenge is a Pilate’s roll-up! When I told Lateefah that I could not do a roll up without something holding my ankles, I could immediately see the wheels turning as she was contemplating how she was going to help me master this skill. Lateefah is intelligent, professional, skilled and certified in many exercise modalities, and she has a great sense of humor. She is the driven person who will accomplish whatever she strives to achieve. I look forward to seeing her attain her dream."
Jackie Morrison
"Lateefah has my 50-something year-old body doing things in yoga class
my 20-year old body could never imagine!"
Ging Bo-ot
"I feel so lucky to have Lateefah as my yoga instructor. She is super! How she teaches us is so inspirational that it motivates me to achieve more and aim for being better than the last class I attended. I know I still have a long way to go but I know I have made progress since I started."
Alice Twombly
"Lateefah Fleming has made me stronger, healthier, more fit and focused, but that is only the physical part! I have known Lateefah since she was 16 and studying Creative Writing with me. After she graduated high school and went onto college, I lost track of her. Many years later, I was shopping when what a very fit and slender woman I thought was a total stranger said hello to me. It was Lateefah who had completely transformed herself through the health and wellness program she describes on her website. Fast forward a number of years and I mentioned to some women that I was looking for a personal trainer. Lois Elting said she loved her trainer, Lateefah! I jumped up and said "Perfect!". Lateefah began walking through my door at 8 am on Wednesdays and Thursdays. For over 4 years she has encouraged me to move, stretch, breathe and do poses and fitness routines I didn't think I could do before. She has also adapted what I can do, limited by my increasing arthritis, by demanding I keep pushing myself further. In addition to yoga and fitness, her thoughtful warmth has guided me in many directions and opened my thinking. Many people are surprised when I tell them I just had my 76th birthday. Lateefah's guidance has helped keep my youthful and limber!"
Clarissa Williams
"Lateefah is an absolutely amazing Teacher, Choreographer, Mentor, Fitness Instructor and friend. In the last 12 years since I met her, she has made a positive difference in my life. I feel extremely fortunate to have her as my teacher, mentor and motivator. She is dedicated to her students and the Arts, giving 100% of herself in everything she does. Without her encouragement, I would never been able to even dance a solo at a big show. She shows how much she cares about the happiness and success of her students, changing and enhancing so many lives, young and old, through dance. I am so thankful to her for her guidance, discipline, belief in me and for always going the extra mile as a teacher."
Charlotte Abramson
"It is an honor for me to write about Lateefah Fleming. I first met Lateefah as a spin instructor at my gym. Lateefah was one of many instructors; however, she stood out as being the most knowledgeable, most caring yet challenging instructors. She observed the class carefully, insisted on accuracy in developing skills and maximized each person’s personal fitness goals. The class was always rigorous with a mixture of fun and camaraderie. It was a class that I looked forward to attending knowing that Lateefah would be leading a class where she would care about the progress that I was making. After my bout with colon cancer in 2012, which left me weak, debilitated and no longer able to be a gym regular, I contacted Lateefah to become my personal trainer. As my personal trainer, she is interested in my physical condition as well as in my spirit. She designed a program to help me strengthen my body and heal my soul. Due to the thoughtful program she developed for me and due to her sensitivity and wisdom, I am becoming stronger everyday and see her as my teacher, coach and healer. And for that, I am deeply grateful."
