Stephanie On Mila + Movement And Motivation

Pick yourself up, dust yourself off and carry on doing what you love, what you are good at and what you want to do. Enter Stephanie Stander!

Just like everyone else, and Stephanie as well, I’m sure, I was ill prepared when COVID 19 struck. I dare say I was in complete denial. We had booked a holiday in Zanzibar, spent about 3 days abroad and then got a message that the Tanzanian borders were closing within 48 hours, and we had to leave. Getting the exact same news once settling back in at home, we were sure things were only temporary and that three weeks would be it for lockdown.

Advice for people who need to get started on their fitness journey. “No matter where you are in your life, if you want to get into fitness, you just need to get started.”

This was difficult news for us, as runners, to take in. We comforted ourselves with the fact that we could run circles around the outside of our house. Not everyone was this lucky, though. With the vast majority of people living in flats (high rise buildings at that), running or doing vigorous exercise wasn’t exactly an option. From my own experience, nothing makes you dislike the upstairs neighbours more than those 5am mornings when they decide to do washing or move furniture for cleaning. How would one try to stay active without making a racket?

This lady who made lock down not only bearable for many women, but actually helped them thrive, Stephanie TWS, as she’s known on Instagram, has made it her life’s purpose to transform women’s bodies and build their confidence through educating them on a healthy lifestyle.

The technique? A simple home-based workout with minimal equipment and moving, paired with a healthy eating plan. An advocate for balance, Stephanie loves a glass of red wine, but warns that this isn’t all that life is about. “It’s about doing what’s good for your body and soul.”

After a career as a Marketing Professional, Personal Assistant and Flight Attendant, Stephanie ventured into the realm of making her daily practice a career. Admitting that she hasn’t always loved training, it was something that she’d always done out of habit; she loved sports and took part in swimming and netball growing up. A healthy lifestyle was engraved in her as a principle. After numerous requests from the women in her life who admired her determination, Stephanie decided to do a course in personal training and developed a four-week program which would combine her love for movement with an easy-to-follow plan of action. “That plan was so well received and had everyone so motivated that they kept asking for new programs, and I’ve been creating them ever since.”

Let’s not kid ourselves, online marketing isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but building such a successful platform and business based on an online market is nothing to sneeze at. “I never intended for TWS to be what it is now, which is a primarily online training platform, but I’m happy with what we’ve achieved. I get to work with so many inspiring ladies.” So, what helps this bubbly, bright lady to get up in the morning? As I understand it, it’s a mixture of endorphins, discipline and a pooch called Mila! Mila, or Mila Muis, as she is affectionately called, is often seen on the Stephanie TWS Instagram feeds, laying around the studio while Stephanie teaches us how to apply ourselves physically.

As a child, Stephanie grew up with a Border Collie, named Guss, who was as much part of the family as any dog could hope for. He would go wherever the family went and was a big part of Stephanie’s life for over 20 years. Unfortunately, a Border Collie wouldn’t make a great fit for city living and Stephanie and her partner, Mark, adored the idea of a French Bulldog sharing their lives. After some research, they found that the health problems associated with Frenchies might be a bit much to take on and decided that a Boston Terrier would fit their lifestyle perfectly.

What’s the most important piece of equipment to invest in for home training?

“The most essential piece of equipment you can own, when starting your workout kit at home, is a stepper. You can do a lot with a stepper. After this, a set of dumbbells.”

A boisterous little Boston girl of 2 years old, Mila has a perfectly matching family. A mom and dad that adore her and keep an active lifestyle. Boston Terriers aren’t exactly the placid type, and Mila gets to live her best life with a lot of walks and ball games. She’s a talented little rascal who sits beautifully when she spots a treat and also does ballerina turns when she gets really excited. When she’s not showing off her peaches on social media or running along the foot paths of the park, she’s snoring up a storm or begging for belly rubs. She gets to go almost everywhere with mom and dad and is treated like a proper princess.

Getting up at around 7am, she has breakfast, makes a turn in the garden and heads straight back to bed to tuck herself in under the covers. This is where mom, Stephanie, finds her at 10am when she actually gets up. As with most Boston Terriers, little Mila is quite fond of napping around the house and finding little spots of sun to enjoy. As the day winds down, this breed finds their stamina. Mila gets to go for walks in the afternoon and plays ball while Stephanie and Mark train.

So, while everyone is working on their 2022 summer bodies, why not check out the Stephanie TWS website for a program that fits your lifestyle. Stephanie is careful to remind people that it’s not a quick fix method of losing weight, but rather a lifestyle change. Looking at the lifestyle Stephanie lives, and the compassion she has for others and especially her pup, I think it’s safe to say that she can be trusted with just about anyone’s journey. We can’t wait to see what next year has instore for this lady!