At Home Fit Brings Personal Training to You

The idea of personal training can be intimidating. For many, it conjures up images of trainers as merciless as they are muscular, yelling at their sweaty clients to go faster, harder, stronger under the bright lights and curious stares of others at the gym.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY Mark Steelman

Terry Piscitelli, a Certified Personal Trainer who lives in Leland, understands these common fears, which often deter people from going to the gym or pursuing personal training. With her new business, AT HOME FIT, Piscitelli takes the pressure out of personal training by providing individualized, convenient, stress-free, and full-body workouts in the privacy and comfort of her clients’ homes.

“People don’t need to worry about what folks around them are doing,” she says. “It’s unique, it’s one-on-one; people can wear what they want to wear, [and they] can feel confident that they’re getting personalized service.”

Piscitelli launched AT HOME FIT in August 2017, and says that already “there’s been a great deal of interest and energy.” AT HOME FIT services adults of all ages, both men and women, in the Brunswick Forest community, where Piscitelli resides, and in Leland as a whole. The personal training sessions take place at clients’ homes and generally last 45 minutes, though Piscitelli says she is flexible.

“Each workout is tailored to the individual,” she explains. “The goal is to complete the session and make sure [the client is] comfortable, and if we can do more, we’ll do more.”

Her training process with a new client begins with a complimentary initial session during which she takes the client’s health history, does a fitness assessment, and provides her exercise recommendations. It’s a chance for her and the client to get to know one another, to discuss a safe exercising and conditioning program, and to create fitness goals to work towards together.

Clients can then purchase single personal training sessions or packages of five, ten, or fifteen sessions at a discounted rate. Piscitelli arrives for each training session at a client’s home with a pre-planned workout. She also brings the necessary equipment, which, depending on the nature of the workout, may include a medicine ball, various workout bands, free weights, and exercise tubes.

“I have a whole bag of tricks,” she says, but “most clients don’t need a lot of equipment.”

Piscitelli’s passion for fitness began with an affinity for running. As a CPA and CFO in the commercial real estate industry for over 30 years, she often traveled for work across the U.S. and Europe, and took her sneakers and workout attire with her wherever she went. She loved being able to explore new cities while she ran.

Over time, Piscitelli became involved in the fitness studio scene in New York, where’s she’s from.

“I really enjoyed it,” she says. “It helped me learn how to set goals, and I also saw such an improvement in my mood and stress level, sleeping patterns, and a reduction in anxiety.”

Piscitelli eventually began working out with personal trainers, and says, “Working one on one was a fantastic experience. I learned so much and achieved a lot by working with these individuals. And, it was fun.”

Piscitelli and her husband, Alex, moved to Leland, North Carolina in June 2016. Having recently retired, she decided to embark on a journey to share her enthusiasm for fitness with others by becoming a National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) Certified Personal Trainer.

Today, Piscitelli uses her knowledge and skills to help people in the community seeking personal training services for a variety of reasons, including a desire to get back into fitness, to find a new workout routine, to lose weight or tone up, or to find a fitness regiment to complement their other forms of exercise. With AT HOME FIT, they don’t even have to leave home to get quality guidance, motivation, and instruction.

As for the intensity of the workouts, Piscitelli says it’s all based on individual preference and ability.

“If someone wants to be pushed that’s certainly a possibility,” she says, but for those who wish to move at a slower, gentler pace, Piscitelli will tailor their workout accordingly.

She explains that the physical training component is just one important piece of a bigger-picture lifestyle change that she hopes to empower her clients to work towards.

“I hope to help individuals achieve their personal health fitness and performance goals by implementing exercise programs, providing nutritional recommendations, and suggesting lifestyle modifications.”

For more information about AT HOME FIT, visit the website or Facebook page, reach out by email, or call 917-656-0585.