Maria Oyola: A Mom in the Gym Perfo
They carry life, they glow, and they watch their bodies transform.
From young woman to mother, women go through a unique experience that inevitably leaves its mark on their bodies. On the verge of giving birth to her first child, Maria Oyola—like so many other women—wondered how her body would recover its former shape. When the Centre Multisports opened its doors, it was like a beacon in the night for the young mom:
“I was never really motivated to go to the gym,” says Maria Oyola, “until I discovered group classes like Zumba and strength toning. I started to enjoy it. It was no longer an obligation—it became a passion. Going to the gym is now a reward.”
Further, One Circuit at a Time
In her youth, Maria played many sports: soccer, tennis, artistic gymnastics, and swimming. As an adult, she set them aside for a while to raise her family. Today, she has two young boys and leads an active life centered around the fitness circuits at the Centre Multisports' Gym Perfo.
These circuits feature a variety of workouts that make use of multifunctional training structures and weightlifting platforms. The 7,000 sq. ft. training space is constantly supervised by certified kinesiologists and floor staff. This is where Maria spends most of her gym time:
“We motivate each other, we end up knowing everyone, and we make new friends,” she explains. “Since the classes have about 15 people, the instructor has time to go around, correct us, and push us further.”
The Happiness Hormones
Since she started training, Maria—now 32—has noticed the most visible change in her weight: she’s shed around 30 pounds on the synthetic turf of the Gym Perfo, where she trains almost every day, for an hour at a time. But the biggest transformation is not physical:
“My partner is proud of me because he sees the difference it makes to my mental health,” she says. “He knows I need it.”
Regular physical activity is known to release “happy hormones” like endorphins and dopamine, which bring on feelings of calm and euphoria—at no cost but a little sweat. It’s those good vibes that Maria values most:
“When you have kids, you need that moment,” she explains. “It’s our time. It sets us free, it gives us energy. I feel stronger. It changes your life.”
It’s this feeling that keeps her coming back, four years after stepping into the Centre Multisports for the first time:
“Physically, I’ve pretty much reached my goals,” reflects Maria, who works in the legal field. “But mentally, it’s still so good.”
And that’s the heart of it: the reason for consistent physical activity isn’t just aesthetic. It’s simple happiness, an accessible and sustainable well-being—regardless of your marital or parental status.