Name: Chris Farley
Title: Spa & Fitness Director at Alvea Spa & Fitness of Trilogy at Vistancia
Where are you from?
I’m originally from DeKalb, Illinois, but moved at age 7 to Palm Desert, California, and then finally to Arizona in 1996 after graduating from college.
Can you briefly describe your professional background?
My spa experience began in 1992 when I worked for the Spa at Marriott Desert Springs in Palm Desert. I then transferred to the only other Marriott Spa at the time, Camelback Inn in Arizona, as the retail manager/buyer in 1996. In 1999 I was recruited to grow the United States spa market as the national spa sales manager for Sensi, an Italian sandal line. I brought on more than 300 spa accounts along with large hotel accounts in Las Vegas and select Nordstrom stores. In 2002, I had the unique opportunity to join Royal Palms Resort in Phoenix for construction and opening of their spa as Assistant Spa Director. I then transferred to DMB Clubs, Gainey Village Health Club as Assistant General Manager in 2002. I joined the team at Trilogy at Vistancia in 2008 as Spa Director.
Why do you love working at Trilogy at Vistancia?
It’s truly special to be part of this community. I’ve enjoyed watching Trilogy at Vistancia grow and become the amazing, active community it is today.
How do you decide the kinds of exercise classes that you’ll provide for the members?
We are all fortunate to have an outstanding staff of instructors, all of whom continually stay up-to-date with trends within the fitness industry. They have a great understanding of which exercises will most benefit our members and meet their goals. When an instructor learns of new practices that could be of interest to our members, we either adapt the practices to fit into our existing workout classes, or we develop entirely new programs to keep the classes fresh.
What are some of the more popular activities or classes at Trilogy at Vistancia?
The class that our members seem to enjoy the most has to be Zumba, based on the smiles and enthusiasm that you can see just by walking past the class. While not as boisterous, the stretch classes along with our ever-growing Yoga practice are very well attended. One thing that I love to see is friends and neighbors gathering after a class, as well as husbands and wives enjoying classes together.
What are you most excited for in 2016?
Without a doubt, I’m most excited about our new Mita Club, which will provide additional space for our current and new members. It will also allow us to grow our current programming of group exercise classes, and offer another place for our members to gather and connect.
What advice would you give to members who want to start incorporating fitness into their lives?
The best advice I can give to anyone is simply to start! Remember that it is never too late to get fit – and you will never regret taking the time to make your body stronger and healthier. There are so many wonderful stories of members that had never enjoyed fitness before, but are now completely hooked. It is so rewarding to hear how much better members feel when they begin to exercise regularly.
Thank you, Chris! To learn more about the fitness classes and spa services offered at Trilogy at Vistancia, call Alvea Spa & Fitness at 623-215-6290, or visit www.AlveaVistancia.com.