TOOWOOMBA Catholic personal trainer Fiona Webb says Pietra Fitness is a fantastic new way to get your body moving in an authentically Catholic space.

“As a Catholic wife and mother, the truth that we are body, mind, and soul affects so much of our life,” she said.

She said as a personal trainer, she saw each person as a child of God and wanted to improve their lives in a holistic way.

“Pietra allows me to incorporate all aspects—body, mind, and soul,” she said.

Mrs Webb first learned about Pietra Fitness while she was studying to be a personal trainer and ran into Rockhampton priest Fr Ashwin Acharya, who was a seminarian at the time.

He introduced her to Pietra.

Pietra is a US-based Catholic fitness program.

It was started by US Catholic Karen Barbieri, who began to experience back pain after the birth of her fourth child.

She found relief in the stretches of a typical yoga class, but she wanted to have a Catholic option to yoga to centre her spirituality on.

So, she decided to create one herself.

Now, Mrs Webb, a mother of 12, is Australia’s first and only Pietra Fitness instructor.

She said Pietra was open to everyone.

“The adult classes can be either ladies only or men only, respecting the differences and the dignity of each gender’s femininity and masculinity,” she said. 

There were also family classes, kids classes and chair classes for people who were older or who had injuries, she said.

“The uptake has been lovely,” she said.

“People just say, ‘Oh, finally, somewhere I can go to exercise and pray’, that’s the beauty of it.”

The classes begin and end with the Sign of the Cross; they include a prayer with a particular intention, a Scripture reading, a warm-up, a Dominican bodily posture prayer, a workout, a long stretch, a meditative reading, a gentle stretch, a spiritual resolution and a closing prayer.

A San Damiano Cross is present at every session.

Mrs Webb said when people finished a session she hoped they felt “refreshed in body, mind, and soul”. 

“They hopefully feel stronger physically and blessed by an encounter with the Lord,” she said. 

“During the resolution time, I pray for each participant, asking God to touch their soul and meet their needs. 

“I want them to know the love of God and their true dignity, feeling fully alive and authentic.”

Mrs Webb said there were hundreds of classes online, accessible through the website, and there were opportunities for classes in-person or over Zoom.

To find out more, head to: www.pietrafitness.com