Growing up, I never considered myself athletic. I was a clumsy, chubby kid who got out of breath a lot, and was never taught that fitness was a skill that could be developed. It wasn’t until my mid-20s that I discovered the benefits of fitness and wellness, and I threw my life into it. When life chipped away at the time and energy I had to devote to it, I gave up on fitness. Now that I’m nearing my 40s, I knew getting back into shape would help me feel better, but I could not bring myself to work on it consistently.
1) Why did you choose personal training as opposed to the millions of free programs online?
My best friend and I used to go to Zumba together (toooooo many years ago), and she inspired me to try barre with her. One time after class I decided to shoot Skye a message about personal training and to hit “send” before I had a chance to change my mind. I knew I needed the accountability of working with a real person and not just to download another app.
2) What has been your greatest achievement since you've been working out?
I earned another degree and started a whole new career! We also bought another house and moved to a perfect little spot. 2021 has been a year of starting at the bottoms of metaphorical ladders I’ve already climbed. Everybody starts again at things, I just happened to do a whole lot of restarting this year.
3) What advice would you give someone who is ready to start working out?
Don’t focus on numbers or measurements. Move for the good feelings that movement provides. Exercise isn’t a punishment for what we’ve eaten, it’s a celebration of what our bodies can do. If body recomposition is your goal (weight loss or muscle gain), working out is just a tiny part of that. I fully believe that conflating the two goals in your mind will only lead to disappointment.
4) What is a fun fact about you we may not know?
I make about 5 quarts of homemade yogurt almost every week.
Thank you for sharing your inspiring story, Diana!