Interview made by Manuela Iannella
- Please tell us a little bit about you and your background in fitness & How did you start
I started ballet class when I was 3 years old, adding to that tap and jazz/modern dance aged 9, and then commercial/street, musical theatre and contemporary when I was 18. I also trained in gymnastics at an elite squad level aged 7-10, but my true passion was for dancing. At 18 I was accepted into Urdang dance college where I graduated with a degree in professional dance and musical theatre. I then went on to perform professionally for 2 years abroad/in theatre. Being active, fit and having a strong, able body is something I grew up with. Due to my background in dance the motivation to challenge and push me mentally and physically comes somewhat naturally to me. When my dance training came to an end, I threw myself into new forms of exercise such as pilates, spin, circuit, HIIT and Zumba classes, which lead me down the path of falling in love with the gym and deciding to take a personal training course. My background in fitness is what has lead me to my training career today.
2. How old are you?
I’m 24 years old
4. Why do you do what you do? For how long have you been doing this?
I have been a PT for just under a year now. I do what I do because I want to share the feeling of strength, power and energy that engulfs me when I train, with my clients. I want them to feel capable, push themselves to achieve, and be proud when they reach their goals!
5. What is your daily routine?
Wake up, drink ACV & a big glass of water, do 20 mins yoga and go for a 30 min walk.
I then eat breakfast, train my clients, come home for lunch, then continue with clients/planning sessions or classes/film content for my instagram/I may have a class to teach in the evening which I will get ready for.
I will then prepare all my things for the following day, eat dinner, read my book and get into bed – always aiming for 7-8 hours sleep.
6. How does your meal plan look like?
Breakfast – oats, pumpkin, chia & sunflower seeds, protein powder, almond milk, cinnamon and agave syrup. (Peanut butter on sourdough at the weekend!) Matcha tea.
Lunch – some kind of salad with a source of protein/courgetti spaghetti/wrap.
Snack – Dates/coconut yoghurt with frozen berries and nuts/protein bar/popcorn/dark chocolate
Dinner – pasta with homemade sauce/fish and vegetables/omelette & sweet potato fries
7. What do you think that people should do to achieve a healthy lifestyle?
I think people need to start with small changes to achieve a healthy lifestyle. Try not to overwhelm yourself and put too much pressure on yourself. Try and keep your body moving and active and go for a walk, cycle, do a workout, stretch. Find time to take a moment for yourself and breathe – look after your mind as much as you would your body. I also think a healthy lifestyle involves fuelling your body with wholesome, healthy foods, not depriving yourself of anything or going to extremes and excessively calorie counting or over-exercising. Everything in moderation for a healthy and balanced lifestyle.
8. What are your 5 tips for people to manage their daily meals and exercise?
• Plan ahead
• Be realistic
• Incorporate activities/exercises/foods you enjoy
• Home cook food where you can
• Get everything ready and prepped the night before (food & workout clothes) – so there are no excuses!
9. What is the first thing a person should do if he/she wants to lose weight?
Write a food diary & analyse changes that can be made to progress towards a more active lifestyle.
10. Are you for or against counting calories?
Against! I think portion control is important for weight gain/loss but I find calorie counting can become obsessive.
11. Can you tell us 3 exercises that you recommend for a daily routine?
High knee sprints, chest to floor burpees, crunches.
12. What is your plan in the fitness industry?
I plan to take classes at the gym I work at and continue to train clients 1-2-1. But a long-term plan I have would be to open up my own gym/workout space where I can train my clients, put on my classes and allow other PT’s to also use the space and take classes!
13. Do you have any motivational quotes?
‘Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced’ – James Baldwin
‘Your diet is not only what you eat. It’s what you watch, what you listen to, what you read, the people you hang around. Be mindful of the things you put into your body emotionally, spiritually and physically’
‘You can’t pour from an empty cup, take care of yourself first’ – Norm Kelly
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