Renee

2. What is your favorite thing about working out/being active?
I’d have to say my favorite thing about working out is the people at the gym and my progress so far. The members and staff at EW truly make you feel welcomed and at home – this gym culture makes me want to come to work out each week. Seeing my own progress has been one of my favorites things too. Each day at the gym is an opportunity for me to push myself, and be better than I was the day, week or month before.

3. What is the achievement you’re most proud of?
I wear tank tops now! It’s been years since I’ve felt comfortable wearing tank tops in public, but now I look forward to Tank-top Tuesdays. Another achievement is that I cook now! Before my recent nutritional journey, I rarely cooked and I made bad food choices. Now, all of the meals I cook myself and I am more aware of what I’m putting into my body. When they say it’s a lifestyle change, they mean it – and it works! I’ve suffered from exercise-induced asthma for over 12 years. Ever since joining EW, I have used my inhaler less and less. Within the last year of working out, my lung capacity has increased from 84% to 93%. I give all the credit to the cardio workouts at EW and my fitness dedication. You don’t always notice your own results, but when your doctor and even the EW Barber give you a compliment, you know there’s been a change!

4. What is a goal you’re currently focusing on?
My current focus right now is learning to count macros and preparing for my glacier kayaking trip in June. I took my nutritional journey serious in April 2018 and after winning a recent 6 Week EW Challenge, I’ve started to incorporate macros into my daily fitness journal. My trip in June will be 5 hours of single-person kayaking in the glaciers of British Columbia. Hopefully, these 2k meter rowing exercises will be put to use!

5. Share a fun fact about yourself!
I’m a huge fan of golf, SEC Football (Hotty Toddy – Go Rebels!), and NCAA March Madness! After a year at EW, I’ve even increased my driving distance by 15 yards. So you’ll catch me at the golf course this summer.

6. How do you balance prioritizing fitness & health with a busy work/life schedule?
Meal prep! Meal prep! Meal prep! Making my meals each week has been a huge help and keeps me on track nutritionally. Also, creating a schedule and committing to 5 workouts a week has kept me on track with my fitness. If you fail to plan, you’ll plan to fail – with a committed schedule and pre-planned meals, it helps me prioritize my fitness and health so that I can be successful.

7. What advice would you give someone who is just starting out on their journey?
Don’t let the process overwhelm you and focus on the right steps for YOU. For anyone that is just starting on their journey, my advice is to commit to coming on a regular basis. You won’t always finish the workout, you won’t always lift the heaviest weight, but as long as you keep coming – the results will follow.