7 Things This BHAM Fitness Trainer Wishes You Knew
Local fitness trainer Raven Holloway of Wellness Worx shares some workout wisdom to help you reach your health and wellness goals for the year.
New year, new you. Right? At the start of each new year, many of us resolve to finally get in shape. But often, weβve abandoned our fitness resolutions by February. Fitness trainer Raven Holloway of Wellness Worx in Hoover, AL, shares some of her essential tips and tricks of the trade to help you keep your wellness goals on track.
1. Your trainer should not be your #bodygoals.
Donβt let social media mislead you. Signing up for your favorite fitness influencerβs weight loss program doesnβt mean you will have the exact figure sheβs flaunting in her Instagram Reels. βA huge misconception is that youβre going to look like the trainer whoβs training you,β Raven says.
While diet and exercise can help you transform your body, genetics still play a role in how you look. βWhat folks have to understand is that our bodies are made different, and they are beautiful in their own way,β Raven says. If you think your trainer is judging you for your appearance, think again, and remember that even fitness professionals had a starting point. βI didnβt wake up like this,β Raven says. βIt required a lot of hard work. But more importantly, it requires consistency.β
And while your trainer is there to help you be more consistent, Raven doesnβt think you should solely rely on your trainer for encouragement and support. βI am not the savior,β Raven says. βI want to be sure people know this work is not about me. Iβm just a facilitator of it.β
Raven recommends having an accountability partner (who is not your trainer) to help you stick with your fitness goals. βItβs so important to have a community and people who are going to support your journey,β Raven says. βAnd now that you have insight, you bring your community into a part of the journey. Now weβre all getting healthy together.β
2. Fitness is a long-term investment.
Too often, Raven sees clients give up on exercise because theyβre not seeing the results they want fast enough. βTransformation wonβt happen overnight,β Raven says. You must be willing to make a lifetime commitment to fitness. βOne thing people have to conceptualize is that if you hand me $200, youβre not going to get a product back instantly. Itβs not like when you go to Walmart, and you hand them $200, and they say, βOK, hereβs your TV.ββ In other words, you canβt Cash App your trainer and get abs in the mail. You must do the work, and you must be consistent.
3. Your favorite workout probably wonβt help you reach your fitness goals.
If you love going for 30-minute walks five days a week, thatβs great. In fact, youβre hitting the weekly activity recommendations from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. But youβll have to do more if you want to change your body. βYouβve got to shock your body,β Raven says. She goes on to explain that when you do the same workout every day, muscle memory kicks in, and your body gets used to your exercise regimen. If we want to change our bodies, we must change our workouts. βJust cardio alone is not going to get you to your ultimate goal,β Raven says. One way you can shock your body is by adding strength training.
The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans recommends doing strength training at least twice weekly. Shocking your body doesnβt mean you have to do something absurdly intense or something that youβll dread. Nor does it mean you need to ditch your favorite form of movement. βI love to start off with what theyβre comfortable with,β Raven says, βbecause I think a lot of times if we push people beyond their comfort zone too fast, then theyβre ready to quit.β
Instead, slowly increase the duration and intensity of your workout. You could, for example, grab a couple of dumbbells to take with you on your walk. Or if you walk for two miles, try to go for five. Trust that your trainer will know when and how to kick things up a notch. βI know when itβs time to move from the eight-pound weight to the 10 and from the 10 to the 15,β Raven says.
4. Yes, women need strength training too.
Many of Ravenβs female clients shy away from strength training, fearing that lifting weights will cause them to bulk up. But you donβt have to choose between fitness and femininity. βYou have the capacity to do strength training and not look buffed but extremely feminine and beautiful because thatβs how your body is shaped,β Raven says.
Strength training should be a part of everyoneβs exercise regimen, regardless of gender. βWe have areas of our body that need to be challenged by weights and lifting,β Raven says. The Department of Health and Human Services recommends doing strength training exercises for all major muscle groups at least two times a week. Aim to do a single set of each exercise using a weight or resistance level heavy enough to tire your muscles after about 12 to 15 repetitions.
Strength training can help you lose and manage weight by increasing your metabolism and burning more calories. Furthermore, strength training can increase bone density and decrease your risk for osteoporosis, boost your mood and mental health, protect your joints from injury, and enhance your overall quality of life by improving your ability to do everyday activities.
5. Fitness is an inside job.
Diet and exercise alone wonβt be enough to help you achieve your fitness goals and see true and lasting results. βTransformation takes place on the inside before you ever see something on the outside,β says Raven. βYou have to shift your mind.β
The necessary mindset shift includes accepting that you wonβt see results overnight. It would be best if you also ditched negative self-talk. βItβs about telling yourself I can, instead of I canβt; I will, instead of I wonβt,β Raven explains. When starting a wellness journey, you may struggle with believing in yourself. If youβve been eating not-so-healthy foods all your life and have had a sedentary lifestyle, you may think that getting fit is impossible. βWho you are is not based on what youβve done,β Raven says, explaining that the person who made unhealthy choices in the past is not your true self. βThat person on the inside, who desires to make health and wellness a lifestyle and a priority β thatβs really who you are,β she says.
6. Meditation may be the missing ingredient.
Raven, a certified yoga and meditation coach, includes yoga and meditation in the fitness regimen for each of her clients. A 2017 review of existing studies found that mindfulness meditation can help change eating habits, which then helps with weight loss. Furthermore, studies also show that dieters practicing mindfulness are more likely to keep off weight.
But for Raven, the benefits of meditation go beyond numbers on a scale. βAll of this garbage, all the stuff that society has told you about your body β meditation allows you to uproot all of that,β she says. Raven believes mediation helps you get in touch with your true self. βOnce you realize who you are, youβll know why youβre doing what youβre doing,β she says. βAnd it wonβt be so superficial. It wonβt be about what you saw on TV. It wonβt be about what you want to look like. It will be, βIβm a divine creation, and I want to take care of my temple.β
7. For proper recovery, think beyond rest day.
You probably already know you shouldnβt work out every muscle group daily. Rest days are essential for preventing burnout and reducing the risk of injury. But Raven believes proper recovery is about more than a rest day.
Firstly, genuine recovery requires adequate sleep. βWeβre like a computer,β Raven says. βWe have to allow ourselves time enough to shut down.β Like a computer, Raven believes we can run out of storage too. βWhat that computer and our bodies are saying is somethingβs got to go because Iβm carrying too much.β
Take inventory of your life to figure out what needs to be discarded so you can be a healthier version of yourself.
Hereβs to a happy and healthy 2023!
All photography courtesy of Raven Holloway of Wellness Worx.
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Javacia Harris Bowser
Javacia Harris Bowser is a Birmingham-based freelance writer and the founder of See Jane Write, an online community and coaching service for women who write. With over 20 years of journalism experience, Javacia has received awards from the National Federation of Press Women, Alabama Media Professionals, Alabama Press Association, and the Alabama State Council on the Arts. When sheβs not writing, sheβs usually practicing Pilates, getting her 10K steps a day, or watching crime shows. Follow Javacia on Instagram @seejavaciawrite.