It’s no surprise that health & fitness continue to top the charts of people’s concerns in the U.S. While we at Horizon Fitness want to provide you the opportunity to achieve a higher quality of life we, as individuals, also consider our own personal fitness levels. Some employees join Horizon Fitness with an already active lifestyle. However, others are just becoming physically active or are re-introducing themselves to health and fitness after several years of hiatus. So we know how difficult it can be to set and achieve those personal fitness goals and we want to share our stories—successes and setbacks—with you.
Kari Smith
Age: 25
Position at Horizon Fitness: Customer Tech Support- L3 Lead Tech
Horizon: What made you desire to become more fitness oriented?
Kari: I did it to feel physically and emotionally better about myself. My mom started a fitness program right before I did so she motivated me to start as well.
H: When were you last physically fit?
K: Last time I was physically fit was 2001 when I was a senior in high school. I played some intramural sports in college (tennis, soccer) and I didn’t have a car so I walked a lot of places, but it wasn’t until recently that I started a solid fitness regimen again.
H: What are you currently focusing on with your fitness regimen?
K: Endurance for running and getting an overall stronger body
H: What goal are you trying to reach?
K: I’m training for my first 5K in July and would like to do several more with increasingly better times and also I have a goal weight that I would like to achieve by the end of the year, which involves losing another 15 pounds.
H: How did you make the change from “fear of fitness” to “fitness enthusiast?”
K: I had a lot of support from family and co-workers to better my lifestyle and they helped me realize that change takes time and that it’s OK to work slowly up. In the past, I would work out really hard in the first week and then be too sore or worn out to continue. It’s all about progression I’ve learned since then.
H: What made you stick with fitness this time?
K: The people who work out in the mornings here are phenomenal at making you WANT to come work out because just knowing that you’re all there to be each other’s support and motivation was enough to make me want to come back every day.
H: Why does this particular plan work for you?
K: I do a nice mix of cardio, strength and core exercises so I never get bored. Plus, it’s really early when I work out so my brain doesn’t have time to tell my body what to do. I’ve learned it’s all mental. If you can get past that the body is capable of a lot.
H: What do you dislike most about exercising?
K: Probably anything to do with Ab exercises. Especially bicycles.
H: What do you enjoy most about exercising?
K: It has to be a tie between how great I feel after I work out and jammin’ out like a maniac in my head (and sometimes out loud) to my iPod. Plus, I know it sounds crazy, but I most enjoy the runs on the treadmill.
H: What is the most rewarding aspect to a fitness-oriented lifestyle?
K: The most rewarding part for me is how great I feel about myself plus the confidence I’ve rediscovered through exercise. I’ve lost almost 20 lbs so far and have tons more energy!
H: How do you find time for fitness?
K: Budgeting time is like budgeting money- make more for important things. Exercise for me is important so I make time for it. For me, it was not about finding time, but finding the mental capacity to start and stay with an exercise program.
H: Have you changed the way you eat?
K: A little bit, but not much. I still love food. I was never a breakfast eater, but I try really hard to get something in my stomach in the morning. I also stopped eating after 8pm, which used to be a problem for me.
H: Do you still allow room for cheating?
K: Of course, how can one live without candy and ice cream?!
H: Any recommendations or advice for those just getting started?
K: I know its total cliché and I hate clichés, but take it one day at a time and don’t worry if you don’t see results right away, they’ll come.
Kari Smith
Age: 25
Position at Horizon Fitness: Customer Tech Support- L3 Lead Tech
Horizon: What made you desire to become more fitness oriented?
Kari: I did it to feel physically and emotionally better about myself. My mom started a fitness program right before I did so she motivated me to start as well.
H: When were you last physically fit?
K: Last time I was physically fit was 2001 when I was a senior in high school. I played some intramural sports in college (tennis, soccer) and I didn’t have a car so I walked a lot of places, but it wasn’t until recently that I started a solid fitness regimen again.
H: What are you currently focusing on with your fitness regimen?
K: Endurance for running and getting an overall stronger body
H: What goal are you trying to reach?
K: I’m training for my first 5K in July and would like to do several more with increasingly better times and also I have a goal weight that I would like to achieve by the end of the year, which involves losing another 15 pounds.
H: How did you make the change from “fear of fitness” to “fitness enthusiast?”
K: I had a lot of support from family and co-workers to better my lifestyle and they helped me realize that change takes time and that it’s OK to work slowly up. In the past, I would work out really hard in the first week and then be too sore or worn out to continue. It’s all about progression I’ve learned since then.
H: What made you stick with fitness this time?
K: The people who work out in the mornings here are phenomenal at making you WANT to come work out because just knowing that you’re all there to be each other’s support and motivation was enough to make me want to come back every day.
H: Why does this particular plan work for you?
K: I do a nice mix of cardio, strength and core exercises so I never get bored. Plus, it’s really early when I work out so my brain doesn’t have time to tell my body what to do. I’ve learned it’s all mental. If you can get past that the body is capable of a lot.
H: What do you dislike most about exercising?
K: Probably anything to do with Ab exercises. Especially bicycles.
H: What do you enjoy most about exercising?
K: It has to be a tie between how great I feel after I work out and jammin’ out like a maniac in my head (and sometimes out loud) to my iPod. Plus, I know it sounds crazy, but I most enjoy the runs on the treadmill.
H: What is the most rewarding aspect to a fitness-oriented lifestyle?
K: The most rewarding part for me is how great I feel about myself plus the confidence I’ve rediscovered through exercise. I’ve lost almost 20 lbs so far and have tons more energy!
H: How do you find time for fitness?
K: Budgeting time is like budgeting money- make more for important things. Exercise for me is important so I make time for it. For me, it was not about finding time, but finding the mental capacity to start and stay with an exercise program.
H: Have you changed the way you eat?
K: A little bit, but not much. I still love food. I was never a breakfast eater, but I try really hard to get something in my stomach in the morning. I also stopped eating after 8pm, which used to be a problem for me.
H: Do you still allow room for cheating?
K: Of course, how can one live without candy and ice cream?!
H: Any recommendations or advice for those just getting started?
K: I know its total cliché and I hate clichés, but take it one day at a time and don’t worry if you don’t see results right away, they’ll come.
Check out what Kari jams to on her iPod when she’s working out:
- “Get Low” by Lil Jon & The East Side Boys – “I’m a closet Lil Jon fan. This song reminds me of all the times I’ve almost fallen off the back of the treadmill while ‘back, back, back it up’ comes on.”
- “Rock Your Body” by Justin Timberlake – “It’s J. T-LAKE, he makes me want to dance and run apparently.”
- “Bust It Baby, Pt. 2” by Plies feat. Ne-Yo – “It’s a new song and its hott.”
- “See You Again” by Miley Cyrus – “She’s just bein’ Miley and I’m just being Kari, it works for me.”
- “Cute without the ‘E’” by Taking Back Sunday – “It’s the emo in me, pumps me right up!”
- “If You Don’t Don’t” by Jimmy Eat World – “I just relate to this song well and thinking about everything it means to me pumps me up.”
- “Sophomore Slump or Comeback of the Year” by Fall Out Boy – “It’s upbeat at the right times for my pace it seems like.”
- “Overnight Celebrity” by Twista – “He’s just got a smooth flow that makes it easy to run to.”
Leave a Reply