This is My Well Series: Interview with Vegan Fitness Trainer Ella Magers
Ella Magers has been a fitness and wellness professional for over 12 years, Ella was named Personal Trainer of the Month on the world’s most popular fitness and body building website, BodyBuilding.com. In 2014, she was honored to be named as part of Shape Magazine’s “50 Hottest Trainers in America. She’s also the author of Six Weeks to Sexy Abs Meal Plan, which will be be released in December, 2015 and has authored several eBooks that are featured on SexyFitVegan.com. Take a look at how one of FG’s favorite contributors maintains her well in the midst of her “sexy fit” and busy regime.
How do you stay well and fit?
There is so much involved in staying “well” and “fit!” It’s all about connecting the mind with the body, and learning to deal with our emotions in healthy ways. Mind, body, and emotions are all so interconnected!
I have been active my whole life so the exercise component of staying fit is ingrained into my lifestyle. Muay Thai kickboxing is like therapy for me! I consider it a moving meditation and helps me stay mentally sharp and emotionally stable. I am constantly changing up my workout routines and finding new ways to exercise. This is essential for me… boredom is not an option! Besides Muay Thai, I also do some jiu-jitsu, cross-training, spinning, outdoor training, jogging, running stairs, and have recently started trying out more calisthenics. I also do yoga at least once a week which helps prevent injuries and keeps me balanced.
Since creating my website/brand Sexy Fit Vegan 3 years ago, my biggest mental challenge is keeping my mind from going 100 miles per hour 24 hours a day! I have to constantly remind myself that I will never check everything off my list of things I need to do, so making myself crazy by being too hard on myself, and not giving myself time “off” is counter-productive. This is by far my biggest hurdle to date. I recently was taught some breathing exercises from my Muay Thai instructor that have truly changed my life. Adding these breathing techniques to my daily routine have not only calmed my over-active mind, but also effected my body in such a way that I have literally become more flexible and nagging injuries are disappearing.
Staying emotionally healthy for me is a matter of communication for the most part. Friends and family are essential. Talking out what’s going on inside me, and sharing my thoughts and feelings does not come naturally to me. It’s something I’ve had to work on for years, and I’m thrilled to say that today I’m in such a good place because of my improvements in communicating.
Having fun is a must as well… without it there would be no balance and I could not achieve true wellness!
What do you do to stay centered? How do you maintain a sense of well-being?
I do what I can to live my life according to my goals. “Is what I’m doing, or eating, or thinking in line with my goals?” That is what I ask myself when I feel “off”. I find what’s out of whack and figure out how to make the adjustments to become centered again. Seeing life as a continual opportunity for discovery and growth each moment is key.
My deep compassion for animals is the underlying reason I can keep going every day, and stay focused on my life’s path (everything I work for, in the big picture, will help reduce the number of animals that suffer). Simply sharing my passions for fitness, health, animals, and the environment with people every day keeps me centered.
What tips or suggestions do you have for people that maintain rigorous lifestyles-sprinkled with life’s unforeseen challenges or unexpected hurdles?
One huge challenge that we can work on overcoming is the ability to “roll with the punches” so to speak (appropriate coming from a kickboxer)! Having goals and a vision of what we are working toward in life is essential, but if we are always looking ahead, we miss appreciating and enjoying our lives in the moment. There is no path to happiness, happiness is a choice available to us now. Happiness is the path. Also, making our own needs and health (mental, physical and emotional) top priority is essential to having an ongoing ability to be there for those we care about. Although most of us know this in a logical sense, actually doing it is easier said than done… until it’s too late and we get burnt out and/or sick. Taking our challenges one day at a time, and seeing each hurdle as an opportunity to grow and open new doors helps as well.
What’s next for Ella? Any special projects? Please share with our reading audience.
There’s SO many exciting things happening in the next 6 months I want to share! First of all, my new book, Six Weeks To Sexy Abs Meal Plan is available now for pre-ordering and it will arrive on your door step on the release date of December 15th! Enough pre-sales and it may get book of the month on Amazon so I truly appreciate all my supporters who buy it early!
In addition, I have a “How to Go Vegan Guidebook” and “How to Make Superfood Protein Shakes” available as e-books on my website that are really helpful for anyone looking to start eating more whole foods and plant-based.
Then, in February, I’m super excited to have the opportunity to be on the Holistic Holiday at Sea XII, which is a vacation that combines fun and relaxation with an incredible opportunity to learn from some of the world’s most dynamic and experienced leaders in holistic health. I’ll be doing book signings on the cruise and taking part in as many of the life-changing classes and fantastic parties. I’m inviting everyone! And if you mention me/Sexy Fit Vegan you’ll get a $50 on-board credit!
Special thanks to Ella for taking the time to share her well with us.
