Did You Know April is National African American Women’s Fitness and Stress Awareness Month? And This month I have a special guest, my first special guest featured on my blog.
Do you believe that you can heal through fitness?
Victoria Reid is the owner of Victorious Fitness Training. She focus on healing mental health, trauma, pain and sexual abuse through physical fitness.
I reached out to Victoria to learn more about her business and why fitness is important especially amongst African American Women.
In 2017, I hired a personal trainer because I needed help. After my miscarriage I hated my body. I was starting to sink deeper and deeper into depression. Even though I was seeking therapy I needed another outlet. After I started working out with my trainer I saw the change in my mental health.
Working out isn’t always easy, at least not for me. Sometimes I lack motivation and discipline. But it is so important we start incorporating fitness into our lives.
Fitness isn’t just great for our mental state. It keeps you in shape, fight against obesity, diabetes and other health concerns many African American Women struggles with.
Fitness is important and so is your mental health.
Here’s my Q&A with Victoria.
Q: Why is fitness important? Especially among AA women?
A: In the African American community, health isn’t promoted as much as it should be. The common norm was African American women don’t work out, nor care for their health. Fitness is promoted amongst African-American men more than women. Most of our men are natural born athletes, but so are our women. It’s important, because a healthier lifestyle promotes longevity. It prevents a lot of health issues African-American women live with daily. Such as cancer, anxiety, depression, mental health, body insecurities and the list goes on.
Q: How did you get started? What motivated you?
A: I got into fitness eight years ago, due to a pill addiction. I needed an outlet to escape the dysfunction I was putting myself through. Not being a fat girl for the rest of my life motivated me. I was bothered by my body and alcohol and pills made me gain a ridiculous amount of weight. I was 240 and pre diabetic. I knew when they told me I had insulin resistance I had to make a change or I would be sick forever like my Dad.
Q: What are some of the common misconceptions surrounding fitness you’ve encountered?
A: That women don’t lift heavy. That black women don’t workout. That women can’t train men. That we aren’t as strong as men. That women don’t work their upper body only butt.
Q: How does fitness and mental health relate to each other?
A: Fitness assistance mental health, if you’re struggling with anxiety or depression it helps you start your healing as to why you’re depressed or anxious. Challenging yourself physically, overall challenges you mentally. And success doesn’t come from comfort. It comes from challenging and pushing yourself to the next level.
Q: What are some easy fitness tips/routines anyone can do, especially stay at home moms?
A: Drink 8 cups of water and get proper sleep. Thirty minute workouts three days a week consistently will change your life and overall health. You’re beautiful, and you have to give yourself a hundred percent just like you do your family.
Q: How does stress affect our bodies?
A: Stress releases a cancer in our lower belly. The pouch holds toxins and we all have a love and hate relationship with ours, get rid of it!
Q: What are some fitness routines/tips we can practice to help eliminate stress?
A: Meditation is great for stress, anxiety, and depression. Pull out YouTube and tap in beginner Meditation and download the fabulous app. Life changers, incorporate 30 minutes of physical activity daily. Change the way you speak inwardly and outwardly go buy the book the four agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz. It will change your whole life and assist in your healing.
Q: Any tips on how to create healthy meals or how to incorporate better eating habits?
A: Eat three meals a day, stop skipping breakfast, it increases your metabolism. Not eating doesn’t make you lose weight it makes you gain. Eat more! Drink more water! Carbs are your friend! Diets are short-term, lifestyle changes are forever!
Victoria provides Personal Training in Amityville, Long Island, New York. She provides in person, travel, and virtual training.
She can check out her website at www.victoriousfitnessny.com
Her Social Media
Instagram: @victoriousfitnessny @veethetrainer
