In Fitness and In Health: Our Wellness Journey
Welcome to My Health and Fitness Blog!
Since my father died of cancer in 1994 , I have come to think of wellness as a top priority. Not quite the ideal way to start off introducing myself to the world, but I think my father's sickness is important to mention. It was the genesis of why and how my journey with health began. I have had every disease in the book since then, when I was only 14 years old. If I had a stomach ache, it was an ulcer, a headache equalled a tumor, weight gain meant thyroid disease, and fatigue meant I was dying of cancer. Of course, these things were just in my head, but it got me thinking about preventative measures I could take to ensure I am in tip top health. I won't say over the years I haven't faltered; in fact, I have had quite a battle with over-drinking alcohol and overeating at times. I would binge eat before my period because of PMS, and whenever there was an alcoholic beverage to be had, I'd be there, drink in hand! On the other hand, I mostly choose fresh, natural foods over processed ones, and I workout most days of the week for most of my adult life.
Who am I
My mom, sister and I are dedicated to homeopathic medicine like natural herbs and supplements, and the natural processes of the human body. My sister boasts a career in Massage Therapy, and she practices Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine. My mom studies different herbs and essential oils as well, and uses specific recipes to concoct teas, tinctures, rubs and oils. I myself have studied Exercise Science, Physiology and Kinesiology and have been a certified Personal trainer for the past 6 years. I also teach group fitness classes like Dance and Zumba, HIIT, Cardio Kickboxing and Resistance Training for over 10 years. As a trio, we share information and ideas on a regularly which has enhanced not only my knowledge but my need to know more. I've learned a great deal about the human body and its systems. There's plenty more to learn though, which I intend to explore with all of you, my readers.
A Bit of My Fitness Background
I started working out when ESPN was free in NY, back in the 1900s. I had a whole line up of trainers I'd workout with from 8am all the way until 12pm including Denise Austin, Gilad Janklowicz, Cathe Friedrich and others. I learned strength and resistance training, step aerobics and proper techniques back in my preteen and teenage years from these professionals . Every summer I'd spend the top part of my morning exercising and learning, annoying my siblings by hogging the tv. I eventually started taking dance classes, my first love, at Jamaica Arts Center, on Jamaica avenue in Queens NY. There I learned the art of hip-hop and jazz dance and fell completely in love with dance!
Once I went to college, I would still do an occasional exercise video and go to the college's gym here and there, but not until I graduated and returned home did I start frequenting the gym and dance classes. On the weekends I would sniff out a dance classes at Broadway Dance Center in Manhattan and try to keep up with the advanced classes I insisted on putting myself through. On weekday mornings while I was looking for work I was already dressed for my evenings at the gym! My day revolved around my gym schedule, and once I got my desired job working for the television production company that produced The Real housewives of Atlanta, I missed the gym terribly. The hours were long and my nights were even longer because even if I got home at 11pm, I would go out jogging in my St. Albans neighborhood.
Eventually, in 2012 I decided I was going to teach classes. And then I did! I lost a bunch of weight and gained hella muscle and people were drawn to me for help with their own fitness and health plights. I started teaching with a program called Shape Up NYC and then when I moved to Atlanta in 2014 I started teaching at LA Fitness in different locations in Georgia. I also obtained my Zumba certification and started teaching at an upscale fitness club called the Riverside Epicenter.
What's Next?
Enough about me for now. I think you will get to know my story as we get further along into my blogs. I'll mostly be writing about health related issues and fitness techniques. We will be discussing natural herbs and supplements for preventative maintenance. I want to talk about my struggle with binging on food and alcohol and the effects. I want to talk about my digestive issues and all the doctors I’ve visited to help, especially the holistic doctors. I want to explore the effectiveness of supplements versus OTC medicine. I want to explore many different areas of the body’s systems and share my findings with you all! Mainly, I want to talk about keeping up with the wellness of our human bodies as the reason I started my company Tee Yasmeen Fitness, LLC.
My first post is very important to me because I have struggled with it for years: PMS! I get PMS so badly, I irritate myself!
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