Fitness Files: Courtney Romano
I met Courtney Romano through a mutual and amazing friend Chelsea Bonosky. After a fab workout session with Chelsea at Wundabar we stopped at Juice Press to get a juice and chit chat about life and our career paths. She insisted on connecting me with Courtney (fellow boss babe) and I am so glad she did! Courtney is an author, speaker, trainer, and coach. Her spiritual philosophy mindfully re-patterns how we think from the inside out and induces a state of compassion that can have an immediate impact on our bodies, minds and the world around us. Courtney teaches Feel This Burn classes in NYC and co-founded Dream. Set. Make., immersive experiences that transform inner change to external action.
NMF: Has fitness always been a major part of your life or was there a catalyst/point in your life when you made it more of a focus and priority?
Courtney Romano (CR): Fitness snuck in through the back door of my life. I've danced since I was a little kid, went to college for Theatre and Dance and then worked for ten years in musicals, so I've always been moving. When I got sick of bartending in between gigs, I started auditioning for fitness studios. There was one point in an audition where I was holding a plank for what seemed like 57 hours, when it struck me that it wasn't about how strong I was, but how gritty, how determined, how resilient I was. That was a distinctive moment when I realized fitness could give me so much more than just a beach body or paycheck. It could give me a sense of self-worth, which, especially as a woman, is something I'm always trying to fortify.
NMF: What are a few of your go-to healthy snacks/drinks that help keep you on the straight and narrow?
CR: I'm a sucker for a good smoothie. I love housing everything at Beaming when I'm in LA, but I came up with my own concoction of banana, spinach, blueberry, maca, cinnamon, peanut butter and almond milk when I'm at home. Also, edamame is a great little pick-me-up in the afternoon when I need a snack. And after dinner, turmeric tea is my jam.
NMF: How do you train your mind and stay motivated?
CR: I have a very consistent morning routine that took me about a month or two to get down. I meditate for at least ten minutes. Next I journal stream of consciousness (aka: brain dump) for three full pages (I got this from the book The Artist's Way). And finally, I list three things I'm grateful for. With that list, I try to make my gratitude very much about the here and now—the light coming off the clouds, the funny thing my cat is doing, the heat from my blanket. I'll also write that I'm thankful for my husband and family, but if I attach my gratitude to little, tangible things, I find that I'm much more open to noticing them the rest of the day. Just those three things help me clear my mind, slow down and respond instead of reacting. This is especially helpful at the end of a plank series or a difficult sprint on the bike.
NMF: How do you change your body? What are your fitness favorites?
CR: I am a super fan of (and teach through Feel This Burn) bodyweight resistance training. I love bodyweight training because it forces your entire body to work as an integrated whole, starting with your core. The more I do strength training this way, the more I shed fat and develop tone. Other than that, I love sweating at FlyWheel for my cardio boost, Y7 Studios to lengthen and stretch or just running the sidewalks of Queens in prep for racing season!
For more information on Courtney Romano check out her book The First Ten Years: A Philosophical and Practical Guide to Creative Longevity, is available on Amazon. For more, visit: courtneyromano.com
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