Fitness Files: Liz LeFrois
In honor of National Military Appreciation month I wanted to highlight a few fitness professionals that are helping to bring awareness to the cause. AcaciaTV ( US.Acacia.TV ) a fitness streaming site, and (www.MilitaryFamily.org ) non-profit, National Military Family Organization have teamed up to offer donations and help keep families healthy across the globe. This weeks Fitness Files highlights Liz LeFrois one of the instructors on AcaciaTV. Liz is a New York based fitness professional that loves inspiring people to have a health mind and body! She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance, a certified Pilates instructor and Powerstrike Master Trainer just to name a few of her accolades. Keep reading to learn more about Liz and how she trains her mind and body.
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?
LL: Always! Moving has been my creative outlet since I was little. I loved gymnastics, dance and doing fitness TV shows. I used to lift my grandmother’s tomato cans for weights while watching shows like Gilad and Body By Jake. I had Tami Lee Webb's "abs of steel" and Jane Fonda VHS tapes. It became more of a priority once I went to college for my undergrad. I ended up doing a major in Dance with a concentration in Exercise Physiology. When I moved to NYC in 2001 it was great to have an Exercise Physiology background because I quickly got work as a personal trainer. That was when it started to really take over as a full priority. I wasn't only in charge of myself but helping others as well.
NMF: What are a few of your go-to healthy snacks/drinks that help keep you on the straight and narrow?
LL: I usually don’t go straight and narrow because I crave healthier food choices most of the time. But when I am REALLY trying to clean it up I cut out alcohol and stay strict with three snacks a day on top of three or four meals. I eat a variety of snacks. I may have an apple and almonds for one snack, eggs and a small green juice for another, a quest or a kind bar, or I'll snack on pieces fish/chicken or veggie leftovers in the fridge that I made earlier in the week.
NMF: At Nadia Murdock Fit our motto is “Train Your Mind, Change Your Body” so we must ask: How do you train your mind and stay motivated?
LL: I train my mind in several different ways to change my body. If I am not well (proper sleep, healthy mind, healthy relationships, and healthy work environment) then I don't feel or look good to myself. What I am going through in life reflects how my body reacts to everything…including exercise and nutrition.
When I am struggling with training, I train my mind by thinking of the end results and how I feel afterwards instead of focusing on the process. I like the process but we all have our moments, and some last longer than others. Sometimes I just realize I need to rest so I write in my journal and I love to read.
I also train my mind by doing martial arts. It is movement meditation for me. I am constantly humbled by my training partners and teachers. It makes me a better person on the inside and the outside.
NMF: How do you change your body? What are your fitness favorites?
LL: My favorite combination of exercise sessions during a perfect week consists of two days of lifting (an hour each), two days of kickboxing or jiu jitsu (an hour each), two days of a form of cardio (an hour each) and at least one or two good stretch/myofascial release sessions (15 min). Also, I love it when I can buy food and prep a bunch of meals through the first part of my week. It only takes about an hour and a half and it helps me to make better choices with a busy schedule.
Nadia
Training minds, changing bodies!
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