Fitness Files: Rosanna Shilollo
Rosanna Shilollo is a Certified Yoga Instructor, Personal Trainer, Nutritional Counsellor and SUP Instructor/Yogini. Her studio Sunrise Yoga Studio is located in the heart of Cottage Country, on beautiful Lake Couchiching in Orillia, Ontario, Canada. The peaceful setting offers a quiet environment ideal for yoga practice and meditation. Just by looking at the pictures I want to pack my bags and head to Canada! Rosanna hopes to inspire clients to live their best life. She says "We all need inspiration, motivation, and information to live a continually healthy lifestyle." Similar to me Shilollo has a BA in Psychology and uses that background to help others achieve ultimate wellness. Continue reading my Fitness Files interview with Rosanna to learn more about her fitness journey and how she is helping others through the practice of yoga.
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?
Rosanna Shilollo (RS): I was a senior in high school when I first discovered the toning and sculpting benefits of fitness. It started with classic videos like Abs and Buns of Steel and step aerobics with Kathy Smith. Then I joined a cross-country running club and really made the connection that exercises made me feel good. A sweat session had the power to improve my mood, outlook, and confidence. Once I had saved up enough money for my first gym membership, I added resistance training to my regime and quickly learned to navigate the weight room. Naturally, my commitment to working out led me to earn my certification as a Personal Trainer. It wasn't until after the birth of my son that my dedication to staying in shape was truly tested. I had gained almost 60lbs throughout pregnancy and now there was much less time to focus on myself. I was determined to make fitness a priority even if it meant including my little one in the workout. I highly recommend a running stroller for any new mom! I learned you have to be prepared to squeeze in some activity whenever a window of time appears. You can't always plan it, but if you put on workout clothes in the morning with good intentions, you'll be ready to seize the opportunity when it presents itself. It didn't take long to shed the baby weight as my commitment to fitness was fortified by my goal of getting back into pre-pregnancy shape. This was also the case following my next two pregnancies. Although each one offered a bit more of a challenge than the last to find the time, by this point I had established some good habits that made working out a lifestyle. Life can get hectic with 3 kids, so my discovery of yoga while in the thick of it was truly a gift that completed my fitness (and sanity!) regime.
NMF: What are a few of your go-to healthy snacks/drinks that help keep you on the straight and narrow?
RS: I drink kombucha (fermented green tea) daily for both energizing and calming effects, plus the probiotic and anti-inflammatory benefits. To stay hydrated I'm usually sipping lemon water which also promotes detoxification. My go to healthy snack is a Keto-Luxe bar by Powerhouse Superfoods. They are 100% natural, gluten free, dairy free, vegan, and keto friendly based on the ketogenic diet which emphasizes high fat, low carbs to help shift the body's primary fuel source from sugar/carbs to fats/keytones. The combination of chocolate with coconut is delicious!
NMF: How do you train your mind and stay motivated?
RS: Visualizing the positive outcome that I want to achieve helps me stay motivated. At times I've known I wasn't living to my fullest potential, but I only allow myself to view a setback as an opportunity to make a comeback. I'm not competitive by nature, except with myself. I think it's important not to compare yourself to others. It's also crucial to the success of your goals to find activities that you enjoy doing so it doesn't feel like work. Get outside, workout with friends, sign up for fun races and events that get you excited.
NMF: How do you change your body? What are your fitness favorites?
RS: Everybody is different but everybody can find a balance of proper nutrition and exercise that works for them to achieve their goals. After 20 years of consistently working out, I now know I require all 3 elements of fitness ( cardio, resistance, flexibility/yoga) training to achieve an overall balance. As a trainer, I can share this trial and error wisdom with my clients so they can find a balance and avoid overdoing it in one area which leads to injury and exhaustion. Variety in your weekly workout regime is key. Surprising the body will avoid plateauing and will keep your interest piqued. My favourite way to enhance my composition is through yoga because it strengthens, stretches and tones the body but it also calms the mind. When we can reduce stress hormones that otherwise interfere with metabolism and fat storage, we can function more optimally which I think is always the ultimate goal.
When I was struggling to find 'me' time with three young children, I was reminded of my time starting out with fitness videos. The convenience of a doing a video at home was what inspired me to make my very own yoga DVD. Sun Series Vinyasa Yoga with Rosanna Shillolo is my passion come to life in video format. There are 3x 20-minute segments that you can do all together or one at a time depending on your time availability. Filmed along a beautiful lakefront setting, the sunrise and sunset are captured along with many calming elements of nature. Each segment will challenge but also renew your mind, body, and spirit. I'm very proud of this project and feel my background with fitness videos prepared me to make an exceptional one. I recall buying tapes (it was VHS back in my day) I'd only ever do once because they lacked certain qualities but then there would be videos so motivating and addictive I'd worry I was going to wear them out. I'm confident that this yoga DVD possesses the qualities that will capture your attention and inspire a whole new level of health and wellness.
For more healthy living tidbits you can follow Rosanna on Instagram @sunriseyogastudio Facebook @SunriseYogaStudio and Twitter @sunriseyogini
For more information visit: www.sunriseyogastudio.ca