LHF: Hi Lisa. Thank you for participating in our Member Spotlight. Tell me a little about yourself.
Lisa: Thank you. I retired about six years ago from the South Florida Water Management District, where I worked in a number of positions for over 30 years. Most recently I worked as a project manager with the Everglades Restoration project. I was born and raised in Pennsylvania and then relocated to south Florida 40 years ago. I now live in Jupiter. I have one son, Ryan, and a daughter-in-law, Michelle, who just recently moved to North Carolina. He’s in IT, and she’s working remotely doing social media for the Breakers, which is where they met.
LHF: So, were you always into fitness?
Lisa: I was never really into sports, but I took ballet and tap when I was young. I’ve always liked dancing, so that was my way of moving.
LHF: How did you get involved with Loggerhead Fitness?
Lisa: About 15 years ago, my friend was going there, so I joined too. But then my job was taking up more time, and my membership lapsed. After I retired, I rejoined.
Eventually, I started doing the small group training, where I learned that many of the things I had been doing on my own needed correcting. I learned how to improve my form… I wasn’t even performing squats or lunges correctly. And I learned how to be more effective with my workouts. What was just as important is that I developed a routine. When Covid started, it shook me up. I got very antsy being so isolated. Then, Mike (Dukes) called me and asked me to help test the new remote personal training from my home to see if it would be feasible while the gym was closed. After three sessions of 30-minute workouts, I felt so much better. Now I’m mostly doing personal training with Mike, who is my cheerleader. He’s been so attentive to my individual situation and knows how to help me monitor progress and build momentum.
LHF: How has this changed you?
Lisa: Well, I’ve had a few health issues. I’m a breast cancer survivor. I also take a statin to manage my cholesterol. For years, I’ve been advised that losing some weight would help lower my cholesterol and reduce the risk of a breast cancer recurrence. I really didn’t want to go on a diet, so Mike suggested that
I get the MyfFtnessPal app and start tracking my food. It wasn’t a diet, but it helped me redistribute how I was eating and change my lifestyle. It helped me realize that I had become more active and I needed to eat more protein to fuel my activity level. So far, I’ve lost 19 pounds, my resting heart rate went from the mid 70s to the mid 60s and my bloodwork was better. What’s changed mostly is my mindset. Eating healthier, working out… more than losing the weight, it’s greatly improved my mental health.
LHF: What do you do when you’re not working out?
Lisa: I started walking on all the days I don’t go to the gym. Before Covid, I attended classes in the Lifelong Learning program at FAU. I also go to most of the performances at the Maltz as well at the Kravis. I’m looking forward to seeing the Miami City Ballet perform soon at the Kravis. I’m especially looking forward to exploring North Carolina with my son and daughter-in-law.
LHF: Do you have any words of inspiration you would like to share?
Lisa: I never anticipated that the biggest impact working out would have on me would be my mental health. I just feel so much better. So yes, I guess my best advice is “take care of yourself by moving regularly.”
