What are some common fitness mistakes you’d caution people to avoid?
I think many people make the error of not listening to their body. Listening to what your body is telling you can help you avoid injury. Your fitness program, especially when you are just starting out, does not have to be drastic. This applies to your nutrition as well. Fad diets can wreak havoc on your health!
Do you have a workout buddy?
I think my years of dance have encouraged working out with others. I enjoy the social aspect of working out with my friends and often have different friends that I’ll meet up with for different classes (e.g. Pilates, yoga and spin). I also enjoy working out with my boyfriend, Chad Duell (who plays Michael Corinthos on the ABC soap, General Hospital), who is also an avid fitness enthusiast. Chad and I enjoy hiking as well.
While I enjoy sharing my love of fitness with others in my life, at the end of the day I’m responsible for my own workouts and will make sure to make the time for them, with or without a workout partner. Over the past several years, I also began working out with a personal trainer two days a week.
How do you fit in your workouts with such a busy work schedule or when traveling?
On days when I’m going to be on set filming long hours or traveling, I pack a bag with a few hand weights and some resistance bands and I’ll take advantage of the Sweat app on my phone, so I can squeeze in some fitness virtually anywhere! On busy days, I’ll also fit in some activity by taking our three dogs: Stevie, Bentley and Bella, out for brisk walk before work.
Where is the strangest place you’ve ever worked out?
The craziest place I’ve ever worked out was at a hospital! I was hospitalized for several weeks when I was twenty-one for asthma and was going stir crazy. At around 3:00 a.m. during the second week, I had enough and got up out of my bed and started doing squats and push-ups on the bed. My heart rate monitor went off and a nurse ran in. I jumped back into bed and pretended I was sleeping. I am certain I didn’t fool the nurse for a minute!
Do you take a rest day?
I never used to, as I genuinely love how working out makes me feel, but a couple of years ago, after years of intense dance training and workouts caused some overuse injuries, I had tears in my labrum, piriformis syndrome, and my pelvis and sacrum were out of alignment. While undergoing physical therapy to address those issues, my activity was severely limited to short walks and a few stabilizing exercises that were recommended by my physical therapist.
I was forced to reassess who I was without this integral part of my persona. I came to appreciate that listening to my body and taking a rest day was a vital and a necessary part of my overall well-being. They always say to practice what you preach, but after years of teaching and promoting this mantra, I was forced to adopt it for myself—thankfully!
Disclaimer
The Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
