INSPIRE ME #6: Sarah Podollan

This is Sarah ~ she is awesome.

Sarah is inspiring for numerous reasons.  She works hard and plays hard!  This girl has a phenomenal positive energy about her and is always smiling!  Sarah is a mama to three handsome little men.  So from mom to mom I am especially inspired by her positive energy and level of fitness.  She is in amazing shape and is very strong.  Not only that but Sarah has a pretty wicked cool background ~ she is a professional dancer/actress/singer!  Yeah I am not just talking about 'professional' as in she dabbled in the arts here and there ~ she is the real deal! 

                               

                              You might recognize her from this!

Check out the bottom left hand picture ~ that's Sarah's former music group called Nobody's Angel!  Not only was she part of Nobody's Angel but she has also worked with some folks you may know like Jordan Knight(NKOTB), Britney Spears, and  Paul McCartney!

She is one super cool chick and if you are ever in need of some inspiration attend a class with her!  And try to keep up!  Thanks Sarah for being one inspiring lady and a great role model!

Here's her interview:

1. What is your health/fitness history?

I have always been a very active person.  I started taking dance class when I was 4 and soon I was heavily into gymnastics.  When I was 9, I decided I wanted to dive into dance again and that is when my love and passion for dance started.  I grew up in a small town in Michigan but had the dream of moving to Los Angeles right after high school to start my dance career…and that's what I did!  With my parents support, I moved out to LA and received a scholarship to a dance school called The Edge.  I was training along side professionals for 8 hours a day and loving it!  

I worked as a professional dancer for 13 years before moving to Vernon.  I worked with many artists like Britney, Paul McCartney, and worked on lots of TV shows and movies like Austin Powers, that 70's show and The O.C., commercials for Pepsi, Toyota, Ford and many more.  Because of my job I stayed active but I also enjoy working out, eating heathy and staying fit.

2.  How long have you been a member at Excel?

I am proud to say I have been a member of Excel from the beginning.  After I had my second little boy I was talking to my husband and expressed that I really wanted to start doing personal training with someone.  Someone who really knew what they were doing.  He immediately said Rhonda Catt.  He is an exNHL player who trained with Rhonda on the off season.  This was before Excel opened so I joined her Life Fit program which was held outside in the early morning...I'm not a morning person!  But once I tried it, I loved it!  I was hooked and when Excel opened I was so excited.  I love Carla and the other teachers as well.  I always feel good leaving the gym.  I know I had some of the best training and I worked hard.

3.  How often do you exercise?

I try to make it to Excel three times a week.  That is ideal but sometimes it's only twice.  With three little boys 1, 3 & 4, it seems like someone is either sick or keeps us busy with other things.  So the gym gets moved down the priority list...pretty quick unfortunately.  It's not like I sit at a desk job either though.  Those three little monsters keep me on my feet chasing them until they go to sleep.  My baby is 30 pounds and I carry him quite a bit which is a workout in itself!

4.  What is a typical set of meals/snacks throughout the day for you?

I am a creature of habit when it comes to food.  My hubby, Jason Podollan, reminds me that it's good to have different things to fulfill your body's nutritional needs.  Since I married him my menu has gotten way better and I don't deprive myself of anything.  I use to avoid bread, fat, etc. ~ I still avoid sugar however.  To my surprise I weigh less, am not stressed out about food, and don't have junk food cravings!  I like eating healthy though so it's not a huge struggle for me to do so.  I typically have a low sugar, high fibre cereal in almond milk, fruit and coffee in the morning.  Once in a while I'll have yogurt with berries and nuts ~ I like that as a snack too.  

On days I go to the gym I'm there at 9am.  I'm hungry after!!!  So I either have a protein bar or egg sandwich after.  After I pick the older boys up from school at 11:30 we go have lunch at home.  I'll either make a salad or have a protein shake for myself.  We have a snack mid afternoon.  Usually fruit, nuts &/or yogurt.  Seaweed is a popular snack in our house as well.  For dinner I usually have a protein, veggie and a starch.  Example: grilled chicken thighs ~ those are our favourite ~ boneless/skinless, quinoa and broccoli.  I use coconut oil instead of butter typically and squeeze lemon on my veggies for a zing.  Just a little salt and we drink milk or water.  I drink a glass of wine when I'm cooking dinner and sometimes have a second after the kids go to sleep.  I typically don't eat anything after dinner.  Once in awhile I do crave chocolate though!  So I'll have a couple squares of a chocolate bar that is between 70-90% cocoa.  That is a typical day.  We don't go out to eat a lot cause it tends to be more work with the kids.  We do go to McDonald's once every couple months and have ice cream here and there.  We eat well but not 100% all the time ~ it's about balance at our house. 

5.  What would you say is your biggest strength in fitness?

My biggest strength in fitness is the fact that I have a passion for working out.  In terms of any specific area, I would say I am balanced.  I'm a libra, I like balance. If one week I find I do more weights, I feel it.  If I do more cardio one week, I feel it. You get the picture!

Haha! Love this Excel member in the background!

6.  What would you say is your biggest weakness in fitness?

My biggest weakness in fitness is I sometimes concentrate on one part of the body too much.  When I worked out on my own I always seemed to be working on my bum/ thighs and shoulders.  Doing the same routine over and over.  Since I've started at Excel I feel I get more of a well rounded workout and it's definitely more effective!

7.  Is there anything in particular you are training for? 

I am training for life.  I've never done a marathon or anything like that so I don't even know what that feels like.  A lot of people love them and maybe I would if I tried.  I just don't have the desire at the moment.  I have a lot of tightness in my I.T. Band on my left leg so running isn't really my friend.  The first time I had problems was at the beginning of my dance career.  It was scary because I wasn't educated on how to take care of it.  I had never heard about rolling.  Now, that's the only thing that will help besides a massage from Carla Buchanan!  I'm also a very horrible swimmer!  So all the stories I've heard about cold water plunging at Tough Mudder makes me run, no walk:) fast in the other direction!  Fitness is just apart of my life and when it's not there, I miss it!

8.  What would you say is your favourite workout?

My favorite workout is one that includes weights and cardio together.  My favourite classes at Excel are Torched, Real Ryde/TRX Strength and TRX Sport.  I think I would like Ryde Strong as well I've just never tried it.  I like workouts that are switched up often.  Excel does a great job of that!  As a dancer most of the jobs I worked on were for music videos, commercials, industrials, TV and film.  Those jobs at most lasted a week, unlike a broadway show that could last months, even years.  The short jobs always kept my interest because I was always working on something new.  That's how I like my workout too.  I'm not scared to try something new.  I love it!!!

9.  How do you keep motivated day-to-day? 

My kids motivate me.  When they get me up in the morning they are off and running!!!  Which means I am too.  Two to three times a week, after breakfast the two older ones go to school and the baby and I go to the gym.  Another thing that motivates me is the way I feel.  If I happen to not make it to the gym for whatever reason I really feel it!  I don't feel strong, my energy goes down and I'm not as happy.  I think that's the biggest thing, it makes me happy…that makes me want to listen to pharrell's song:)

10.  What would be your biggest advice to someone just starting out on his/her journey to improved health and fitness?

I guess my advice to someone just starting off would be to introduce something more healthy into your diet or a new workout every week.  If you want to make a lifestyle change it's hard to wake up one morning and expect to completely change your life.  You're setting yourself up for failure.  Maybe make a chart or list of goals that you like to be your end result and pick one every week to add into your daily or weekly life.  Then it doesn't seem so overwhelming.  

Also, support!  Have someone to go on this journey with or someone who has done it.  There's going to be challenges along the way and I'm sure you'll find every reason in the book to quit.  But if you can talk to someone maybe it'll help.  A couple months ago I was motivated to step up our healthy eating habits and found a list of the 10 healthiest foods you can eat.  I wrote them down and put them on our refrigerator.  That has helped so much!  Just to write them down and have them right in front on me.  If I'm making something I look at the list and see if I can incorporate at least one of the things from the list.  So if you introduce something like that once a week hopefully it won't be so overwhelming. 

You ROCK Sarah!

11.  If you could be any superhero you wanted who would you be and why?

If I were a super hero I'd be "The Communicator"!...I know, lame. Has nothing to do with fitness but if I could pick anything in the world it would be to be a better communicator. I think this would be valuable in all areas of my life, maybe even fitness!?? I guess I would be better at explaining how I'd like to get stronger or how to become more fit. At any rate, that would be my super power. Just think, if it were a gene that would get passed onto my kids maybe they would fight less!! It's worth dreaming about anyway:)