Kevin: [00:00:00] Hello. My guest today is Darla Leal. Darla is a 56 year old personal trainer, blogger wife, mother, and grandmother who celebrates healthy aging. Darla. Welcome to the show.

Darla: [00:00:10] Thanks so much Kevin for having me.

Kevin: [00:00:13] I'm really excited to hear about your thoughts on healthy aging, but let's back up and start at the beginning. Tell us what were you like as a girl? Were you active?

Darla: [00:00:23] Yes, I was, really active, starting in junior high school, loved running and I was a long distance runner. So my athletic training was long distance running and cross country and my coaches were awesome. They were great motivators and they really stimulated me and motivated me to seek out my passion early in the health and fitness industry, really.

I mean, I didn't know it then as a child, I was just having fun and running and races and things like that, you know? So I was having a great time and being motivated by these awesome people.

Kevin: [00:01:01] It sounds like you had just a natural love for physical movement and running specifically. And when you say long distance running, I'm thinking at that age, is that like a kind of 5K or the mile? What sort of distances do you do in junior high and high school?

Darla: [00:01:15] In junior high, it was more the mile. And I was pretty fast. And then as I graduated into high school,  it was more like trail running, cross country running. So it was I believe it was like either two and a half, three mile runs. And then you go through qualifiers that take you to the state level

and so on and so forth, but it was intense training to get ready for those races back then. But still a lots of fun. I was, I enjoyed that. The high, the runner's high, I enjoyed the sound of the granite underneath my feet. I mean, just things like that, you know,

I really don't run now. I'll be explaining that later. But as a kid, though, I was really into it.

Kevin: [00:01:58] And what does training for running look like at that kind of a level, just at a high school level? Is that mostly just running or were you doing other types of exercise to, in addition

Darla: [00:02:09] Mostly running. So, but it was a combination of let's say sprints long distance. With sprints and then our coaches would take us into higher elevation so that we were used to training at higher elevation because a lot of the let's say state meets were at higher elevation. So you had to be able to run both because if you, if you didn't go on the higher elevation, you only trained in the lower and you get up there.

You wouldn't have the lung capacity.

Kevin: [00:02:39] Yeah, I live on the coast and I can totally, totally relate to that. I mean, just a trip to the mountains and it's just amazing how much difference that can be just the changing of the elevation. So from high school, we're where do you go after that? On your fitness journey?

Darla: [00:02:55] Okay. So there's been, you know, detours in my life and things like that. So my passion was always to work with people to help people get healthy. But at the same time, you know, live life, so I got into the corporate world and I was working in the corporate world for 18 years as a matter of fact.

But at the same time I was working to build my personal training business stay healthy fitness. So I have been working my passion as far as a personal trainer which started out actually you have to do the grunt work. So I was a group fitness instructor and did the gym hopping classes,  say body pump, anything like that.

So I was just gym hopping doing a lot of classes. And then during one of my classes a student came up to me and asked,  I like how you look, could you train me? And things like that. And then that really stimulated me to want to do it the right way. And so I went and got the certifications necessary to be able to become a personal trainer.

And then it just morphed into. Okay, so now I'm going to go back to college in my thirties and getting my biological science degree. And so I have an AS degree and, and with human anatomy focus. And so it just kept building and building and building. And then of course, and I started blogging about health and fitness and it just all kind of melded together into what I'm doing now.

And I still continued to do

Kevin: [00:04:27] So it sounds like then you knew early on that you wanted this to be a big part of your life. And when you were doing your, like say your aerobics classes and your body pumps, et cetera, at the time, were you also in corporate America as well? Were you kind of, this was more your passion project?

Darla: [00:04:44] Yeah, I was in just, I was in corporate America working full time and building my training business on the side, but I knew my goal was to phase out the corporate and move into my fitness training, personal training, coaching full-time. So with a lot of work, I was able to do that. And so I was really putting myself into different niches, too.

Like I've trained teams for obstacle course training, physique training you know, to get on the stage for competition. I myself have competed on stage. So I've really kind of dabbled in a lot of the different realms in the fitness industry.

Kevin: [00:05:30] And so just so our listeners are sure what you just said there, when you say you competed on stage, you're talking about bodybuilding, right?

Darla: [00:05:36] Actually it was more physique. So yes, but definitely lifted weights. So they're judging you on your physiqueand your muscle tone and things like that. And yes, you're up there in a bathing suit, bikini, you know, striking all the poses and, you know, walking back and forth in front of a judge panel et cetera.

Kevin: [00:05:57] Okay. So good. Cause this is something I want to talk about what I read on your blog. About your thoughts on women and lifting weights. And you just mentioned that you were obviously in order to get prepared for this show that you were lifting weights. When did, when did weightlifting, when did you find that and when did that become important to you?

Darla: [00:06:16] Pretty early on when I was doing my course or the body pump classes, when I was teaching women weight training, it was kind of like the runner saying, I get the runners high you get the body pump high. And so I'm tall. I'm lean I take after my dad and I really sculpted my body with muscle lifting weights.

So I knew that that was the, you know, so kind of developing female curves with most muscle, you know,

Kevin: [00:06:47] And let's pick that apart a little bit. Cause I think a lot of women, especially maybe women over 50, and I think this is changing somewhat, but a lot of women  automatically assume that a bar bell or weights are going to make them bulky or it's intimidating where isn't that how you get hurt by, you know, dead lifting and squatting.

And there's this, there's this kind of intimidation and you just don't see as many women. And again, this is changing with the weightlifting, but why don't you, because you had just said something completely different than getting bulky or getting hurt. You said you were working on feminine curves and looking fit and tone.

You didn't say anything about getting huge and jacked, right? Why don't you talk a little bit about the role of muscular development and resistance training specifically for women over 50.

Darla: [00:07:33] Okay. So, I mean, the first things that I would touch on with that, and especially being 56, a woman in menopause weight training can help with your metabolic processes. So the more lean mass you have on your body, the better you're going to be able to let's say, maintain  a healthy weight and also for bone density, because you know, when we're in menopause, our estrogen's going down and our bones can become weaker.

So when we do a weight bearing exercise, then that helps to increase or. Makes us stronger, the bone density, it increases that. And, and as far as muscle, I always tell my ladies, please don't fear the weights and, and I help them be confident about that. You know, I personally can't do deadlifts anymore.

I miss that, but that's one of the best exercises you can do for your body. It really is.

Kevin: [00:08:28] yeah, it gets, it gets a lot of muscles in that one.

It

Darla: [00:08:31] Yeah. Yeah. It's very dynamic.

Kevin: [00:08:33] Right. And you mentioned in there , ladies, don't fear, the barbells don't fear the weights. But you also mentioned something that gets overlooked quite a bit. And that's bone density. A lot of people don't realize that resistance training, specifically training with weights increases bone density.

And that's a big thing as we age, right. The longer we can hang on to healthy bones. A lot of people think of bones is just, well, that's your skeleton. It doesn't grow. But it most certainly does. It can develop just like muscles can, so that that's well said. So I interrupted you on your story. We had you, you went back to school because you've got this passion for fitness and for coaching So you're going to kind of, it sounds like maybe disengaged from corporate America and move into more what you're doing now.

So take us along on that journey there, what's happening here as you're moving towards this coaching career that you've got in mind.

Darla: [00:09:26] Well, and actually t oo wanted to let you know that I, in this process and in this journey of living, I gave birth to two children that are now adults.

Kevin: [00:09:35] right.

Darla: [00:09:36] And so, you know, I was taking care of, so I had several jobs going on and in my corporate job, I was a mother. I was raising my two kids. And a lot of times I would grab them with me.

They'd go with me in the morning before school or whatnot. And you know, they see mom teach the class and bringing it back home, getting ready. You, you do what you need to do. And so get them ready for school. And. Whatever. And so taking care of them doing the corporate job doing the, the group classes now molding into the personal training.

So then I was eventually able to cut my corporate job down to part-time. Which was awesome. So that enabled me even more time to grow the personal training business. And so eventually then that became full-time. I quit the other one and this is what I do now.

Kevin: [00:10:31] here we are.

Darla: [00:10:32] And here we are.

Kevin: [00:10:34] And we did, we skipped over a lot. And so it sounds like you know, a lot of people had that story, where theyhad that kind of similar story to you that as, as a younger people, maybe they were active, they played sports, they took care of themselves. They got married, they had kids, they had a career.

And then what happens is that, that fitness and all of that goes on the, on the back burner. And I think that's a very common story, right? It sounds like that wasn't the case for you. You sounds like you may have maintained your fitness throughout. Okay. Well, hats off to you. That's fantastic. You know, we get a lot of people that have kind of a transformation story that, well, yeah, it was kind of fit.

And then I really wasn't and I had a wake up call at a, at a, say a doctor's appointment or something like that, but nothing like that for you, you're charging on taking the kids. They get that great example of seeing mom being fit and doing her workouts, et cetera. So let's talk a little bit about what you're doing today and let's start with what you do for yourself, right.

What does a typical workout week look like for you?

Darla: [00:11:34] Okay. So a typical workout week for me is I, first of all, I don't run anymore. Because I have some injuries and I don't know if we're going to go into that or not, but anyways, so a lot of my exercise Is modified just because I do have a neck injury, but I challenged myself to my physical potential four to five times a week, mostly five times per week.

And that's going to vary my exercise is going to vary really with what I feel like, but I at least get in two resistance training days a week. But now that I think about it, I probably incorporate and lift a weight on every session. I do a mile warmup. I have an arc trainer that I absolutely love and I'll do my mile warmup on that.

And then I come out onto the floor and whatever I'm inspired to work, whether it be let's say back legs, whatever, I'll run myself through maybe three different exercises. Per the body part, you know, so maybe like press squats, lunges pull ups, pull downs, and mid rows or something like that, for the back, but five days a week.

And then I'm finding as being, being 56. This is what I did notice so that my body requires more rest. So I listened to that and I try to get that golden eight hours at night, but it can be somewhat difficult just because in menopause you do, you have, well, at least I do all women are different.

You can have disturbed sleep. And so that's one of the things that plagues me sometimes as the disturbed sleep, but so just to go back to your question, five days a week, and then try and get plenty of rest on my recovery days.

Kevin: [00:13:19] So you led right into my next question, which is recovery. What do you do specifically for recovery? And you alluded to one of my favorites, which is sleep. I think sleep is just such a critical piece of that puzzle, but what are some recovery strategies for you yourself and for the folks that you train?

Darla: [00:13:38] Okay. So recovery strategies for me besides the sleep, which I wish I could get, you know, more of . I might do what I call active rest, which, maybe I'll walk with the dog outside or something like that. Come in and have a long stretching session,  stretch out my sore muscles, get on my roller and roll out.

Trigger point therapy is what I'm trying to allude to. So just trigger point therapy, lots of stretching active rest, which would mean, you know, Not doing anything structured, doing something fun, stretching, sleeping.

Kevin: [00:14:19] Yeah. Right. So, yeah, so I, I heard a lot in there, obviously the rest and, the fact as, that folks over 50, aren't going to recover the way they did when they were 20 or 30. And we do require a little more rest and, you know, you talked about a pretty intense five day a week

program, but you're conditioned for that. Right? So somebody else, I'm sure the folks that as they come in to you, if they're as clients, if they're not conditioned, you start them slowly and start to, to kind of build them. Is that fair?

Darla: [00:14:47] Yes, no, that's absolutely fair. Personal training is an individual process. It's not universal. Everybody is unique. Everybody's got different fitness levels. There could be injuries or it could be medications on board. We have to take all those things into consideration. I know there's that statement out there that the no pain, no gain, but I really believe that you should listen to your body and if you're having pain, there's something not right.

And so you got to listen to that. You've got to adjust, modify, not quit, but just modify and do what works best for your body.

Kevin: [00:15:23] Yeah, I love that. You said a lot there. Certainly the no pain, no gain, probably isn't great for the over 50 crowd. You certainly want to listen to your body and. Let's let's pull apart a little bit. Cause we talked about what you're doing personally. Let's talk about what you do professionally.

Maybe we'll use an example here, but you talked about somebody coming in and you're not going to give a client a can program. Right? I think that that's where a lot of people in general and certainly older people run into problems is they, they find a very, very low cost or maybe a free program online or in a magazine and they start doing it.

And that's a, that could be a recipe for trouble. So talk to us about what it looks like when let's say a de-conditioned 60 year old woman comes to you. She's gotten, maybe her doctors told her that very vague prescription of you need to eat better and exercise more. So she ends up on your doorstep or virtual doorstep.

Talk about how you go about assessing this person and then how you go about moving them towards getting healthier through exercise.

Darla: [00:16:30] Okay. So that's a long conversation.

Kevin: [00:16:32] It is, and it really is right. But that's my point that there's a lot that goes in there. Right. And I think maybe we kind of breezed through that a little bit.

Darla: [00:16:39] Yeah, well, I'm very thorough with my intakes. Yeah. The bond has to be, I have to really click and both that goes both ways. You know, you have to go to a qualified person that knows what they're doing, number one, but you also have to click with that person mentally, you know, emotionally because there's a lot that goes on in the training room besides just physical stuff.

And so when people come in here They're addressing a lot of different issues that are going on in their lives. And so I touch on all of that because I believe that the whole person needs to be conditioned, so to speak. And so they have freedom to do that with me. And as far as the physical part of that, it's again knowing through the intake, what their

physical potential is for those challenges. And then when I put them through an assessment, I'm monitoring that and seeing just where they need work to become a healthier person, to be balanced as say with flexibility, with strength and muscle movement from head to toe.

So I'm looking at all of that. And then I'm setting up a program for each individual person that works best for their body. So if that means lifting two pounds, if that means just balanced work, where we're standing on one leg and switching and marching in place and, you know, flexibility exercises.

Then that's what we're doing, but if somebody comes in at a different fitness level that let's say is more seasoned, obviously that's going to look a whole lot different.

Kevin: [00:18:13] That's exactly what I was trying to get at. I think as we get older, we're less and less good candidates for one size fits all  workout type programs. Right? You had mentioned earlier, older people may have meds. It could be contrary indications for certain types of things.

We could have injuries we could have pretty serious mobility issues at some cases, and we've got to take all of that into account right before we start programming what this person can do. But on the flip side of that , a lot of times when we think about somebody who say 60 years old, we're not thinking about a vibrant, healthy, strong, capable woman or man that's just not what we see.

That's not  the most common image that we, that we get when we think of these types of folks. So talk to us about how strength training can help us age and be that very vibrant, capable, strong, older adult,

Darla: [00:19:06] Oh, gosh,you have great questions. You do. I mean, just because strength training is really key to being healthy. And like I said, being able to maintain a healthy weight, the bone structure, the muscle, and I'm not talking just, you know, to look ripped or anything like that. I'm just talking about general health and being fit and tone and even more than not feeling good, you know, feeling your best.

There's nothing worse than accommodating pain. And a lot of us are walking around accommodating pain. When we really. Don't need to, if you incorporate a proper exercise program coupled with flexibility and let's say even home physical therapy, you know, you could feel your very best at every age.

And that's the way I look at it.

Kevin: [00:20:03] I love that. Yes, you could feel your very best at every age. And I've seen some of your posts and I think we're on the same kind of wavelength there. Right?  Certainly, at my age, I'm 56. I feel like I'm in the best shape of my life. And I, and I mean that not so much just physically of I think I probably am, but.

In all areas of my life. Right.  I was with some younger folks and there was this question going around. Well, when do you think you peaked? And there were these answers that were quite interesting. Well, probably when I graduated college, I was this and that. Oh, I don't know about right before I had my first kid.

I think I was probably at my peak and when all around and these are. I don't know, 30, 40 year old somethings. And it came to me, old guy in the circle. And I said, well,  I don't, I don't know. I think I might be peaking now, and I'm not sure the best isn't yet to come. And it was kind of revalatory to  listen to these people, you know, these younger people say, well, I think I've already peaked.

But there is a message  for older people that they can be vibrant and healthy. And to your point, not just strong and jacked, although that's, that would be nice. But to have the capability to bend down, pick up your grandkid, to be able to pick up packages and put them in overhead bins and things of that nature, right?

There's a confidence and a capability that comes along with being fit and strong that far exceeds being able to lift a certain weight or even look a certain way. Is that a fair way of saying that?

Darla: [00:21:25] Oh, you hit everything absolutely correct. Because like I said And, especially as we're getting older quality of life is just of the utmost importance. And how do we achieve that through regular exercise eating nourishing foods, you know, drinking water and plenty of rest.

It's,  basically a five finger recipe. To feeling like I said your best at every age. And as I get older too, I mean, I can appreciate all the things that I can do. I mean, you know, when you're younger, sometimes you, you don't even think about it. But as we get older, you could really appreciate, let's say doing the splits , I mean for me that's a huge accomplishment , and that's what I'm working on now is just increasing my flexibility.

That's why I'm talking about it. Somewhat, but yeah, just feeling your quality of life

Kevin: [00:22:18] Yeah. It's not, it's not one dimensional, right? Well, let's shift gears a little bit since you brought it up and let's talk a little bit about nutrition. What are your thoughts on nutrition? And let's kind of start with, what do you eat? What does a week of eating look like for you and put you on the spot here

Darla: [00:22:36] You know

Kevin: [00:22:37] then we'll be more general.

Yeah.

Darla: [00:22:38] I get this every, probably every day, you know, several messages every day. And I try to incorporate that on my blog, but typically I get up every morning, I start with a cup of coffee.

I love my carbs, healthy carbs. I love my carbs. So I'll eat oatmeal that's been mixed with flax and apple, for example, and I'll always do a green shake every day. And you would laugh at all the stuff that I'm putting in my Vitamix, blender greens and flax and chia and celery and Apple berries.

Put it all in there. Grind, grinded up. And that's not a meal that would be a supplement, you know, to my. I'm just boosting my nutrients when I'm doing that, get my extra fruits and veggies and whatnot, and trying to get as much antioxidants in my body, you know, which is reducing the inflammation, which is going to help reduce my risk of illness and disease and that kind of thing.

So, and then along with that, I'll probably eat like one whole egg and an egg white,  and then I'll move into some sauteed veggies with let's say some lean protein, whether that be lean Turkey, chicken fish. My husband and I are trying to have a goal of eating fish twice a week.

So at least twice a week, just to get those extra omegas in there and healthy fats  that helped to positively drive, and protein to drive the hormone system better, you know, with the healthy fats. So I'm not a, I don't drink soda, water, tons of water daily. So, and I  typically eat about five meals a day.

Kevin: [00:24:17] Okay. So  what I'm hearing then is a lot of nutrient dense whole foods. And I also get asked a lot, , what do I eat? And I think people expect me to answer with a diet. They expect me to say, Oh, I'm. I'm keto or paleo or whatever the hot thing is. And you know, I have a similar answer to yours as well.

Mostly just a lot of whole foods. I eat a lot of the same foods and,  but why don't we talk a little bit now, putting back on your coaching hat, when somebody comes to you asking what should I eat? How do you, or do you,  coach folks on nutrition?

Darla: [00:24:50] Yeah. Offer nutrition. Yeah, I do. I offer nutritional guidance and just to back up to on, on my nutrition I believe just in a sustainable, healthy, realistic way of eating and that, that does include indulgence. So it's not like I won't eat a brownie or a cookie or so I don't want anybody to, to like hear this and go, Oh, well she just, she didn't have any treats in there.

Oh yeah. I have treats and I love my chocolate. So.

Kevin: [00:25:17] And that's, that's a very good point. I'm glad you brought that up because people listening to this, especially somebody who's, maybe may deconditioned out of shape, maybe overweight. They may listen to the this, might go look at you, they're going to see your profile picture. Chances are they might go into your Instagram and go, Oh, well, no wonder

she looks like that. She eats flax seed and kale. But yeah, so that's, that's a good point that when you, when you make the majority of your lifestyle, a healthy food choices, it allows you to make choices that are less healthy, but fit in your lifestyle. Right. I also will have, you know, I'll have dessert, I'll have an occasional alcoholic beverage.

I don't deny myself those things. It just, I'm very selective with it. So, yeah. Good point. And now when you're talking to your clients do you want your clients to get to where they're say tracking macros and to that sort of level? Or are you more of a, Hey, let's just kind of ease into this and as long as you cover the bases you're okay.

What, how do you work in a nutrition sense when you're working with clients?

Darla: [00:26:18] Okay. So I believe in the small changes in life create the big results. And it's healthy habits take time to build. I'm not only because too back in the day when I was competitive  I didn't do things the right way. When I was younger, it was stressful. That was counting my calories, and the macros, the proteins, the carbs, the percent down to every percentage.

And it was exhausting, burdensome and stressful. So fast

Kevin: [00:26:48] probably not healthy, right. I mean, probably not mentally healthy or emotionally healthy, right. To have that kind of obsession with it. Okay.

Darla: [00:26:54] All of that.

Kevin: [00:26:55] And I think that, and maybe women more so than men that's that can be a trap, right. To fall into that, where I'm going to count every calorie and okay.

Darla: [00:27:04] I teach my clients how I eat. And so  I'll sit down for example, with them, with a list of foods, for example, what do you like to eat? They point to me, let's check those off, you know? And so this is just an example. Okay. Let's start incorporating the things that you like that are healthy for your lifestyle.

So, they're like, Oh, I liked that. I liked that. I liked that. I like that. Okay. That's cool. How about let's build some meals from that and then, so we're working together on creating a plan that fits for them, with foods that they enjoy, that works with their lifestyle. That's basically how I do it.

And it's successful. It's enjoyable. It's sustainable. It's realistic. Healthy.

Kevin: [00:27:54] So, what I hear you saying is if an obese client comes to you, you're not putting them on a diet.

Darla: [00:28:01] No. I wouldn't put them on a diet.

Kevin: [00:28:04] Okay.

Darla: [00:28:04] in diets,

Kevin: [00:28:06] that's, that's a loaded question and I threw that ball. So go with that. Why, why don't diets work?

Darla: [00:28:12] well. Number one, most of them are highly restrictive. They're taking out important nutrients and, and even food groups. Some of the diets out there, you know, the removing grains, lagumes and important foods like that. And there's no scientific Research that supports anything like that. But for the most part, diets are overly restricted.

There's not, not enough calories there. So it really sets people up to fail because they can't sustain the restrictiveness of these diets and the types of foods that are on these diets. And so then they stop, they become frustrated. They, you know, gain exactly plus more.

Kevin: [00:28:54] yeah.

Darla: [00:28:55] of just learning to simply eat healthy, to not complicate it, to just, you know, eat the healthy stuff, eat the, eat, the greens, eat the plant-based foods, but choose what you like, you know, without restricting, it's okay to have a cookie, because if you say something to say, you can't have that.

That's the first thing I want that, you know, plus plus by more, you know,

Kevin: [00:29:22] So it sounds like what you're saying is making these small changes over time, and we're going to weave the way we eat the choices we make into the fabric of our daily life. Right. We're going to make this a part of our lifestyle, as opposed to, I guess, a diet, like you said, it's very, it's very restrictive.

Typically. It's also time bound. Usually I'm going to diet for a month or I'm going to work more often as I'm going to lose. I want to lose these 10 pounds and lose these 15 pounds and. Maybe you do, maybe you don't, but most of the times, even if you do lose that weight what's happened is you've done something like you said, it's not, long-term sustainable.

And guess what? When you've lost that weight and you're like, Oh, thank God. I don't have to be on that diet anymore. Well, guess what happens? You go right back to eating the way you were. Cause that's your default. That's that is your baseline of eating. And that, that quote unquote diet  it never had, it never stood a chance.

Sure. You, you may have lost that weight in a short amount of time. But that's not a healthy, sustainable way to do that. And certainly is not a long-term way of doing that. So, yeah. Thank you for sharing that. I think  that gets missed a lot, especially, you know, we're recording this right after the new year's here.

It's January and a lot of people are making new year's resolutions and there's a lot of dieters right now that are really, really wishing they could eat something and they're hungry and they're probably cranky. And unfortunately they may or may not lose the weight that they're looking for, but chances are by March and April,

they're going to be right back to where they were in December. And that's, that's sad. Right? I mean, it would make more sense to take slow, healthy changes and incorporate it into a lifestyle, I think is what you're saying.

Darla: [00:30:56] exactly. That's you hit everything. I couldn't have said it any better than you,

Kevin: [00:31:01] What I hear you also saying is that small progress is still progress, right?

Darla: [00:31:05] correct?

Kevin: [00:31:06] if we're making tiny steps, we're still making steps in the right direction. It sounds like that's baked into the way you're kind of coaching these people through their physical activity, as well as their diet.

So.  You're not gonna put people on diets and you're not necessarily maybe advanced folks you might talk about depending on what their goals, all you, you may talk about total number of calories and macros, et cetera, but it sounds like for your average person coming in, that's not where you start.

Is that fair?

Darla: [00:31:35] That is fair. Yes. Yeah. Like I said, diets don't work and I really want, I want people to enjoy a healthy lifestyle and that doesn't mean going on a diet that just means creating healthy habits that will last your lifetime.

Kevin: [00:31:54] very, very well said. Yeah. Yeah, people should enjoy a healthy lifestyle. If it's not enjoyable, it's not sustainable. Right. So we've got to figure out ways to make that, make that more enjoyable. All right. Well, so we talked a little bit about setbacks in our diet example. People you know, yo yo dieting and failing and dieting.

I know that you've had some setbacks in your life. We've referred a little bit to some of your injuries. Why don't you talk to us a little bit about some of the setbacks that you've had in your life and how you've overcome those.

Darla: [00:32:24] Oh, wow. Okay. So Several physical setbacks. I was in an auto accident and a sustained pretty serious injury to my neck. And so I do have a fusion,  I do have a plate in my neck. And so I had been living with that for several years, but then I developed in 2000 and. Nine or 10, I believe 2009, a herniation over the fusion level.

So that put me out for a year.  The doctor said I was permanently disabled. I had to have total reconstructive surgery and this and that. And. I didn't accept that. I had a lot of thinking to do when I went home and started the ice pack and myself, and it just was

re-inventing who I was.  There's a lot of emotion that goes on when you have an injury. And I was feeling like a failure. I was feeling just stripped up my athleticism. I, I felt I could do nothing. It felt like at that time, like a hopeless situation it's okay to grieve all those things, but I couldn't stay there, you know?

And so. Really got serious, hooked up with a neuro physical therapist and we were working together and then, you know, became a new modified me. And then actually just this last year I had a full compression of a nerve root and so I had to again have spinal surgery last last year.

And again, you know, this, this I appreciated everything that the surgeon did for me. And the information that I gleaned from him on what I, what I should and should not do with my personal training. And so I was ready with a stronger mindset on this second setback. There was a lot to learn, a lot of, of hurt pain, hopelessness, all that, what the first injury that I had to overcome, but then coming into the second one, all that was painful, it was horrible.

And it was another setback. I felt I was armed with the tools to get better, be better and do what works best for my body with exercise and physical therapy. Does that answer your

Kevin: [00:34:41] Yeah. That's yeah, so that's, and that's pretty dramatic, right? Anytime you're talking about spinal surgeries, et cetera. And you had mentioned that first time that you  had that grieving and that you had enough self-awareness to realize you couldn't stay there. I think probably that a lot of your self identity probably was wrapped up in, in Darla the trainer, right?

Darla the, I m fit, that this is who I am. This is, you know, this is my identity and it's gotta be tough when that's stripped away from you by something like you know, a serious injury. So. Can you talk a little bit about, I mean, just the emotional journey of, of digging out of that.  How did you find that, that motivation or how did you kind of dig yourself out emotionally to get back to where you are now?

Darla: [00:35:30] Okay. Well, I mean, I do have a strong faith in God, and so I he and I had a lot of talks, so there was a lot of prayers going on. There was a lot of just inner reflection, you know, inner work.  And so I went through that process and, and then I had a great support system with family and friends.

And so, you know, I'd bounce things off that. And one Neurologist had told me she said, Darla, you're more than the physical, you can teach and train people. Let's say by writing, writing about it, you know, writing really helps people.  And so then that kind of got that ball rolling into my blogging.

And so. Then it just felt like the, I was coming out of the dark, you know, I could see the light at the end of the tunnel. And then what helped too is slowly over time, I started feeling better. And of course, when you feel better, that's going to make you feel better overall as the whole person. But I had to really relearn and

re-establish, I guess who I was, and, and I wasn't just Darla the athlete, you know, there was more to the whole person. And so I do have a passion to help people with injuries too. And I try to teach people there's always something that you can do. You know, never give up.

There's always something you can do. And so I, I train people with injuries and help them and modify their routines that work best for their body, depending on, what injuries they've sustained.  So it's been a blessing because I've been able to use what's happened to me and incorporated into my passion of working in my personal training business.

So. Yeah, I know it's horrible going through it, but I really learned something going through the journey,

Kevin: [00:37:30] Yeah, it certainly sounds like, and you, you finished that story by saying it, it was a blessing something that horrible, but it sounds like in going through something like that, you're obviously is going to, there's some deep reflection and anytime you're working at that level with yourself, that's going to make you stronger coming out of it.

And like you said, now you have this life experience that you can share with others that are going through that. So you're gifted in that way as well. So that's.

Darla: [00:37:56] Thank you. Yeah, of course.

Kevin: [00:37:59] Well, I think this is a good segue here . You talk about motivation and discipline. So I know that a lot of times people say you know, especially, acquaintance of mine that maybe they don't work out very much. How do you stay so motivated?

And the answer is, is I don't, but why don't you tell us what's the difference between motivation and discipline and how do you stay so motivated?

Darla: [00:38:24] Okay. So this is another long, great question. Motivation is a feeling. Discipline is a lifestyle. So discipline is the action. So you can't always depend on your feelings, but you can depend on your discipline. So I don't always feel like, yeah, I have those blah days and like, Oh man, I don't want to work out crap, no way, you know, but I do it, my discipline side kicks in and says, you're scheduled to work out today, Darla, get your butt out there and do it.

And so then I get out there and I do it and I might not even feel the motivation kick in until maybe halfway through the program, but then I start to feel a little bit motivated as I do my program. Sometimes I'll go all the way through and it's all discipline without any, you know, okay. I got it done, you know, and yay me, but it's really.

I think that's the best way to describe it.  Motivation is feeling based and discipline is action-based. And so a healthy lifestyle is going to lean more towards and be most successful with discipline than motivation. But we, and it's good to have both. You want both, but you're not always going to have that, those motivating days.

We all have those blah days. We do.

Kevin: [00:39:45] Yeah, no, that's very well said. And certainly my personal experience. Motivation is great when, when I've got it and it, to your point, I guess I didn't think about it as a feeling, but it certainly is. It's, it's a feeling and it's, it can be pretty fickle. Sometimes I've got tons of it and sometimes I can't find any,

Darla: [00:40:01] Right,

Kevin: [00:40:02] but you're right.

And I hadn't thought really of discipline as I think you said discipline is a lifestyle, right?

Darla: [00:40:06] Yeah. And an action.

Kevin: [00:40:08] And certainly it's, it's an action. That's right. You've got it. You actually have to get up and do something that by the very nature and definition you don't want to do. Right. And to your point, most of the time, if I'm feeling very unmotivated, I don't want to go to the gym.

It's cold, it's rainy. And there's a good reason why I shouldn't go because I got this something else I could be doing. But when I get in the gym and I actually get working, I nine times out of 10, I feel great. Every once in a while. It's yeah, I got used to discipline the whole way through and but I'm still glad at the end that, that I did it.

So I think that that's something that a lot of folks, you know, they kind of romanticize the motivation piece of that and they don't realize that motivation is fantastic to get you started on your fitness journey or getting started or any project, really. But that's really what it's good for getting started really.

Once it started. And once you're into the, the bulk of it, it's disciplined that carries you through, right?

Darla: [00:41:01] Exactly. Yes. I was just going to say the discipline is that the maintenance program.

Kevin: [00:41:07] Yeah. That's a good way of saying it. The discipline is the maintenance program. Yeah. Alrighty. Well, as we're kind of wrapping up here, what's what's next for you? What's on your horizon.

Darla: [00:41:21] Gosh. Well continuing what I'm doing. I love what I do. It's really not work. I'm helping people. I feel like I'm making a positive difference. And so I obviously I'm going to continue doing What I'm doing with my personal training business Instagram is, you know, I'm having fun with that right now.

I'm working on a blog project and going to revamp my whole blog. So that's taking up some time for me, but when that gets all said and done, it'll be fabulous. And so that takes a lot of time too, a lot of time and writing and updating and yeah. Proof reading and all that. So I continue to envision just becoming better, you know, we're all works in progress, even myself as a trainer.

No such thing as perfection, things could always be better. So each day just becoming a better version of myself in my business and in my life. And you know, if I can carry that on into retirement, which isn't any time soon because I don't feel like that's really what, where I see my goals on and overall goals are happiness, you know, health.

And happiness. I don't necessarily equate,  money to success or anything like that. Because happiness, if you don't have happiness, then I don't know. To me is just number one, enjoying life, being happy. So goals, you know, continuing to do what I'm doing.

Kevin: [00:42:52] I like it. Yeah. I can go with that. So talk to us a little bit about your practice. We've mentioned it a bunch of times here. Do you see people in person? Do you have an online practice? Both were, like I said, we're recording this in January of 2021. So hopefully we're somewhere, hopefully at the end of this COVID madness, but what does your practice look like?

Darla: [00:43:13] Both , COVID did have an impact with the personal visits, but I incorporate both and because I am a one-on-one.  So I do see one-on-one clients and I also see clients online. So I'm having the best of both options going on right now.

Kevin: [00:43:35] And is this something you were doing pre COVID, the virtual, or did you, are you evolving because of that? Because you got forced into seeing people online.

Darla: [00:43:45] No, I've had clients throughout the years online as well. But I think some of my current clients moved into the virtual when this all started. So that made it a little bit different, but always doable.

Kevin: [00:44:01] Yeah. Yeah, no, I think we're all adapting. Both as, you know, if you're a coach and certainly you better, if you're not already online, you better get that figured out. And also as, as clients, I think we're all kind of still trying to figure this out. And it's a quick moving world. All right.

Well Darla, where can people connect with you? What's the best way we've mentioned your Instagram a couple of times and your blog. How can people get in touch with you?

Darla: [00:44:25] Well, I do have a on my stay healthy fitness.com, which is my business page. I do have a contact form there. But please do subscribe to my blog, which is online. That's the stay healthy fitness blog that will be revamped, but I encourage people to get a lot of good information and motivation from my blog.

And then of course my Instagram is stay healthy darla. Another outlet for me, where I,  share and sometimes pretty deep feelings and, and deep stuff but, or encouraging motivational things. So those three places, I also have a stay healthy fitness, Facebook.

Kevin: [00:45:04] okay. And I can drop all that in the show notes so people can find you there. So I guess in wrapping up, then I just want to thank you for coming on, taking your time to share your story with us today and all of your wisdom. And I wish you all the best in the future. You're a great ambassador for healthy aging.

I just encourage you to keep it up.

Darla: [00:45:26] Oh, well, thank you. I appreciate that so much. And again, thank you for having me.