Lady LUX

Christina Sinclair is a woman of many talents. Her roles include fitness instructor, wife, USC graduate and blogger of Downtown Chic. As a fitness expert, Christina discusses her fresh and effective tips to maintaining a svelte body and healthy lifestyle.

LL: Tell us a little about yourself and your blog.

CS: After living five years in LA, I was thrilled to move back to Laguna Beach where I was born and raised. I then married the man of my dreams and about six months ago, he decided we were moving back to LA. Like a good wife, I obliged and now I'm back to Downtown Los Angeles. I started Downtown Chic to bring awareness to the LA community and be a part of the restoration going on here right now. Even most people living in LA don't know about Downtown and all that it has to offer.

LL: What do you do for a living; How did you get into it?

CS: I am an actor and I also teach fitness classes. I got hooked on Barre classes while I was living in Hermosa Beach. When I moved back to Orange County, I started working at Living Fitness in Newport Coast where I trained and started teaching their amazing Fit Barre class. It was only natural for me to continue teaching in LA, so I now teach at a studio in Pasadena called Rock It Workouts. I am proud to say that I established and am in charge of their Barre Fly program.

LL: What's your favorite part about teaching fitness classes?

CS: I love to interact with people and I also love to be at the center of attention, so this allows me to do both! Plus, it keeps me in shape. But by far the best part is building a relationship with the clients and to watch them transform over the days, weeks and months of coming to class. They continue to become healthier, leaner, happier and more confident. To know that I had something to do with that change is extremely rewarding.

LL: What are five most important tips for anyone looking to get into good shape and maintain a healthy physique?

CS:

1. Find something you love. First of all, it's important that you enjoy your workout. If you don't like the gym, then drop your membership and find something that you do like. If you enjoy the outdoors, consider picking up a sport like tennis. Pleasure in the job puts success in the work. Also, make sure that your instructor is knowledgeable and motivating. So many times, the instructor can make or break the workout! span>

2. Commitment. It's important to schedule your workout as much as you would schedule a hair appointment or work meeting. Especially if you like to work out at nighttime, a better opportunity will always present itself. It's important to write it in your schedule. That way, when something else comes up you can say, “Sorry Jocelyn, I'd love to do happy hour with you tonight but on Tuesdays I work out from 5:30-6:30. How about tomorrow night?”

3. Consistency. It's important to be consistent with your workout if you want to have consistent results. There are so many times that women come to class every day for a week and then disappear. They reappear three weeks later and repeat the cycle all over again. They then ask me, “Why aren't I seeing any results?” In order to see results, it's important to be consistent. Don't burn yourself out by trying to come every day.

4. Drink Water. Did you know that you are supposed to drink half your body-weight in ounces of water a day? That's a ton of water! Almost all of us walk around dehydrated from day to day and we wonder why we are tired, fatigued, unsatisfied and have aches and pains. If you're like me, you have those days you'll eat a great lunch but still are not quite satisfied. Almost always it's because I'm thirsty! Keeping yourself hydrated will help you to lose weight. It will combat bloating and hunger and prevent injuries such as sprains and cramps.

5. Say no to numbers! Until I became an instructor I was constantly counting my calories and checking my weight. People really don't believe me when I tell them how much I weigh and how much I eat (a lot!). Most people know that muscle weighs more than fat. Muscle also burns more calories than fat. Don't be afraid to build muscle and weigh MORE.

LL: Biggest food guilty pleasure?

CS: Ice cream and gelato!!! But I rarely feel guilty because I deserve it.

LL: Downtown Chic focuses on the best spots of downtown LA. Where are the best places to get a good workout?

CS: The best spot for a workout in LA is about 15 minutes outside of Downtown in Pasadena at a place called Rock it Workouts. They offer a variety of classes throughout the morning and evening and every class is super high energy, grooving to the beat with a live DJ! Did I mention I teach here?

Tagged in: fitness, health, blogger spotlight, fitness tips, health and wellness, christina sinclair, la workouts, health tips,

Lifestyle / Wellness