Last month I had the privilege of being part of a health and wellness panel at SHEDay 2019. I was able to share a few of my favorite tidbits about physical health. One of my favorite parts of the day was the energy and motivation from the room of 1700 people, almost all women. I was lucky enough to meet some exceptional people throughout the day, one of them being Shauna Muldrew. Shauna is the Owner of Infinity Nutrition and Health Coaching.
I have been following Shauna online for a while…other than basically having my dream body, she is super smart with her advice that she gives when it comes to nutrition, working out and the holistic approach to it all. So, for me, it was super cool to connect, and we decided it would be great for me to interview her for our Fit Communications blog so we could share some of her terrific story of inspiration and knowledge for our readers.
Shauna grew up as a really well-rounded athlete playing all types of sports. At 10 years old she decided she wanted to play baseball not softball. The problem was that at that time, there were no girls’ teams for her to join. She convinced her parents to let her play anyway, and off she went. Although the only girl on the team, she didn’t care as she was doing what she loved.
Over the years she continued to play a host of sports including soccer, softball, karate, and numerous school sports like badminton and basketball. She was the Athlete of the Year in her graduating high school year of 2003, and went on to continue with senior women’s basketball and various softball teams. To this day, she plays on a competitive women’s softball team, who won gold in the National Division C Slow Pitch Tournament this past summer.
But it doesn’t stop there. Shauna also has been exposed to the gym for over a decade, with a lot of experience when it comes to cardio, weight training, and group fitness classes. Because of her extensive history with both sports and fitness, she has maintained excellent health throughout most of her life, and continues to make progress with her own personal health and fitness goals.
Just over two years ago she decided to take the plunge to starting her own business, Infinity Nutrition and Health Coaching. With now two locations to serve Winnipeggers’ she is totally killing it. Let me say that again – she has opened TWO LOCATIONS in TWO YEARS!! I think that’s super badass and inspiring. The services include custom meal and workout plans, weekly sessions to include nutritional support (meal prep tips, healthy recipe ideas, etc.), personal training, progress tracking (weekly weigh ins, body composition analysis), and a focus on other domains of health such as sleep and stress.
With over 80% success rate for her clients’ goals, I asked her what her three biggest pieces of advice would be for people on their health and wellness journey.
- Do not underrate the importance of good nutrition. For many people, more results will derive from good eating habits more so than anything else, even sometimes exercise. That means incorporating nutritious food, portion control with an appropriate caloric intake that aligns with your goal, and minimizing risky choices such as fast food and alcohol.
- Do not expect quick results! It takes time to build new habits and progress in the right direction, and many people think that change can happen overnight. Commit to a minimum 3 months of consistent healthy choices if you’re serious about improving your health.
- Always challenge yourself with your workouts! If it doesn’t challenge you, it doesn’t change you. This is also important to avoid becoming too complacent and hitting a plateau.
I think this is all such great advice. So often people are looking for a magic pill or wrap or diet to get them to a smaller size or healthier place in life. It just doesn’t work like that. It’s really all about having a healthy lifestyle. That doesn’t mean you’re never allowed to have a piece of pizza or birthday cake ever again. It means that you need to make choices that can last a lifetime when it comes to your nutrition and physical fitness plan. Eating nutritionally dense food, doing workouts that you love that challenge you, and doing the 80-20 rule – 80% of the time you are making healthy choices, 20% maybe not so much. Then get to 85-15 and eventually 90-10. Your energy, sleep and mood will also really improve – not just the way you look!
The other thing that Shauna talks a lot about that I totally love is about being more proactive than reactive. Many people wait until bad things happen in their lives (heart attacks, strokes, diabetes, etc.) before taking their health seriously. There are so many things we can and should be doing to reduce the risk of disease that are within our control. Don’t ignore the importance of healthy living. Don’t ignore the power that health holds over our longevity. And don’t procrastinate when it comes to doing something about it. These things generally have a way of catching up with you – and the longer you wait, the sicker you get, and the older you become, the harder it is.
I just love that entire mentality.
Like us, Shauna is inspired by strong-minded females who are determined, fierce, and empowered. This isn’t much of a surprise to us as it looks as though that is exactly who she is and who she looks up to. In April her second location is set to open in Winnipeg and we can’t wait to check it out. Such perfect timing as we always find Spring time to be a time where we want that extra boost for the gym, or need a re-set from our ‘winter ways’ of activity and nutrition choices.
If you’re interested in learning more about Shauna and the services she offers, check her out online on Instagram, Facebook, or book a Consultation with her through her website here.
Wishing everyone an inspired and healthy Spring!