Today we’d like to introduce you to Alana Haskins.
Hi Alana, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I started my fitness journey in 2013 as a way to boost my self confidence and create a more disciplined healthy lifestyle for myself. I had just moved to Raleigh, NC from Greensboro and I was looking for a change. I didn’t know anyone in the area but I knew I wanted to meet some people who had a positive outlook on life and I wanted to join a group exercise atmosphere. I found a craigslist add for a free fitcamp at Nourish Raleigh that was starting that month and I just showed up. I made lots of likeminded friends and found myself in an atmosphere that I wanted to be part of, but more importantly I was inspired to create an similar space for others on my own. Along my journey people began asking me for advice on how I was getting into shape and upon sharing my tips and workouts via word of mouth and social media, I became inspired to make this my profession. And so the journey began.
In 2016 I became a certified kickboxing trainer and enjoyed working in this specialty for a little over 4 years. Thoughout this time working as a kickboxing trainer I managed to stay in pretty decent shape and considered myself a strong woman. In 2018, I found out I was pregnant with my daughter and for the first 3-4 months was unable to exercise due to extreme fatigue and morning sickness. But oh baby, when that 2nd trimester hit I was back in action! Kickboxing and all!
I was so excited to be working out again and surprised by my ability to work as a trainer as still get my workout in, even with the extra weight and belly. I ended up gaining over 50 lbs in my pregnancy with my delivery weight at 216 lbs, and pre-pregnancy I was about 160lbs. Boy did that scare me! hahaha I remember saying to myself, “its ok Beyonce was 218 when she gave birth to her twins, if she can bounce back so can you!” Honestly, that statement alone put me at peace with my weight gain but the challenge did not stop there, I ended up having a c-section delivery. This required a longer recovery and much more strategic approach to postpartum exercise. My once strong core was severed and there I was, literally starting from scratch. I did not let any of this get me down though. I enjoyed time with my baby girl, rested and healed and returned to work 3 months later. Fast forward to March 2020 and job officially closed due to Covid, leaving me without a place to workout and no one to train at the time. Again, I enjoyed time with my daughter, spent time in nature, created workouts for other postpartum women like myself and found ways to love my body through the process.
It was the starting from scratch that inspired me to create a stronger, more disciplined and balanced version of myself. I was starting from a blank canvas and I found it exciting! Now I could learn how to do it better not only for myself, but also for other moms who may have felt as if their fitness journey was a lost cause or giving up because they thought it could not be done. I wanted to show them that it is possible! In February 2021 I joined the Prime45 (45 day) Challenge with my Trainer, Desmond Scott and lost 30 lbs. In June I continued on to complete Primebuilt90 (a 90 day program) with the goal of gaining muscle and strengthening my legs and back. I managed to achieve this weighing in at 149lbs (much lower than my pre-pregnancy weight).
My postpartum fitness journey changed my life in ways that I cannot describe. I was not only stronger, but I was much more resilient, I was intentional, I was able to balance life as a trainer, working toward my personal goals and sharing time with my family. Even more importantly, I was happy doing. I fell in love with myself in a whole new way and discovered things about me that I didn’t know.
I began working for myself full-time in Fall of 2020 (where I was once very part-time) as a fitness professional taking on private clients and leading group fitness classes and bootcamps. Early 2021 I was offered an opportunity to join forces with Prime Institute in Durham, NC and I am now set to become a Life Trainer there in January 2022.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Whew goodness! The journey on this road has been everything but smooth. In December 2015 I quit my full-time job to become a personal trainer full-time. I had been training clients part-time and it soon required me to have more availability than what I did and so I made the decision to walk away from my job. Me being young, and inexperienced, with no plan in place and no solid cash flow savings, I ended up getting evicted from my apartment and having to return home to live with my grandparents. But all was not lost because the next month I got the job working as a kickboxing trainer at 9Round.
I have had times where I had not one client. Times where I started projects, I mean really good projects. Ones that gained myself a decent following and connected me to a lot of potential clientele. What did I end up doing? Dropping the ball and letting these potential leads fall off instead of following up with them. Boom. Back at square zero again.
I lost my only car (completely totaled) in an accident on the highway, lost my dog (who I had since puppy days) and even considered giving up fitness as my profession. through it all, with the support of my partner, friends, loved ones and the grace of God, I never actually gave up. Even with the struggles of inconsistency, lack of discipline and poor planning & execution, I have managed to continue onward towards my goals. For that I am thankful and do not regret any of my failures because they made me the woman I am today.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am a fitness professional, most recently termed a life trainer. As part of the GetMeBodied Fitness brand, I am currently cultivating home workout programs for women’s needs specifically stay-at-home & postpartum moms, a community that I found to be neglected in the fitness industry). These programs will include strength building, endurance training, as well as prenatal and postpartum exercises to rebuild and stabilize the core through my own journey,. it became important to me that I teach women how to access true healing, health & overall wellness from the inside-out on every level of their being. This means incorporating physical, mental, spiritual & emotional awareness into body movements to achieve effective mind-body connection.
My ultimate goal as a fitness professional is to create a community or tribe of women who support, encourage and uplift one another in health, wellness & lifestyle change. I want women to feel empowered, confident, fearless and unstoppable! Fitness is my way of accomplishing this while also inspiring women to go for their goals no matter how big!
We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
I define success as the pursuit or journey toward a specific goal. There will be failures along the way, lessons to be learned, things we must let go of and things we must grow from along the journey but the most important part of it is to embrace all aspects of said journey. Like keep your focus on the goal but don’t be attached to how you get there. It will look different for everyone but just trust the process and believe that it can happen for you. When you do that, you are already successful before the goal has been achieved.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/a.monea.fit/
Image Credits
Nikia Williams Photography (personal photo)
