A year ago, we met Miya, a sweet and loving cat lady who was looking for a fun group of people to support and encourage her in adopting a more active lifestyle. We knew she would do well with us because she just had this amazing smile and friendly personality!
What we discovered with the months is how meticulous and committed she is, constantly pushing her body to the max, trying to nail every exercise and overcoming her own limits time after time.
Meet our Quiet Assassin: Miya Yamashita!
Work
Miya a Staff Services Analyst with CAL FIRE, which she says “is a fancy way of saying ‘paper-pusher and number-cruncher'”. Meticulous and humble Miya won’t tell you that she puts a lot of time and effort into making sure everyone’s needs are met!
The classes she usually attends are are:
- Metafit HIIT
- Bootcamp
- Power Abs & Glutes
- STRONG Nation
- and occasionally Restorative Yoga
She started exercising again because besides fat loss, she wanted to feel strong and physically capable:
I wanted to open my own jars, move furniture, and hold my giant cat for more than 30 seconds at a time. I started with MBM specifically because I felt like the group aspect is what I needed. My inner voice can often be discouraging when things are difficult, but seeing others doing the work gives me the belief that I can too. I also saw that Elizabeth understood the struggles that I was going to face as she had gone through them herself, and I knew I couldn’t brush away her advice.
Finding Her Why
When it comes to setting a goal and sticking to your habits, finding and sticking to your why is the key to success. Miya sure knows exactly why exercising is important. According to her, the benefits of being healthy are seemingly endless, but here are the main ones for her:
1. HIKING
“Exercising allows me to hike more freely. I started hiking maybe 2 hours at a time, and now I’m up to 5 hours. Hills are easier to conquer and my pack feels lighter. Some days I even want to go further, and my water supply is the only thing holding me back.”
2. TAKING ON CHALLENGES
“It is teaching me to challenge myself and realize that I am capable of more, a valuable lesson for all aspects in life.”
3. FOOD FOR FUEL
“It helps me make better decisions when it comes to food. I need to fuel myself properly with whole foods in order to workout and not with sugar and refined carbohydrates.”
4. EXERCISE AS A LIFESTYLE
“It allows me to see exercise as an essential activity. I don’t want to go back to where I was, and the only way to ensure that is to keep working. Sure, I have my moments where I threaten to quit (in my head), but I take a deep breath, remind myself why I’m doing it and realize it’s necessary.”
Miya’s progress since she joined is undeniable. Her longer Sunday hikes, increased self-confidence and shift in her mindset when it comes to nutrition are only part of the improvements she has noticed in the last year. If you are also a quiet force of nature who feels like they need to be challenged to reach new horizons, stop by one of our classes and say “Hi”!
