Get Fit with Makana ‘a Whole Person Wellness
You can do more than you think.
Empowering you to take control of your entire health - physical, mental, and spiritual (or whatever you call it) - starting with the body you drive around in. We build your plan around your goals, working with your body and your abilities as they are, with no judgement or unrealistic expectations.
Sometimes the path is long and weird and that’s fine.
What does that WORD mean?
Makana ‘a: Ma-KAHN-uh ah
This is a Hawaiian word for the teensy plants that are the first to grow up out of a lava field. They’re soft and they’re small and they’re in over their heads, but dammit they’re determined. With patience and persistence they can do the seemingly impossible: break up rocks, and use those rocks to grow, and then build something better. Here at the beginning of your journey, look to the makana ‘a for inspiration. If they can do it, so can we.
(This is one of my before pictures, by the way - see how I’m gazing longingly into the distance/future? It’s a metaphor. Not subtle.)
About me
Learning to be healthy, one ridiculous goal at a time.
I never thought I would be a personal trainer. On a scale of one-to-astronaut, trainer comes in at about a 9.5. I started my journey as a 230-pound alcoholic who smoked a pack of cigarettes a day. You know how drunk people fall down a lot? I did that, and I broke my ankle. Not earth-shattering, but it took longer than it should have to heal because of my weight and my drinking. I started walking to get some strength back in that leg. The walking led me to quit smoking, which led me to quit drinking, which led to an absurd spiral from eating a little better and getting my first gym membership to somehow earning a fistful of marathon medals.
Like, seriously, what? What the hell?
Small changes stack up. Small efforts grow. And no matter how impossible it feels from this end, I tell you that any goal you set is achievable if you keep it in your sights. And maybe you need a hand from someone who knows it can be done. I’m happy to help.
What I Do
Balance and stability
Full range of motion is not possible if muscles are over-extended or too tight because your balance is being compensated for. This is the first phase of training, and we build everything else from you having a strong, solid foundation.
Strength training
Whatever your other goals may be, gaining strength will help you get there. You don’t have to spend days on end lifting weights, though. There are a million ways to build muscle and we will find one that works for you.
Running mechanics
If it’s not your thing, that’s cool. I totally get it. But if you are a runner or want to try to become one, you MUST have good form to run safely and healthily. I’m a nationally certified coach for both cross country and track and field, and building good runners is one of my specialties.
Personalized fitness plans
My programming is for everyone - every size, shape, and experience level. We’ll build your workouts based on where your fitness is now, and work steadily towards where you want to go. I try not to use the scale as a metric, but rather plan around accomplishment-based milestones. Because that is concrete evidence of progress, and that feeling ROCKS.
PERSONALIZED NUTRITION COACHING
Maybe you want to quit snacking on crap or eating fast food. Maybe you think you're too busy to cook or to plan healthy meals for yourself and your family. Maybe you eat really well, but you need to change your nutrition for your sport. Losing weight, gaining weight, changing your body's composition, improving your performance - I can help you with all of these. Food shouldn't be scary. Hunger is normal. Diets are bullshit.
