Sarah Stoddard
My Fitness Journey
Understanding the mechanics of movement has always been an essential part of my life. While in college, I had the privilege to work with people with varying disabilities and chronic diseases. It became my favorite population to work with because it forces me to think outside the box. Shortly after school I worked as a strength and conditioning coach for young, competitive athletes in various sports. Here, I developed a passion for injury prevention and rehabilitation post-injury/surgery. I later worked as a trainer for a physical therapy company, where I learned even more therapeutic exercises and stretches. Shortly after this, I took a job training older adults, another population I love working with (my oldest client was 99!).
My own fitness journey started with competitive basketball, which I played for nearly 20 years before becoming a stunt woman devoted to martial arts training. Martials arts eventually led me to partner social dancing, such as salsa and west coast swing. Another passion I discovered along the way was hot yoga classes, which I loved so much I decided to become a certified yoga instructor. I am enamored with the study of how the body moves. I am still growing and learning and continue to be in awe of what the human body is capable of.
My high fitness drive did not come without its setbacks with injuries and health complications. Over the years, I have learned how to balance exercise and rest, implement stretching and recovery techniques, and optimize my health for peak performance and injury prevention. My main goal for myself and for my clients is to be as functional as possible for any and all activities we can possibly throw at our bodies. I love teaching people of all ages how to make their bodies strong and mobile to function better in all aspects of life.
My Nutrition Journey
Despite being seemingly healthy and intensely active in my youth, I started to develop many health problems by the age of 12. My menstrual cycle was fraught with horrible symptoms, my energy levels were up and down unpredictably, my stomach never seemed happy with me, my skin looked terrible, and I even started developing allergic reactions to various food groups! I went through various medical tests and treatments, doctors, and even surgeries to try and solve my issues, but everything seemed to make things worse, add new problems to the mix, or only provide temporary relief without any real healing or solutions.
I finally went to see a Nutritionist and functional doctor around the age of 24 who changed my life forever. I discovered that my eating and lifestyle behaviors were one of the primary root causes of all my ailments. I was amazed at the power of food, how it can harm us or help us very rapidly. I believed that I could eat whatever I wanted because I was active. How wrong I was! I realized health was way more than just fitness. I immediately began my journey of research into the field, eventually getting my master’s degree to become a practicing Nutritionist myself.
I was surprised to discover how much of my nutrition education involved psychology courses. I quickly realized that long lasting health involves the deep work of behavior and perspective change, as well as a knowledge and understanding of the body and nutrition. This brought health to a full circle for me. My philosophies around health involve the mind and the body. It is not wise to treat one and ignore the other. I am healthier now than I ever was in my youth, and my health progresses every year. I am deeply devoted to my own health journey, and I consider it an honor to help pave the way for others to discover their own health and healing.