Yogi, dancer, pilates, aerobics and barre lover and instructor Celine Encarnacion gives us advice on how to better our heath. Time to get into shape!
Could you tell me how you got into the fitness business?
After graduating from university, I worked in corporate, specifically in Marketing, Sales and PR. I will always value my corporate experience, but I realize now I feel most at home in health and wellness.
After corporate I decided to take my yoga teacher training. I didn’t realize it at the time, but looking back, it was a series of wonderful serendipitous encounters that led me to what I’m doing now. I had just finished my 200-hour yoga teacher training where I was reunited and reconnected with a wonderful mentor, dance teacher (one of the first) and friend, Julie Alagde-Carretas. I remember taking a call from her, inviting and asking me to teach a private yoga class to my now bosses, Iya Lagdameo and Tina Lagdameo. Little did I know that class served as my teaching audition, which eventually lead me to the start of this new adventure and opportunity to train under a barre method called Physique57 in NYC, and help establish what is now known as Plana FORMA in Manila. Six years later, I still wake up every morning loving what I do, and grateful for the opportunity to help inspire and empower my students to be the best, strongest version of themselves.
Why do you love being healthy?
Being healthy allows me to perform at my best when I teach. I handle a minimum of 15 classes with small group and private classes sprinkled in per week, and the stamina and endurance required of me demand that I keep fit and eat right. I guess you could say being healthy is an occupational hazard, and I am more than willing to oblige. I meet people from all walks of life, get to know their stories and fitness journeys, and any small victory for them makes me the happiest! Love seeing them get stronger with each class they take, whether yoga, barre or dance.
Apart from the surge of endorphins and that feeling of accomplishment from finishing strong at a workout, I also believe in making exercise + eating right a part of your lifestyle, and giving the body with what it needs to function at its most optimum.
What advice do you have for people who are trying to get fit but are having a hard time? For people who feel like giving up?
There are no shortcuts to long lasting results. It’s tough at the beginning, and acknowledging that you need to get fit is the best first step. What might also help is to think of the end goal in mind. Why do you want to do a lifestyle makeover and take control of your health? Knowing your objectives will help keep you focused on taking the necessary steps towards keeping you on track from the kind of workouts you take or what food to eat and avoid, etc. It’s wonderful and empowering to have an overall goal in mind, but you never want to keep that at the forefront of your fitness journey because it can become overwhelming and act as a deterrent at what you are really trying to accomplish. So, take things one day at a time and one meal at a time. Good habits come from a consistent workout and nutrition plan that once applied, can help you achieve your fitness goals.
Tips or advice for people who need to lose weight?
Fat loss begins and ends with healthy food. But what constitutes as healthy? The rule of thumb ratio is usually more protein and veggies and less carbohydrates. If you are going to carb out, make it healthy! – Fresh fruits and veggies, whole grains and oats, organic red, brown or unpolished rice, or quinoa. Pastries and bars chocolates or sweets? Save them in times of dire emergencies!
Diet alone isn’t going to cut it, though. For best results, I would recommend combining the meal plan with a fitness program that involves strength training, cardio-centric classes and active recovery/ stretch classes for flexibility and to help give your muscles that well deserved release from the workouts you do.