When I started taking Amy Hodes’ classes at Fusion, I first noticed two
things about her. One, her voice is that raspy, sultry voice that many women
take advantage of sicknesses to accentuate, and two, her awesome buns of steel
that inspire me to keep dipping further in barre classes when my own buns shake
into exhaustion. Of course on top of that she has a fun, motivating way of
teaching and can even crack a joke that gets us to laugh when our faces are
scrunched in all sorts of crazy as we beg for the final countdown. Being that
she’s also a certified Spin and Level 1 Yogafit instructor, she’s helped all
types of women push themselves to better their bodies and minds. Good thing she
found Fusion, “the hardest but most effective hour of exercise I’ve ever
experienced,” because now we get to keep her.
Amy has lived in KC all of her life, attending St. Ann, then Bishop
Miege High School and University of Missouri Columbia (Mizzou) for her English
degree. She taught English at Shawnee Mission South for 5 years, until her and
her husband Vince had their first son and she became a stay at home mom. They
have three “little” boys, Beau 14, Tyler 12, and Vinny 9. Aside from her active
family life at home, she also has two sisters Francie (another instructor at
Fusion) and Wendy (a regular at Fusion) who live within 5 blocks of Amy and their parents. “I don’t know what I’d
do without them,” she says, “I love to spend time with my sisters and friends.”
How did you get started at Fusion?I’ve tried all different types of workouts: kick-boxing, aerobics, pilates, yoga, running, and spinning. I did gymnastics all through grade school and was a cheerleader in high school, but during in college sort of took a little hiatus from fitness to enjoy my social life. But then when I had Beau I really got serious about exercise to try and lose the baby weight; that’s when I found Fusion, right after it opened. I loved the constantly changing and unique classes that Shandi and Darby taught; it was unlike anything I had tried before. I enjoy the energy of group-fitness, and have tried classes all over KC and seriously nothing came close to what I experienced at Fusion.
So you knew you wanted to be involved in the teaching side right away?
I absolutely loved the challenge of the workouts and the results that I could see in my body, and it happened that Darby and Shandi were both pregnant so I told them I would love the opportunity to teach. My youngest had started first grade and I wanted to find something meaningful to do with my new free time. Being an instructor at Fusion has been so amazing for me, and I have been introduced to so many wonderful people. This allows me to combine my passions for teaching and fitness, and it’s so inspiring for me to see people’s bodies change as a result of their hard work here. Also Darby is the best, she is always open to new ideas we have and she’s so dedicated and passionate that her energy is contagious.
Keeping up an instructor’s body must be challenging. Do you do anything outside of teaching?
I’m not just saying this because I work here, but Fusion is my favorite place to exercise. I come to classes at least 4 days a week [in addition to teaching]. I’m competitive by nature so I like to challenge myself to keep improving. I enjoy running, spinning, doing new DVDs and taking fun classes when I’m out of town. It’s always exciting to see what’s new in the fitness world and stay informed of the trends that are popping up in NYC and California.
 |
| Francie, Fusionista Emily Baldwin, and Amy celebrating at the Fusion Rave |
How do you keep up motivation to exercise, especially since you work in the fitness industry?
I HAVE to exercise. I need it to clear my mind and stay focused, and I always feel energized after a good morning workout. I like to feel healthy and strong. Obviously I’d be a liar if I said I didn’t appreciate the physical benefits of exercise; I think a fit, firm, strong body is sexy. Seeing the physical changes in your body and feeling stronger and healthier are great motivators. Working out requires discipline and it always feels nice to pat yourself on the back after a good sweat session.
Speaking of feeling good about yourself, a lot of women look up to their fitness instructors as women of strong self esteem. How do you encourage those around you to find inner strength?
I’m a firm believer that confidence has to come from within yourself, not from other people. I think it’s so important to be proud of who you are, what you stand for, and what you do. By encouraging people to always continue at working to better themselves-physically, emotionally, and spiritually-we show them how to keep growing. I get my confidence from self-acceptance, constant self-improvement and a solid support base. I accept myself for who I am- that includes owning both my best and worst qualities, since they all make me the person I am. I always tell my kids that we are all works in progress and nobody is perfect and everyday is an opportunity to better ourselves. I teach my children to love, respect, and accept themselves and that the key is to never give up on yourself and never quit trying to improve.
What’s something you love about being a mom?
Being the oldest of 3 girls, we grew up with Barbies, dresses, and ribbons. It’s such a different experience raising my 3 boys and I love watching them become little men! They are old enough to have opinions, ideas, and very interesting conversations. We love watching them play football, basketball, and lacrosse, then listening to them talk about the games afterwards. I’m just really embracing this special time when they are still young enough to want to be around their family and give hugs to their mom. They are amazing little guys and I love being around them.
Any favorite vacations spots with your family?
Vince and I love to travel, especially to the beach. Cabo San Lucas is one of my very favorite places. Plus we spend a lot of time with our family at our lake house during the summer.
What do you do for fitness when on vacation?
As I said I’m a huge fan of group exercise, so I always look for classes at the places we stay. If I’m with my sisters, which I frequently am, we do our own Fusion class in the gym together with either Francie or I leading.
Let’s talk nutrition. Any particular ideas you follow for guidance?
I’ve done every diet from cabbage soup to Atkins to South Beach. I am forever reading magazines about fitness and nutrition, and I have found that there is no quick-fix, magical diet or pill you can take. I’m 42 years old and have to be much more strict with my diet than when I was younger, so I just try to eat as clean as possible as much as I can. I am a huge believer in keeping healthy, prepared foods on hand so when I’m hungry I don’t go crazy and eat an entire bag of chips! My fridge usually has grilled chicken breasts, berries, apples, and salad and veggies washed, cut, and ready to eat. I can always count on Darby and Shawna for great recipes, and since they set up the nutrition for the Weight Loss Boot Camp and Amp Camps, they know what works and what doesn’t.
What is your favorite splurge food?
I am absolutely addicted to Reduced Fat Cheez-Its. It’s very scary and bizarre. I have boxes in my car, bedroom, closet..ALL OVER my house. This has been going on for about 2 years now, but I love them!
Do you think a gal can still drink booze and have a hot bod?
Here’s the deal: I don’t think that booze itself is the deal breaker for a hot bod, I think it’s the way you want to eat the ENTIRE next day that’s the real problem. Alcohol slows down your metabolism for three days after you drink; obviously not ideal. But the real damage is done from feeling tired and dehydrated the day after and wanting to eat your way through the day. That being said, I like to go out with my friends for cocktails so I try and do a little damage control by doing a couple of things. Hydrate before going out and drink one glass of water for every cocktail. I never have wine or beer; I like vodka with club soda or another low-cal mixer. Then, stay on top of your diet the next day! Realize that you will feel better if you stick to healthier foods, and if at all possible, try to break a sweat. That always makes you feel better.
Let’s end with a cliché, but still interesting get-to-know-you question. Name three people you’d like to get to know or learn from.
Chelsea Handler, just because she is absolutely hilarious and I love her sense of humor. How fun to have a drink with her.
Princess Diana, because along with being gorgeous, an amazing mother, and a class-act all the way around, I admire the way she used her power and popularity to help other people. She was such a strong woman and I don’t think the Royal Family was prepared to deal with that. She wouldn’t compromise who she was and what she believed in for anyone, and I would love to hear her tell her story.
Jesus Christ. I’ve been raised Catholic and went to Catholic schools my entire life. I would love the opportunity to be able to meet the “big man” and find out just what a mess he thinks we’ve made of everything. I admire the way he embraced everybody, regardless of who they were. He did what was right, not what was popular, and he stood by his choices.
Best place to drink a glass of wine: I don’t drink wine, but I sure do like a Stoli Doli at Capital Grille!
Beauty advice I’d like to pass on: I am a product junkie. No joke. I am a big believer in monthly facials, vitamin C serum, La Mer Eye Cream, and the magic hands of Dr. Hannah Vargas for a little boost.
Inspiring book: Fifty Shades of Grey (haa..joking.) My favorite book of all time is To Kill A Mockingbird. There are so many wonderful lessons in that little book.
I find my confidence in…Taking the opportunity to do things that allow me to grow and become a better version of myself. I am also very blessed to have an amazing support system that includes my husband, my sisters and parents, and a solid group of girlfriends. I know those people are there for me no matter what, and that gives me a lot of strength and courage.
No comments:
Post a Comment