The holiday season is filled with spending time with family, friends, and delicious meals. Health and fitness can be pushed to the side with the hustle and bustle that comes with the cheerful season. But – that does not have to happen. Prioritizing your health and wellbeing is a great way to start healthy habits that stay through the holidays and into the new year. We sat down with Julie Rooth, a group fitness instructor at the  Peggy & Philip B. Crosby Wellness Center inside the Center for Health & Wellbeing, to learn more about her experience with health and fitness and how to prioritize health during the holidays.   

Health and fitness guru – Julie Rooth – has always loved health and fitness. In 2017, Rooth began to follow that passion and trained for her ACE certification, a title that recognizes holders as some of the most qualified health and fitness professionals. Through ACE, there are four types of certifications that a health and fitness professional can receive. These include group fitness instructor, personal trainer, health coach, and medical exercise specialist. According to the ACE certification website, when in this wellness field, it is important to be ACE certified because it holds the integrity of the industry while keeping standards of practice. After becoming ACE certified, Rooth began teaching classes at the Peggy & Phillip B. Crosby Wellness Center. 

“After interviewing several places, I was most impressed with the facility and staff at the Crosby and I know I’ve definitely chosen the right place”. Rooth began teaching classes in August at the Peggy & Phillip B. Crosby Wellness Center. She is teaching six days a week and loves it! Rooth’s favorite exercise is strength training mixed with some fun cardio. She believes that people of all ages benefit from strength training and lifting weights. 

In addition to her bootcamp and strength conditioning classes, Rooth also teaches fitness programs as part of the Center for Health & Wellbeing’s Community Education offering. These free, open-to-the public fitness classes bring health and fitness to individuals just getting started, who need an extra push towards a regulated fitness routine, or who simply want to engage in free fitness classes with no gym membership required.   

With the holiday season approaching, now is the best time to start your health and fitness journey or continue making progress on the one you have started. With that, Rooth shared these great reminders on how to prioritize health and fitness during the season: 

1. “What you do MOST of the time is what matters to your progress, not what you do SOME of the time 

2. Indulge in the treats. It’s the holidays, enjoy every minute of it. I always say, everything in moderation. 

3. Add protein to every meal and fill half of your dinner plates (including turkey day and holiday feasts) with veggies. 

4. Move your body daily. Give yourself a daily step goal throughout the holidays. 

5. Let health and fitness be a habit that follows you into the new year.” 

“When it comes to health and fitness, I always tell people, just start. Start where you are. With what you’ve got. There’s never going to be the “perfect time.”  Just move your body”.  Rooth says, who also shares her health and fitness journey on her social media. You can follow her at @julierooth for more health and fitness inspiration.  

Create healthy habits at the Center for Health & Wellbeing  

With the holidays right around the corner, prioritize your health and wellbeing by joining us for a community education program or by signing up for a membership at the Peggy & Philip B. Crosby Wellness Center. Now is the time to start those healthy habits that last a lifetime!