Today we’d like to introduce you to Cynthia Portugal.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I am a NASM certified personal trainer, AFAA certified group exercise instructor, and a certified Silver Sneakers and Enhance Fitness instructor that specializes in working with baby boomers and beyond. I am also a health and wellness coach and certified Schwinn spin instructor for all ages.
After a brief career in Human Resources Management, I chose to stay home and raise my three kids, which was and probably still is one of the hardest jobs I have had to date. I loved being at home with my kids, but when they were all teenagers, I began to feel as if I had lost a part of my own identity and what made me light up as an individual. I began to have a very strong need to reclaim some of what was important to me as an individual and make these interests a priority as well as find work that I felt meaningful. Thus, I began the process of “reinventing myself” in 2015, when my kids were 14, 16, and 19.
Exercise has always been my therapy of choice. I am a fitness addict who loves the mental and physical challenges a great workout can provide. So this is where I began my journey of following my heart and where it might take me. I began to teach spin classes to all ages and group exercise classes to baby boomers and beyond. Soon after I began teaching these classes, some class participants began to ask me to be their personal trainer as well. It was at this point that I continued to follow where my heart led me, and I realized my next steps in my journey of “reinventing myself” was to also begin personal training and health and wellness coaching.
It really speaks to me to specialize in working with the ages 50 beyond population because ever since I was very little I always had empathy towards people that were aging. For some strange reason, our current culture idolizes youth and forgets about us as we age. In my eyes, many people in our baby boomer and beyond population are the ones we can learn from who have the most experience, wisdom and insight. Furthermore, in order to age as gracefully as possible and live a long healthy life, it’s important to keep our bodies and hearts strong. These are some of the reasons it’s meaningful to me to work in the fitness industry.
Life is full of many challenges, and in my own life fitness has played a major role in helping me deal with the stressful times. Also, many of my hobbies require a lot of physical activity, and despite many injuries, staying strong through fitness has enabled me to continue hiking, spinning, biking, and swimming through the years.
Fitness has always helped me stay on track mentally and physically. It is the one constant in my life that is directly correlated to my positive attitude. The stronger I am mentally and physically the more capable I am in handling what curve balls life throws my way, and I sure have had my share of curveballs!! I truly believe this and embrace this as a way of life for myself. I get such a “high” whenever I workout and I love to share this positive feeling with others.
I firmly believe that there are only two things in life of which we have complete control: effort and attitude. When life gets rough, trying my hardest and staying positive is the choice that keeps me going, or I would fall apart. Life WILL throw us curve balls and I genuinely feel that fitness can help us stay mentally and physically strong to handle the roller coaster ride in life. I hope to make a favorable impact in my client’s and class participant’s lives, both physically and mentally, through personal training, health and wellness coaching, and fitness classes.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
For the most part, growing my business has gone quite smoothly. I have had a clear vision towards each small step forward and I keep chipping away at it one BABY STEP at a time. Anything anyone wishes to accomplish takes small steps, but each small step counts. I always tell my class participants in most every class I teach that there are only two things in life we have complete control over, which is our effort and attitude. I have put forth a lot of effort combined with a sincere and very positive attitude and it’s paid off.
Although my vision has been clear and my efforts have paid off thus far, this does not mean that things have been smooth along the road. My life has been anything BUT smooth, and I have had massive life events, conflicts and crises that I have endured and survived within my own family unit. I am a survivor of life’s curveballs that have been tossed my way. Even during the worst of times, I keep chipping away towards growing my business as best I can. We have had some crises occur very recently over the last six months, and my very small business that I have created seems to be a positive light I have held onto. The good experiences I encounter on a regular basis through my classes and personal training clients are a positive force in my life that allows me to stay afloat. Exercise in general helps me stay afloat and now my business helps me in the same way as well. As I always say, “Just keep moving forward! Just keep moving! Movement is medicine!”
Spin With Cyn – what should we know? What do you do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
I am very proud of reinventing myself in my second act of life after having not worked for 18 years!! Well, as most at home moms know, I worked my buns off at home raising my children, but I did not hold an additional job outside of being an at home mom until 4 1/2 years ago. I began by just holding a spin certification and teaching spin classes to all ages. Then, I completed two more certifications (group exercise and personal training), so that I can teach group exercise classes and work one on one with clients via personal training. I initially was not focused on obtaining my personal training certification, but many of my class participants were asking me to be their personal trainer as well, so I decided that was the obvious next step. I LOVE teaching a group class and the upbeat vibe I try and create, but I have also LOVED personal training and helping each client grow stronger via the workouts that I provide. So, now I have a nice small business that I have created for myself and I am very passionate about my business’s purpose as well.
I am also very proud of creating my own group exercise class for ages 50 and beyond called “Stay Strong Fitness”, and my own one hour foam roll workshop called “Foam Roll Your Body”.
I hold my “Stay Strong Fitness” class every Tues/Thurs @ 8:30am at the West University Recreation Center, 6104 Auden, in West University. This class is designed for a beginner to intermediate level. The class focuses on cardiovascular endurance, strength training, balance, cognitive skills, and stretching. If you need a chair to exercise, there will be one available, and if you don’t need one, then that’s fine too. I facilitate a class where either way, you will get a GREAT workout at your fitness level. We also do floor exercises and stretching, but for those who are not comfortable getting on the ground, I provide similar exercises in the chair or standing.
My “Foam Roll Your Body” workshop is currently being held every few months at either the Bellaire Recreation Center in Bellaire, or the West University Recreation Center in West University. Foam rolling helps to massage the muscles (self-myofascial release) of your entire body and gives your own body a deep tissue massage. I begin class with some basic stretches and core strengthening exercises on the foam roller, and then focus the majority of the class on foam rolling the entire body. Foam rolling helps to break up the adhesions and scar tissues in our body and speed up the recovery process after your workout. It also helps with increased range of motion, better blood circulation, and injury prevention, all of which promote better overall mobility.
Furthermore, I am very proud of becoming a personal trainer for ages 50 and beyond. I love helping others stay strong as they age. I am very proud to have developed a strong client base with whom I have trained for a long period of time.
What sets me apart from other personal trainers is that I specialize in working with ages 50 and beyond. I also go to people’s homes or fitness centers in their residences and bring the equipment to them (as well as use any equipment my clients have as well). Although gyms are great, we do not need big gym equipment to stay strong. I really enjoy teaching others how they can stay strong anywhere, even if they don’t belong to a big gym. I am all about supporting one another, building one another up, and helping each other feel physically and mentally strong via fitness.
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
How do I define success? I presume as I go through life, the answer to this question might change and expand a bit, but right now success in relation to my business would be doing work that I love with a purpose that is dear to my heart and that I believe in deeply. Also, I would define part of my success as making meaningful connections with people via fitness. Furthermore, being a woman who chose to be an at home mom for 18 years who then decided to create her own business, success is also defined as how I am able to grow my business year after year, while still remaining as passionate and committed to it as I am today.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.spinwithcyn.com
- Phone: 713-504-7140
- Email: cynthia@spinwithcyn.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/spinwithcyn/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/spinwithcyn/?modal=admin_todo_tour
Image Credit:
Maritere Rice and Emina Marco
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