WOMEN WHO INSPIRE
MAKE FITNESS A PART OF YOUR LIFE
Improve health, beauty and longevity
By Vicki Bennington
Six days a week, Shonda Bush can be found in the gym – for two to
three hours at a time. It might be The Center of Clayton or Gold’s
Gym or sometimes, she works out in her very own home gym.
You must enjoy something to do it that often, and Shonda said
finding an activity you like and making it a part of your life is the
key to health and fitness.
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You don’t have to simply hit the gym, she added.
“You can swim or take dance classes or ride bikes outside – just get
moving,” she said. “Some clients start by just taking a walk if they
have not been exercising at all. Then you can build up from there.”
In January, Shonda started training for a June figure competition –
her first endeavor in the competitive realm - training with her coach,
Tasha Allen O’Hara.
Basically always fit and healthy, Shonda upped her game when she
met her husband, Bake McBride, a full-time trainer at BJC’s Wellness
Center, instructor at Gold’s Gym and master trainer in the Les Mills
program. She learned a lot from him.
GAZELLE STL
A St. Louis resident, 35-year-old Shonda is now a certified personal
trainer herself, and holds spring boot camp classes in Forest Park with a
workout that is suitable for every level, from beginner to experienced.
“But it all starts in the kitchen,” Shonda said. “About 60 percent of
weight and weight loss is diet, and 40 percent is workout.
“Diet is the first thing that has to change,” she said. “You need to eat
clean – everything fresh, and stay away from preservatives.”
Shonda spends time in the produce section choosing just the right
greens, and eats lean meats for protein needs. Every other day is a carb
day, when she allows herself one-fourth cup of pasta or beans. That
prompts 45 minutes of cardio workout on the Stairmaster or treadmill.
She doesn’t consume caffeine, and her only sugar intake comes from fruit.
For her clients, she suggests to start making changes by writing
down every single thing they eat.
“You have to be accountable for everything that goes into your
body,” she said.