In The Gym with Markita Staples of SweshFit

I won’t lie – the elevator selfie gets me every time at work

FFFC:  Please introduce yourself to our readers.

Hey! I’m Markita and I officially started SweshFit early this year after years of wanting to do something in the fitness area, so I’m excited to finally get this going. I am a NASM-certified personal trainer and have done independent personal training and group training in my spare time over the past few years. I am always short on time, and I hear the same thing from pretty much everyone I know, so I thought – why not create a site that focuses on fitness for busy people? And SweshFit was born.

As for me as a human being, I live in Chicago, IL and I’m originally from Detroit, MI so I’m totally a Midwest girl. My full time gig is working at United Airlines in Supply Chain Management. I’ve been married for a year to an awesome guy and I have a cat named Suki.

 FFFC:  How did you come up with such a unique name for your blog – Sweshfit?

It’s a combination of the words Sweat, Swift, and Fresh. I think the key to consistency is to find a fitness routine that works for you. For me (and for a lot of people), it means getting in a really good workout without spending a million hours at the gym, and switching it up so you stay interested.

FFFC:  What is your blog all about?

At the moment, my blog is about all of things that I have struggled with as it relates to health and fitness. Some of my topics include “Five Ways to Find Time in Your Day to Exercise”, “Thinking of Doing a Fitness Challenge? Check This Out”, and “What Should I Do? More Cardio? More Protein? Which Body Part?”. I have been writing across a wide variety of topics to see what works for me and my readers. In the future, I may focus more on the issue of time vs. fitness, since that’s what SweshFit is all about and I love talking about that stuff.

FFFC:  Why did you make fitness your career choice?  How?

I started my fitness journey when I was in my early 20’s. At the time, I wanted to take my health to the next level and I was also in a stressful relationship where I needed an outlet, so I started going to the gym and taking group fitness classes. It gave me soooo much energy and I loved my body transformation – I was hooked! After that, my friends and family would always ask for fitness advice so a few years later, I decided to get my fitness certification.

Here’s one of many videos from my site, where I create workouts along with instructional videos

FFFC:  How do you balance making time to get in your workouts with the demands of your career and personal life?

It’s not easy! Don’t ever believe a person that says they’re on track all the time. What has worked for me is to so my workouts in the morning before anything else can get in the way. It helps that I have a monthly schedule of workouts so that I know what I’m doing before I walk into the gym (or into my living room). Also, when I can’t work out, I let it go. We’re coming off of the Memorial Day weekend and honestly, a girl was tired! I took a 4 day break, but I’ll pick it right back up and that rest time will make my future workouts even better.

FFFC:  What do you like most about what you do?

I like the challenge of coming up with creative solutions to help people with their fitness goals. At the end of the day, there is nothing you can do to add more hours back to a person’s day, or to automatically make them excited about working out.  But I’ve figured this thing out for myself and I know that I can add value. So I love this mission of coming up with a way to help:

Stop doing less of other things that get in the way of working out.

Plan your week on Sunday so you know when to work out during the week.

I’ll send you a text in the morning to pressure you into hitting the gym.

I love to work with people and actually help them figure out something that works. It’s an amazing feeling for both of us.

FFFC:  What is your favorite exercise routine?

It’s a combination of three of the most fundamental and effective exercises: pushups, squats, and a high knee jog. I like exercises that involve several muscles, and you can’t go wrong with pushups and squats. High knee jog is great because you can really get your heart rate going. Check out my Youtube video where I go through each of these exercises.

FFFC:  What do you consider the most useful workout equipment?

I love dumbbells. They are versatile, easy to store, and always available at a gym, so once you figure out some exercises that work for you, you can always do them.

FFFC:  What general tips do you have for the average woman trying to balance family, career with a fitness lifestyle?

Make little changes. If you can remove 100 calories a day from your diet, start there. If you can work out for 20 minutes, one day a week, start there. Give yourself a little challenge and stick with it. As much as that extreme workout or diet sounds super appealing, don’t do it if it’s a complete lifestyle overhaul for you. It feels great to lose weight but it really sucks when you gain it all back so avoid the emotional rollercoaster!

FFFC:  Do you have any words of wisdom to share with our readers who continue to struggle with poor eating and drinking choices and habits?

Pick your poison and try get rid of the rest. It’s crazy to think that you can completely kill your cravings and it’s also not worth it to consume unhealthy things if you don’t get a lot out of it. For me, I can go without ice cream but I will never go without pizza. I don’t need soda, but I love a glass of wine at the end of the day. Be a human being about it and treat yourself, but don’t waste your hard work on mediocre food.

FFFC:  Who is your fitness idol?

Wow, this question really made me think. It’s funny – most of the fitness icons that we all know are great at doing things like hard workouts, screaming, killing people (figuratively, of course) – and those things are all cool but not necessarily how I see myself because I have a much more chill, but solid approach. That said, I really like Tim Ferris. He’s the author of the Four-Hour Workweek and the Four-Hour Body and I like him because, like me, he’s spreading the gospel on spending more time doing the things we love and using our time wisely. That applies to everything from workouts to what we do for a living to our family.

FFFC:  What latest project or event is on your plate right now?  Tell us all about it.

So, I create workouts on a monthly basis and it’s currently a one-size-fit-most approach. I created the workouts based on what works for me, and they tend to be a little hard for some and easy for others. So I’m really working on creating workouts that are good for other people based on different injuries, preferences, and goals.

FFFC:  Where else can our readers find you on the social media scene?

First and foremost, join the SweshFit mailing list! I provide some awesome info there. As for the other channels, here’s the info:

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/sweshfit

Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/sweshfit

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/sweshfit

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/markiestaples

Google+: http://www.google.com/+Sweshfit

Photo: Front (link https://www.google.com/+MarkitaStaples?rel=author)