Meet Your New Favorite Personal Trainer at AquaVie Fitness + Wellness
Expert: Lindsay Gagnon
Credentials: Certified Personal Trainer at AquaVie Fitness + Wellness Club
Higher Ground: Gagnon will be hiking the highest mountain in Costa Rica, Cerro Chirripo!
Lindsay Gagnon is a certified NCSF member and has been a certified personal trainer for over two years. Working currently as a group fitness instructor and personal trainer at the Westgate’s new $14 million health and wellness center, AquaVie, Lindsay also has her own fitness company, JustDo.Fit as well as an adventure company, Adventurous Travelers. In an interview with Gagnon, we dived into her health and fitness routine, how to stay on track with fitness goals and all of the dreamy new amenities at AquaVie.
Q: What makes AquaVie a state-of-the-art fitness and wellness center?
Lindsay Gagnon: To start, our awards! Our 40,000-square-foot club was nominated for the 2017 Orchid Architecture Award. And we have everything! Two-hundred plus cardio machines featuring the Excite Line by Technogym, as well as Precor’s Experience Series 880. We offer several extensive group exercise studios, as well as offer daily yoga and wellness classes. We also have a rooftop pool deck with Jacuzzi, where I teach my outdoor cycle and cross-training classes!
Q: What’s your favorite amenity at AquaVie?
LG: I would say the rooftop running track because of the beautiful space and views of downtown. The rooftop is also a great place to relax by the pool after a workout.
Q: What got you started on your professional fitness career?
LG: My love and passion for health and fitness grew from a young age with a healthy foundation coming from my parents who instilled the importance of eating balanced meals. Keeping active was easy to do with a gym in my backyard and being involved with figure skating and dancing. I channeled this good base into a passion to help people be more knowledgeable and make better decisions for their health.
Q: You’re also the owner/operator of JustDo.Fit What makes your company stand out from other fitness companies?
LG: I created JustDo.Fit out of the desire to help people get fit for their active travel trips. I also have another company called Adventurous Travelers, where I take groups of people on active adventure trips. Basically, I created JustDo.Fit so that I could help people who dreamed of going on such adventurous trips could do so physically, and actually enjoy it! My programs support self-sufficiency and efficacy. I sometimes bring my clients to AquaVie to train and join in on the fitness classes.
Q: Many people try to incorporate fitness into their travel and vacations. How does your company prepare people for this?
LG: Physically preparing for a trip is important. Through my fitness company, I plan a personal training program for my client, depending on their fitness levels and needs, about four to 12 weeks prior to their trip. As far as staying on track, this is a two-part answer—watching what you eat and reminding yourself of your commitments. Obviously, it is good to enjoy food on vacation. Tips for balance during travel is to ask for a sample instead of ordering a full portion or splitting with a friend. It helps to weigh the benefits versus the outcomes of eating poorly and skipping workouts. Remind yourself why you are choosing to live this healthy lifestyle.
Q: What is your personal fitness routine and what motivates you to stay on track?
LG: I teach five group classes a week at AquaVie and usually add in two days of strength training along with playing and competing in beach volleyball about three times a week. Motivation is temporary and needs reinforcement daily. I remind myself daily of my goals in order to motivate myself to do the work necessary to achieve those goals. We have a generally unrealized power and control over our thoughts.
Q: Any final workout tips?
LG: It’s important to stay focused during your workout—stop watching TV, reading a book, talking/texting or using your phone. You are dedicating a certain amount of time for your health, so don’t waste it by letting yourself be distracted. Crawl into your body and connect with each movement so that you feel what body part you are working out, focusing on form and breath.
One In a Million: AquaVie is the only fitness club in downtown San Diego that includes a full-service spa.
Bump, Set, Spike! Lindsay’s favorite place to play beach volleyball is in South Mission Beach. This past summer, she played in the San Diego Beach Volleyball League and won second place with her partner.
Native Knowledge: AquaVie is free for hotel guests and offers memberships for San Diego locals.
AquaVie Fitness + Wellness Club
234 Broadway
San Diego, CA 92101
619.557.3663
Michael Wesley is a San Diego based lifestyle photographer who brings a unique eye for style and color to any project. With travel in 26 countries, a die-hard love for the ocean and an appetite for adventure, this California surfer is always on the hunt for capturing the coastal lifestyle that he is so lucky to live. Check out his work at WWW.BLUEWESLEY.COM
Keana McGrath is a San Diego based writer and poet in search of stories and sunsets. she loves words that move bones, food that feels like a foreign language, and conversations that leave tattoos on the inside of your mouth.
