When November rolls around every year, I think a lot more about gratitude. Thanksgiving has a way of reminding us how much we have to be grateful for, and I often find myself telling people “I’m thankful for you” and that sort of thing. And when Movember rolls around every year, I think about my…
My late husband, Coach Dan Potts, was the most dedicated exerciser I have ever met, even on vacation. I have vivid memories of him on the floor of vacation rentals and hotel rooms, completing multiple repetitions of crunches, push-ups and bodyweight squats, nearly every morning we traveled together. And then we’d head out on a…
Motivation can be elusive even for the most disciplined and driven of us. It ebbs and flows through different phases of our lives . . . as our goals change . . . as we change. As a coach and trainer, motivating my clients is one of the most important aspects of my role in…
Once upon a time there was a girl named Amy Fuller who worked at Harbour Pointe Golf Club in Mukilteo. Harbour Pointe (or HP as the regulars call it) is a beautiful and challenging public golf course in our very backyard. It also has the distinction of hosting vibrant Men’s and Women’s Clubs filled with…
Because yesterday was my parents’ 47th wedding anniversary and today is Mother’s Day, this weekend would be celebratory regardless. But this year in particular it is truly something to appreciate. My mother — my healthy, vibrant, active, vegetarian, teetotaling, slender, yoga-teaching, meditating, dear mother –had a heart attack five weeks ago. When my father Skyped…
After an unexpectedly intense workout this morning, I found myself crying. This is not unusual for a lot of people who work out hard; sometimes, after pushing your mind and body, it’s easy to find yourself overwhelmed with emotion. Just about all of my clients get emotional at some point during our work together. This…
For those of us looking to meet our health and fitness goals, there are many eating plans from which to choose. Take your pick! Paleo, Vegan, Mediterranean, Whole30, DASH, Raw, Keto . . . to name just a few. Each plan comes with its own set of promises of what you will accomplish through it…
Years ago, I heard a reverend say to her parishioners, “If you can’t find the faith you need then you can borrow it from me.” Similarly, in my role as a strength coach and trainer, I provided to my clients energy and motivation that they may not have been able to find within themselves 100…
Editor’s note: We are pleased to welcome back Fitness Corner writer Pritam Potts. Personal Transformation Series Part 1 of 4 One year ago, on the fourth anniversary of my late husband’s death, I huddled in bed to stay warm, utterly alone, defeated and hopeless. It was 20 degrees outside and the furnace was broken, my…
“Are you ready to taste wine?” asked Bill Frick, owner of Frick Winery. Frick Winery is a boutique winery in Dry Creek Valley, near Sonoma, Calif, and my favorite winery. I had insisted we visit it on our one day wine-tasting trip back in March. “Yes!” the four of us chorused. He placed three tasting…
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These days there are endless opportunities to work with a personal trainer! Small independent studios, large commercial gyms, specialty studios, trainers that come to your home, trainers that train out of their homes, to name just some of your options. But with so many options, how do you find the trainer that is right for…
No, this column hasn’t turned from fitness to politics. I had a conversation recently that I keep thinking about and that is perfectly described by those three words. I had a doctor visit last week. I’ve been talking to her nurse for ages about weight loss and fitness struggles. Many years ago, she discovered I…
Has anyone else noticed that the holiday season starts earlier and earlier each year? I’m not even talking about the Christmas stuff already on sale at Costco! Although Christmas and Thanksgiving are still firmly ensconced in December and November respectively, it seems there are plenty of reasons to gather with friends and family to eat…
I stepped outside to walk at 7 a.m. this morning and realized that it’s not just darker now, there is also an undeniable chill of fall in the air. For someone like me, an avid outdoor walker, it’s time to prepare for inclement dark weather and the possibility that I will need to hit the…
As a trainer, I take exercise very seriously. As a business owner, I put a great deal of energy and effort into providing professional and valuable services to my clients. As a woman who considers her body her temple, I make it a priority to keep myself healthy. So, would you believe that fitness became…
I don’t know about you, but I’m smack in the middle of the winter doldrums. It’s cold and wet outside, the sun is still setting too early, and it is just a slog to get out and exercise. I do it, but there is a little voice in my head that is beginning to sound…
I questioned myself as to whether I ought to write yet more about this topic, for a column titled “Fitness Corner.” After two years, people might be wondering, is she ever going to get over it? But really, the answer is no. It just doesn’t work like that. I have adapted, changed, grown, learned to…
1. Water–an essential weight loss tool. Make it a habit, bring it with you. Hydrates, filling, ice cold burns more calories. 2. A little goes a long way. Take the stairs, park farther away, eat a bit less each meal, skip that final drink. It adds up. 3. I once knew someone who lost 60…
As the hustle and bustle of the holiday season kicks into full gear, it’s easy to get overwhelmed and stressed out and eat and drink too much. This is normally a great topic to write about at this time of year. But in the wake of the events in Paris a week ago Friday, it…
It’s Sunday morning, and it’s absolutely pouring outside. It’s windy, and water isn’t the only thing falling from the sky. Our driveway is absolutely littered with broken branches and twigs. Ugh. Not exactly a prime day to go out for some exercise. I’ve been thinking a lot lately about staying motivated to keep up my…
For reasons I won’t bother expanding on, I have been physically unable to walk for seven weeks. I am talking about my daily four-mile-long fitness walks through my Edmonds and nearby Woodway neighborhoods that I have been doing almost daily for about as long as I have lived in Edmonds. Not only does my career…
Note: This isn’t the complete story, just my recollections of the fantastic and fascinating day we had trying to track down my father-in-law’s experiences during the Battle of Argentan, in World War II. This day occurred close to the end of our trip, after we had spent four days in Italy, at the Italian Grand…
It’s Friday evening and my last client just left. I head toward the door. I’ve been on my feet all day, my stomach is growling and there is a glass of wine with my name on it in the near future. The very NEAR future! Then I stop at the door, because I just remembered…
