April 2022 Superhero: Andrea Swander

Meet our Superhero of the Month for April: Andrea Swander!

Andrea Swander has been with us at Mo-Mentum for more than 5 years.  If you haven’t met Andrea, you’re missing out.  She’s an incredibly friendly and loving person.  Andrea is a bright light at Mo-Mentum.

She works hard to reach her goals and like all of us she’s lost track of her goals a few times, but she’s non-negotiable about getting back on track every time.  This is one of the things I love about Andrea.  ALL of us fall of course when we are working towards goals.  In terms of fitness, it’s FAR TO EASY, for people to just give up.  But those of us who live our most extraordinary lives, DON’T GIVE UP when we find ourselves off course.

I remember when Andrea started at Mo-Mentum.  She planned on simply doing our 6-Week challenge and then working out on her own at a big box gym.  But I knew she would love it here at Mo-Mentum and she would figure out that having a community is a huge advantage to our overall health, working out and beyond!

Andrea is a dedicated mother, wife, professional, family member, a woman of faith, a friend, and an asset to her community.   She’s learned and continues to practice putting her physical, mental, and spiritual health first in order to take better care of the people she loves most in her life.  This is a lesson so many women struggle with today in our culture.

A huge part of our mission at Mo-Mentum Fitness is to help people learn, remember and practice….

When we have our health, we can have 1000 dreams and goals.  Without our health, we can only have one….to get our health back.

We chose Andrea to be the Superhero of the month for April because of who she is a “never give up” woman; she is a bright light and a huge asset to our Mo-Tribe community.

Thank you for inspiring us, Andrea!  You are an incredible woman, and we are grateful to have you as part of Mo-Tribe!

Love,

Amanda and Team Mo


A few words from our Superhero herself…

Specifics: age, job title, children, partner?

Age: 46 years old

Job: Educational Facilitator for a public homeschool charter

Married: to husband, Will for 13 years

Kids: 2 kids ages 11 & 7

Describe what your life (and your health) was like before fitness.

I have always been active. I played basketball in high school and college and continued to work out and eat healthy after that. After I got married within the 1st year we remodeled our house and I got pregnant with our first child. I had 4 pregnancies over a 4-year span, including a full-term stillborn baby and a miscarriage, and it was really hard on me emotionally and physically. I stopped working out, gained weight and developed some unhealthy eating habits.

Was there ever a low point or an experience that made your priorities change? 

I was having lower back issues and my back would go out on me to the point that I couldn’t walk. The last time this happened I had to have the paramedics carry me out on a stretcher and ended up in the ER to get a cortisone shot. That’s when I decided something needed to change. I started seeing a chiropractor regularly and started doing exercises to strengthen my core. After my back was stronger, I did my 1st challenge at Mo-Mentum.

How did fitness come into your life (or back into your life)? 

I was tired of being overweight and out of shape and I was struggling to get back into a consistent workout routine and that’s when I signed up for a 6-week challenge at Mo-Mentum in January of 2018. I was really hoping it would jump-start my fitness and then I would go back to using my membership at 24 Hour Fitness. But after experiencing the challenging classes and the warmth of a small gym community, I never left! I wasn’t working at the time, and it was a big financial stretch for us, but I knew it was going to make a big difference in my health, so I decided to do it and I am so glad I did!

What kind of results have you seen since starting a regular fitness program?

I feel SO much better when I’m working out consistently. It also motivates me to eat healthier which makes my joints not hurt.  I have found that tracking my food really helps keep me stay on track. I used to hate it but after doing my 1st challenge at Mo-Mentum I have found that it is empowering.

Let’s focus on  blood work. What kind of changes have you seen there? What do these changes mean for your lifestyle, longevity, finances, etc.? 

My cholesterol has been creeping up and losing weight and working out have helped lower it.

Why do you make fitness a priority in your life?

I feel WAY better when I’m working out regularly. I have more energy and am in a better mood. I used to have lower back issues and when I started working out regularly it improved so much. Also, I had my kids when I was a bit older and I want to be healthy and able to keep up with them. I want to set a good example for them of what it means to be healthy.

 These days, what makes truly happy and feel at peace?

I love spending time with my family and going to church. We do family movie nights and play games together. I love going to church and reading my Bible. My relationship with God is very important to me and my salvation gives me hope and peace.

How do you feel compared to 1 year ago?

I actually felt better a year ago!  I lost a bunch of weight but then gained some back, so I am working to get the rest of it off.

What is your favorite thing about Mo-Mentum Fitness?

Honestly, I can’t choose just one. What drew me in was the small community and friendliness of everyone. It really does feel like a family. The 5:30 a.m. class fits well with my schedule, and I LOVE my Mean Girl morning crew! They motivate me to get up and work out even when I don’t feel like it. I know they will give me a hard time if I don’t show up, (especially Katty) it’s great accountability!

What would you say to the person who knows they need to start exercising but is afraid to start?

Just start moving, you won’t regret it!


HOW WE CHOOSE OUR SUPERHERO OF THE MONTH

Team Mo and I choose our SUPERHERO OF THE MONTH based on several important factors that we believe reflect the values on which the Mo-Mentum Fitness world-class culture has been built upon.

Mo-Mentum’s Core Values Include:

· Mindset for growth, constant never-ending learning – if you’re not growing, you’re shrinking.

· Over-deliver on all we do.

· Tribe – we all need a supportive and inspiring tribe, people we can be ourselves around and who nudge us to be one percent better every day.

· Transparency – We believe in honesty with ourselves and with others of course.

· Vitality – We believe in living vibrantly and living all out with courage and passion.

Picture of Amanda Mittleman

Amanda Mittleman

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