Today we’d like to introduce you to Aneesha Kolhatkar.
Hi Aneesha, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I am a busy mom of 2 teenagers and have a Full-Time job at a corporate company in Engineering Sales as an Account Technical Executive in the Semiconductor Industry. Life is very busy and somewhat stressful, with long days, occasional travel, and meetings. I am sure most people can relate to this.
I have tried my best to stay active as much as I can, and I have always enjoyed various forms of exercising to stay fit & healthy; I have done a few 5Ks, 10Ks and, for my 40th Birthday, I did a Spartan obstacle Race with my husband at the West Point Academy in New York, which was exhilarating! I enjoy participating in local races to rise awareness & funds and gives me a goal to look forward to and to accomplish.
A turning point in my life came during COVID. All gyms were closed, and I didn’t know what’s the best way to exercise to stay physically and mentally fit. That’s when I thought of getting certified as a Personal Trainer. I did my research, enrolled at the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM), and got Certified as a Personal Trainer and a Nutrition Coach. I recently also got Certified as a Zumba Instructor.
I saw great improvement in my performance and my happiness! I was functioning at a higher level, I was more energetic and felt strong. I wanted to inspire and help people to do the same. So, I joined YMCA Plano and started working there as a Personal Trainer and a Zumba dance instructor on weeknights and weekends.
So many of the YMCA members that I have worked with have seen great results in their daily functioning. They are mainly inspired by the fact that you can have a 9-5 job, be a busy mom or dad, and still make time to focus on your health and fitness. Some have lost weight and are now at a healthy BMI, some have trained and have pursued their passions such as hiking mountains and traveling across continents while a few others actually got inspired by my story and became Personal Trainers as well!
I feel that I have found my purpose of helping others and showing them how to lead a healthy lifestyle and have a better quality of life. I strongly believe that movement is medicine, and increased oxygen in your body will decrease chances of diseases.
I am very thankful for my family, friends & colleagues for supporting me in my journey and for inspiring and pushing me to achieve what I never thought would be possible!
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
About 10 years ago, I discovered that I had high cholesterol! I was in my 30s and it was a shock! It was a grueling and stressful time in my life, especially as had little kids and was trying to move up the ladder in my corporate life. I also had a painful back injury and daily functioning was painful. Recovery took a few months and included rest, physical therapy, chiropractic visits, and medication. There were times when I thought that I could never be very active again or do the fun things that I loved doing with my family. That was very depressing. My sleep was also not on a regular schedule.
I realized that one of the reasons for that was that I was eating too much fast food and not exercising, as I was so busy with life. The back pain was likely from sitting for long periods of time at my desk job with little focus on activity and exercise. I was told by the doctor that I need to get on medication that I would need throughout the rest of my life!
Since then, I decided to adopt heart-healthy lifestyle habits to help manage high cholesterol. I tried to have a balanced diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins. I limited processed food & focused on eating high-quality natural food as much as I could. I also included Strength Training, and HIIT Cardio for heart health and put those on my calendar.
With these changes, I was able to not only overcome the health issues but thrive – all without medication and purely with a heathy lifestyle change.
These days, I am able to balance the responsibilities of being a working mom, prioritizing time for workouts at the gym and also caring for kids. More importantly, I am able to find time to pursue my passion of helping other people and transforming their attitude towards food and exercise for a healthy lifestyle. I want to make sure and remind everyone that self-care and a healthy body is essential for one’s physical and mental well-being.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
As a Personal Trainer, I focus on Balance, Flexibility, Strength, and Cardio. My main responsibilities revolve around helping clients achieve their fitness goals and improve their overall health and well-being. I assess their fitness levels, health status, and goals to develop personalized fitness plans tailored to their specific needs and objectives. I show my clients how to perform exercises safely and effectively to minimize the risk of injury and maximize results.
I specialize in Cardio Fitness and building Strength. In my Zumba class and Bollywood-inspired Cardio HIIT class, I try to include the foundations of Cardiorespiratory Training and work on building a higher VO2max for maximal oxygen uptake, which helps energy production at the cellular level.
I am most proud of my own personal fitness and health accomplishments. Recently, I did the Big Dallas climb for Leukemia and Lymphoma Foundation, where I climbed the tallest building in Dallas, 70 floors, 1500 steps in 16 minutes. It gave me a reaffirmation that the training that I am doing has given me great results – and all for supporting a worthy cause.
I am also proud when my clients achieve their goals. One client was able to climb Mt. Fuji after weeks of Training with me while doing a full time job and part-time MBA program. I helped another client who had rheumatoid arthritis, and she is now able to move much more freely and in less pain.
If I can do it, anyone can! And yes, one person can make a difference!
What’s next?
Personally, I am really looking forward doing some high-altitude hiking. I want to start with some 14ers in the beautiful state of Colorado. Mt. Kilimanjaro in Africa is also on my bucket list and, if I am too ambitious, Everest Base camp.
Beyond that, I want to continue to inspire more people to lead a healthy lifestyle, live a longer, happier & fuller life, and, for some, achieve something that they never thought possible!
