We have interviewed Casey Ho previously as we love her 30 day challenges, fun fitness YouTube videos and her perky attitude as the founder of Popilates. With her first time joining this fitness festival, we wanted to find out about what her session involved, her favorite movements during her workout and how she stays motivated.
ATHLEISURE MAG: Tell us about the class you’ll be leading at the Propel Co:Labs fitness festival.
CASEY HO: It’s called Abs of Envy by PIIT 28. So obviously it’s going to be an abs focused class because I’m a Pilates instructor—it’s going to be core crazy! PIIT stands for Pilates intense interval training, it’s a 30-minute class which has cardio intervals with the toning aspects of Pilates with abs—so basically prepare to die!
AM: Why did you decide to partner with Propel Co:Labs Fitness Festival?
CH: I love that Propel is putting on a live fitness event to bring people together and also bringing together the best fitness studios in LA because I’m a big class pass user so I’ve been to a lot of these studios, so it’s really cool see all these amazing trainers get together in this environment. I love that Propel is doing this because yes [teaching classes] online is a big deal, but [teaching] in person is an even bigger deal because real in-person relationships are being built.
AM: With your busy schedule, how do you manage to fit workouts into your schedule?
CH: I always workout in the morning. 7:15 is my time and I don’t miss is unless I’m feeling tired or traveling. I set aside time in my schedule like a set anything, I make it a date in my calendar so I don’t miss it.
AM: What keeps you motivated?
CH: What keeps me motivated is keeping this happiness level inside me—just feeling whole and healthy. There have been points where I have not been happy with myself and it’s taken a lot to get to this stage so that keeps me motivated staying balanced and harmonious. Also, my husband and my dog!
AM: Favorite workout/movement at the moment?
CH: Of the moment, I’m super into deep stretching and I’m not talking about yoga! I mean I’m in a split and someone is pushing on me to the point that you’re almost crying—but after your splits are even lower! I’m taking this new class as SM Stretching in Beverly Hills and its run by a rhyme gymnast and she’s kind of hard on you and I love it!
AM: What’s the best fitness advice you’ve ever received?
CH: Find the joy in working out. Don’t keep doing the thing that feels like a chore. For a while I felt like I had to do the hardest thing and feel like I was dying every time I finished a class or I wasn’t pushing myself enough, but that wasn’t true. It’s the [workout] you can stick to that will make you happy.
AM: Why is being strong important beyond appearance?
CH: It’s important to be strong so you don’t break later, so you can live longer, so you’re able to carry 17 grocery bags from your car to the house in one trip! Obviously, strength is what matters, vanity is just a side effect
AM: What is the biggest health and or wellness myth you’d like to bust?
CH: No one diet or workout program is going to work for everyone. Everyone needs to realize that your fitness journey is entirely individual in your self-discovery.
AM: What is your mantra you like to live by?
CH: Give yourself the 100% chance to succeed because you’ll never know if you don’t. Whether you give your 100 and you fail or you give yourself 100 and you don’t fail—you’ve got to go 100 every time or you’ll live a life of regret.
A fitness festival of this nature is all about taking in the positivity, workouts that are offered and sampling what makes the most sense for you. We took a few moments to chat with Angela Manuel-Davis to find out how she was energized by the participation, her approach to working out and more.
ATHLEISURE MAG: So what are you doing a Propel Co:Labs today?
ANGELA MANUEL-DAVIS: So today at Propel Co:Labs I am leading a class on AMDIO method, which is Angela Manuel-Davis changed from the inside out. So, I’m going to be pushing and challenging everyone that shows up to close the gap between where they are and where they dream to be in their life!
AM: What was it like on the Co:labs festival stage?
AMD: It was incredible being on the Co:Labs festival stage! People really came open and ready to receive—the energy was high and I really feel like every single person that walked in walked out different.
AM: How do you fit time in your busy schedule?
AMD: You have to make it a priority. Life can take over and there’s always going to be a number of things that seem more important but if you do not make it a priority to take care of yourself you won't be able to take care of anything else or anyone else. So, it's about making yourself a priority and understanding that the stronger you are, the stronger you are for others.
AM: What keeps you motivated?
AMD: Living a purpose driven life keeps me motivated. Every single day I wake up and I’m really interested in operating in my gifts and talents that’ve been given to me personally and encouraging others to do the same—that’s my purpose in life. So, living a purpose driven life for sure.
AM: What’s the best fitness advice you’ve ever received?
AMD: Best fitness advice I’ve ever received is that the recovery time is just as valuable as the time I put in the workout. Sometimes we get so caught up in the workout and we go super hard and we don’t remember that the recovery is when the benefits of the workout find their rightful places.
AM: What is the biggest health and or wellness myth you’d like to bust?
AMD: Spinning doesn’t give you big legs.
PHOTOS COURTESY | Jessica Nash for Propel Co:Labs Fitness Festival
Read the July Issue of Athleisure Mag and see Propel Co:LABS 2019 in mag.