Today we’d like to introduce you to Heather Fletcher.
Heather, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I am an avid foodie and love combining my passion for fitness and food! I went to school in Pittsburgh, PA at The University of Pittsburgh for Health and Physical Activity and later a master’s in Exercise Physiology with a concentration in chronic disease and obesity.
One of my main goals is to provide education to communities of color in the area of health and wellness. It is just not talked about enough. As a woman of color, I want to promote health to everyone and show people that look like me that it is possible to keep your family traditions while focusing on your health.
Many conditions people of color are dealing with are 100% preventable through lifestyle choices. I want to open their eyes to a new way of viewing things and make history by decreasing the health disparities across generations. That is why I created the fit foodie life LLC, I want to show people that they can still have fun and focus on their healthy lifestyle. I am all about realistic ways of promoting a healthy lifestyle or else it won’t be sustainable. Health is our wealth and it’s the most important investment we can make.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I would say it took me a long time to get where I am because I was avoiding my calling. I have held many different roles in the area of health and wellness, from cardiac rehab, personal trainer and a clinical health coach to name a few! People would ask me for advice all the time. I would answer the same questions over and over.
People would always ask me if I had a site or a business and I never put the energy towards it. I finally decided to take the leap in December 2019 and it’s been smooth sailing so far! It keeps me going hearing feedback from others that I am actually helping them see things differently.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
My business is a blog/website where I educate on all topics health and wellness. I specialize in making a healthy lifestyle obtainable for everyone and raising awareness of pressing topics in health and wellness. I consider myself an expert in the area of health and wellness as an exercise physiologist.
I am proud of my articles on health disparities, racism and health, and diversity in the fitness industry. I get many people who take the time to let me know those subjects helped to open their minds and take action to make change. People who did not realize how social issues can affect the physical body. It’s an important topic to bring to light. It has even sparked important conversations.
My offerings include ebooks and programs. In addition, I partner with local and national brands to bring awareness to the work they are doing. Most recently, I took a tour of local central Florida farms with the Florida Fruit and Vegetable Association to raise awareness about Florida agriculture and the importance of farmers in the Florida economy. I hope to be able to speak more on health disparities and diversity in the fitness industry on a larger scale.
Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
I see the fitness and health industry moving more toward virtual and digital offerings. With the pandemic, more people realized the accessibility of fitness programming at home. I believe businesses realize the cost savings as well. In addition, I see telemedicine becoming more prevalent for routine check-ups or non-emergency issues.
As far as the fitness industry as a whole, more people are demanding diversity in their images and professionals that represent their brand. It’s been studied that companies that focus on diversity outpace their competitors. Look at what Fenty beauty did for the cosmetics industry. More companies are now focusing on providing foundations for the full skin tone spectrum. That is where I see the fitness industry shifting.
Contact Info:
- Email: hsfitlife@gmail.com
- Website: www.thefitfoodielife.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/heatherfitfoodie
- Facebook: Facebook.com/heatherfitfoodie
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/user_details?userid=Hqh3__TgG8hNSGnnmuEYhQ&utm_source=ishare
Image Credits
Christina Jones Photography (photos 3, 4, 5) and @photocred_taysmith (first two photos)
