Jake: Hey I’m Jake of Body by Jake. Welcome to our motivational minute with Catherine Anaya.
Aerobic instructor for a million years, talk show host, news anchor. The thing I love most about your story is that you’ve run 11 marathons, three Boston Marathons, right?
Catherine: Yes
Jake: But you have two kids, right? Your daughter, who’s a senior at USC.
Catherine: Yep!
Jake: You graduate from USC, but you were telling me –
Catherine: I know the story – that I had gained 60 pounds with my daughter when I was pregnant.
Jake: And when you gave birth you were paralyzed, too? So tell me little bit about it.
Catherine:
Well, a nerve was damaged in my legs in the process and so I was paralyzed for a month and I basically had to learn how to walk again.
When I finally did walk, it took me two years to take off all the weight because I wanted to do it right, slowly. None of those crash diets. I wanted it to stay off and then afterward I started exercising again the way I did before I got pregnant.
Jake: Let’s stop one second – is this a moment of “am I never gonna get healthy again?” What was that feeling like, and how did you overcome that?
Catherine: Well, I remember the doctor said it could take, with nerve damage, it could take two weeks, two months to years to rejuvenate. I was very persistent in getting back on my feet, so that was number one. But number two, I had this new baby and everybody had to bring her to me because I couldn’t walk. So that was very defeating, and I remember my mom said at one point she said “you know, maybe this is God’s way of telling you to slow down.” So I had to really just sort of take in the moment, enjoy the fact that I would walk again, I just didn’t know when and then just slowly but surely get back on my feet. So being able to run marathons after that, which was a huge accomplishment for me, was kind of amazing.
Jake: What are some of your hot tips on training, on exercise?
Catherine: Well, I think the number one thing is to just stay consistent because I think sometimes we feel like if we don’t get the results we want right, away we tend to give up. So it’s just staying with it. So I’ve been doing these hot classes, a series of hot class, boot camp, camp and kettle booty. Kettle booty – I love it!
Jake: Kettle booty!
Catherine: Hot pilates. I finally feel like I’m actually in pretty good position.
Jake: I know, but isn’t that isn’t that exciting? When you find something you love to do and that’s what we talk about all the time – find something you love to do and do it.
Catherine: And I’ve done a series of things and there are some things that I’m just done with, like running. I now know that I don’t have to push myself quite that way, but I know that I have to take care of my whole body.
One hour a day is fine for me. There was a day, back in time, where I had to be in the gym two hours a day and you know what? That just doesn’t work for me anymore, and that’s okay!
Jake: Thank you very much! Great to see you,
Catherine: You’re such an inspiration by the way!
Jake: Thank you very much!
Catherine: Age is just a number!
