She began to focus more on fitness, taking it from a casual interest to a career path.
Her motto: Fitness should be fun.
That way the workouts become something theywantto dowhich can turn them intohabits that stick.
Brian Hellemn
Francheska Martinez:I started out wanting to be more of a scientist.
And then as I got older, I wanted to be a medical examiner.
Because Im scared of bugs too, so that wasnt really feasible when I thought about it.
At what point did you start thinking about fitness as something you might do?
A year after college was when I decided to pursue fitness professionally.
What does it mean to you to be a Latina in the fitness space?
Everybody who comes from different backgrounds needs to learn how to incorporate more wellness and movement in their lives.
For me, its also about having fun when it comes to movement and fitness.
Theres somebody playing music and people dancing.
For me, its about having that element of joy and community within the movement and program.
And I think that teaching people to find something they enjoy is important.
I feel like a lot of times with American culture, people do things for performance.
Especially internationally, Americans are known for performance, performance, performance.
It should be something you genuinely enjoy.
I feel like from a cultural aspect, we have foods in our culture we actually enjoy.
We have music that we enjoy.
They assumed that I would be a gym worker.
Thats one thing my grandmother told me.
I think eventually when she saw me pursuing my own path, she was supportive of it.
Speaking of incorporating fun elements into fitness, Ive seen you post about your dog.
How do you incorporate that into your workout?
Its funny because Yoshi actuallyhates to runwith a passion.
Shell drag me home.
And we just go onactive-recoverywalks on the weekends.
What have been the biggest challenges youve had to overcome entering the fitness industry?
For me, a lot of obstacles have been experiencing the world as a young woman in the industry.
Navigating a male-dominated space was difficult.
I think being a woman and dealing with sexual harassment is one of the hardest things for sure.
You seem to have a comprehensive approach to fitness, with online products, traveling workshops, etc.
How do you find the inspiration for different workouts and approach your work?
Its also just making sure Im able to coach people in person too because its a different experience.
On another level, its also about trying to give back to my community and people who support me.
How has the pandemic affected your fitness routine?
Its made me hunker down more.
Im also less results focused, and Im doing more of whats going to make me happy.
Either way Im going to weight-lift two times a week because its part of my regime.
Sometimes Ill go doggy paddling and work on treading water; some days Iride my bike.
Ive been getting into Rollerblading again, so its really just up for grabs.
What would people be surprised to learn about you?
That Im actually not that serious about fitness in person.
Its just part of my life.
And I dont restrict myself with food as much as people would imagine.
I enjoy desserts, I like eating burgersyou know, Im a normal person.
I have a dairy intolerance, but you know, I still eat pizza withdairy-free cheese.
What about Latino food?
Oh, my God, Im the biggest empanada fiend ever.
Im always on the hunt for a good empanada, and I dont discriminate.
Give me fried, give me baked.
Do you have any advice for people starting out on their fitness journey who might feel overwhelmed?
Start adding more squats into your life, walking more, doing basic movements.
