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Noozhawk’s Newest Columnists Have Fun with Fitness
For expert exercise advice and information with a sense of humor comes Noozhawk’s newest column, “Fun and Fit: Q&A with K and A.” Co-written by twins Alexandra Williams and Kymberly Williams-Evans, the column will provide the pair’s insight on improving exercise habits while enjoying the process at the same time.
Click here to read the twins’ debut column in Noozhawk.
“When people read our column at Noozhawk, I hope they accept that perfection is highly overrated,” said Williams-Evans, the younger twin. “By the way, our column is not — overrated, that is. It might be perfect. See what exercise can do for your confidence level?
“We hope our column makes activity accessible, welcoming and real. We run into programs, people and blogs that aim for a ‘10’ level of fitness and diet with anything less being underachieving and not good enough. My sister and I hope to inspire people to shift from ‘one’ to ‘two’ or from a ‘five’ to a ‘seven’ on the health and activity scale.”
While providing excellence in advice and information is the priority, the sisters say they’re striving for an element of enjoyment as well.
“I hope people get the feeling that fitness can be fun,” Williams said. “We want people who dislike or are nervous about exercise to realize that there are many instructors and trainers out there who want to meet them where they are. And we also want people who already enjoy fitness to gain extra knowledge from us. Mostly, we just want to make people laugh while learning.”
Williams-Evans added: “Even if the only workout Noozhawk readers of our column get is a mini ab workout from laughing, then we are happy about that. Entertainment is just as important as education with Fun and Fit. If a reader is left surprised at some of the quirky twists and turns our column takes, we will have succeeded.”
The twins’ passion for fitness (and the benefits of staying fit) and their love of the surrounding environment have given them the ability to accomplish what they have on the subject. Their interest in exercise and athletics stretches back to their youth, and has continued to be a prevalent aspect of their lives.
“I love movement, people, music and bossing people around from a stage,” Williams-Evans said. “I became interested in fitness when I figured out that it allowed me to combine my 19 years of dance training with my love of travel and languages.”
Resonating a similar note, Williams said, “What interests me about fitness is the people. I am helping, interacting, challenging and socializing with people. And I have possession of the microphone! Whether they are new and nervous, or longtime exercisers who already know all my jokes, it’s the people who make it so rewarding.”
Williams-Evans continued: “Another fun thing about being a fitness expert is the energy that activity brings. You can imagine how many great people I have met in Santa Barbara, Berlin and around the world who have similar values and love for life and movement. Alexandra and I have always been interested in exercise and an active life. We grew up dancing, playing soccer, performing in musicals and jumping on a trampoline. Getting into fitness as teachers was a natural transition as we grew into adulthood.”
“I became interested in fitness in a previous century, back when it was a lot easier,” Williams said. “And it meant a free trip to Berlin. We taught at a fitness club in what was then West Berlin. Our mom was a dance teacher, and Kymberly and I both played soccer, so we combined those two interests and — voila — time to become fitness instructors. At that time, I was motivated by all the travel (we have gone to a lot of countries, presenting our programs) and getting paid to be fit. Now I am motivated by my tussle with gravity. So far, I am winning. Once I hit 40 — sadly, it hit back — it became a lot harder to keep my weight down, thanks to my parents and their genetics, so I am very fond of the weight-maintenance aspect of fitness. However, along with fitness goes eating habits, as just one of those alone isn’t enough to keep my size 6 figure — ohhh, snuck that in there — so I am appreciative of the overall good health that my fitness lifestyle allows me.”
For those who desire credibility from whom they take advice, the twins are nothing short of educated and experienced in their line of work. Both UCSB graduates — Williams also studied at San Diego State University and received a degree from University of Northern Colorado — the twins have not limited themselves to just local experiences, although they both are instructors at Spectrum. They have traveled and worked worldwide, spreading their knowledge of fitness throughout the globe.
Williams-Evans offers nearly 30 years of teaching experience to go along with multiple certifications and years of attending conventions, conferences and workshops. Additionally, she has taken many courses in anatomy, exercise physiology, sports medicine and other similar subjects. She also took advantage of the opportunity to travel the world and present her expertise to professionals. Her resume includes 10 years as a UCSB faculty member and adviser in the Exercise & Sport Studies Department. She says she has taught classes “directly to fitness enthusiasts from young to old, novice to national level athletes.”
Although Williams says her two teenage sons claim no one should listen to her, her experiences and certifications tell a slightly different story. She has been teaching fitness for 27 years, while writing related articles for the previous 20 years and editing articles for 10 years. She has been certified for more than 20 years by the American Council on Exercise, which requires that individuals take educational courses on a regular basis to maintain certifications.
Williams also has gone global in spreading her knowledge about exercise. She presents at worldwide fitness events, including in Slovenia and the Netherlands just last month. Despite being a qualified personal trainer, she said she prefers to teach group classes because of her outgoing personality and love of people.
The twins’ synergy and personalities are apparent in their writings, and they’re able to combine their humor with insight in a genuine style.
“So far, our blogging experience has reminded me how funny my sister is and how many questions people have about fitness that we have the experience, knowledge and wit to answer in a practical and entertaining way,” Williams-Evans said. “We truly believe that exercise can be joyful, which is what we try to transmit through our blog.”
“We want to attract everyday people who want to improve their health, yet might be intimidated by some of the perceived obstacles,” Williams said. “If we can make people laugh, they will perhaps realize that fitness and good health can be fun, not torture. Driving to L.A. with Kymberly is torture; exercise is fun.”
If you’re looking for fitness advice or just a simple laugh, Fun and Fit is perfect for you. The sisters have a natural ability to relate and communicate with others, making an activity that so many steer clear of fun and enjoyable.
— Noozhawk intern Michael Goldsholl will be a sophomore at Loyola Marymount University in the fall. He can be reached at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
Comments
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» on 06.17.10 @ 02:38 AM
Michael did a great job making us look good. Usually I stick with make-up and sunglasses to make myself look good, but Michael did it with words.
Technically, I did not get a degree from SDSU; I did post-bac Russian Studies. MA was from UNC.
Next time, please put all my quotes first and Kymberly’s in tiny little font at the bottom. She is younger by 8 minutes and sometimes needs those little reminders as to who has more fabuliciousness!
» on 06.18.10 @ 12:47 PM
Hi Twins,
What is the best way to control tricep flap?
» on 06.18.10 @ 01:10 PM
Dear Pati:
Thank you for that excellent question.
The best way to control tricep flap is with long-sleeve shirts! Or do you mean a more permanent solution? Velcro, for example. We call the triceps the “bye-bye muscle.” You wave bye-bye. You stop. It doesn’t.
For a full and informative answer that might include some….eeek….suggested exercises, please send this question to .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). We’ll get around to the “bye-bye” by and by.
» on 06.19.10 @ 03:51 PM
Great article about the twin columnists. I love that they are funny and super qualified to talk about a needful and interesting topic.
Their blog is great too. The picture of them as young twins is priceless.
» on 06.19.10 @ 10:26 PM
Thank you for your kind words. Our pictures from 4th grade ARE priceless, although we paid slightly less to the blackmailer who wanted to release them back in our dating years. Turned out to be our dad, so he cut us a deal.
Read Noozhawk and our blog every week. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll want to like me better!
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