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| Brandy K. Cruthird is the founder and owner of Body By Brandy Fitness Studio in Roxbury. |
Brandy’s mantra
Brandy Cruthird of the Body By Brandy Fitness Studio in Roxbury wants you to make your body your business. She has built her gyms around this message, and as the holiday season approaches, it is a mantra that will become more and more important.
Brandy started Body By Brandy Fitness Inc. in 1996 because she saw a lack of access to physical fitness facilities and opportunities in the urban community. The gym and Brandy’s work have been recognized for several awards, including a “Making a Difference” featurette on NBC’s “Nightly News.” Brandy has also opened Body By Brandy 4 Kidz, the first kids gym in the country to allow obese children with a prescription from their doctor to work out for free. The 4 Kidz gym, founded in 2005 with help from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, the United Way of Massachusetts Bay and Children’s Hospital Boston, has already helped 500 children begin to live healthier lifestyles.
For Brandy, health is learning about and valuing your body. “I want people to see it their way,” Brandy said. “You want people to first be educated about it so they can take ownership of their health and realize without their health they have nothing.”
When it comes to families, Brandy believes that everyone has to get involved to stay healthy. “If you have a family, get your kids involved and lead by example,” Brandy said. “Do things as a family and be mindful of what you’re eating and what you give your kids to eat. What you pass down is what they’ll know. Make fitness fun.”
With the holidays around the corner, Brandy offers some pointers for keeping fit:
• Stay motivated: Continue to exercise. It doesn’t become less important.
• Keep moving: No matter how busy the season gets, don’t stop moving. Make sure you’re doing something to get your heart rate up each day.
• Everything in moderation: When eating over the holidays, don’t overeat and don’t drink too much.
As far as Brandy is concerned, these rules apply to any time of year. So as you make healthy choices in the coming months, remember Brandy’s words: “Make yourself a priority, and make your body your business.”One pound of body fat is equal to about 3,500 calories, so just getting your heart rate up may not be enough to burn off that excess. Be sure to try some weight training under the supervision of a professional.
These calorie estimates are only averages. Visit www.healthstatus.com/calculate/cbc
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