Meet Lauren Smithson, Skimble‘s featured Trainer! Throughout her career in the healthcare industry, Lauren witnessed the detrimental effects of poor diet combined with a lack of exercise in many of her patients. We recently had the chance to chat with Lauren and learn about how she transitioned from rehab to prevention and shifted her focus towards proactive strategies to help keep people active, for longer.
Tell us a bit about yourself – where are you from?
Lauren: I was born and raised in Georgia. I grew up in Snellville but moved to the Kennesaw area around middle school age and have remained in that area ever since. I have been married for three years and have two fur babies (a cat; Milo and a dog; Max) and we are hoping to have some real kiddos in the near future. I enjoy hiking, relaxing in our hot tub, traveling, trying fun new workouts, dancing, and spending time with my husband, family, pets, and friends. I have a Bachelors in Exercise & Health Science, an Associates as a Physical Therapist Assistant, and I am a Certified Personal Trainer. I will be sitting for my board’s exam to be a NBHWC Health Coach in May 2022.
What inspired you to become a personal trainer?
Lauren: I have been in the healthcare industry for over nine years so I’ve seen first hand the detrimental effects of poor diet and lack of exercise. It’s scary! I soon realized that rehabilitation might not have been the best way to help people… prevention IS the best medicine! So I switched my focus to a more preventative approach when it comes to helping others live their best life.
What are your training specialties?
Lauren: I focus a lot on hip strength and mobility, injury prevention and rehab, HIIT workouts and kickboxing.
Lauren: I like that you can customize your workouts so you can switch up the intensity, the time, the type, etc. It’s so easy to create unique and fun workouts! The possibilities are endless.
Who are your heroes?
Lauren: My Grandma – she has lived through so much, including the great depression. She has cared for my sick grandpa and outlived him by many years after being married most of her life. She still lives an active lifestyle, including waking up and feeling inspired to paint artwork every single day. She is 93 years old and still finds joy in each and every day! She says that staying moving is the KEY to a long and healthy life, and I couldn’t agree more 🙂
What keeps you motivated to stay fit yourself?
Lauren: I always say that exercise is like my “therapy”. I tend to get stressed really easily and have a Type A mentality, so it’s easy for me to get worked up. Exercise helps me burn off any of that negative or unwanted energy and truly makes me feel my best.
Do you have any guilty pleasures?
Lauren: Binge watching shows on Netflix and the Bachelor/Bachelorette.
What are your hidden talents?
Lauren: I used to play the violin and the piano and hardly ever practiced, yet was pretty good at it!
Do you have any go-to training gear that you would recommend?
Lauren: I have a heavy bag and boxing gloves at home. It’s so easy to get in a quick, yet effective workout on the bag and burn off stress really quickly!
Please share a secret health/fitness tip with the Skimble community…
Lauren: There really is no one size fits all. You have to find what works best for you and whatever you do now should be sustainable for the long term. In other words, what you’re doing now to get in shape and/or lose weight – do you see yourself doing the same thing a year from now? Five years from now? 20 years from now? If not, it’s important to think about why and re-evaluate your plan to come up with something doable that you can stick to for the long run – something you really enjoy. Eating right and exercising can be tough at times, but it shouldn’t feel impossible. Set yourself up to win!
Thanks for sharing with us, Lauren! We’re excited to see what the future will bring for you and your training biz!
Lauren is currently accepting new clients for 1:1 Online Personal Training in Workout Trainer. Get signed up today and let her help you crush your fitness goals.
Want to follow Lauren and other great trainers for inspiration and motivation? Download the Workout Trainer app for Android & iOS, then head on over to the Trainers tab.
Are you a fitness professional? Want to become a Trainer like Lauren and have access to our online coaching tools and more? Get started for free on Skimble’s Trainer page.
Like this:
Like Loading...
Do you have a fitness resolution? Make progress towards achieving your goals with Skimble’s top fitness apps and supportive community. If you’re new to Skimble, our Workout of the Week challenges offer you fresh ways to be fit. Download Workout Trainer on your Android & Apple devices and do your first workout! Remember, if you want to stay up-to-date with our Workout of the Week challenges, be sure to have your Workout Trainer notifications turned ON in the app!
