You may have already seen her around the studio, but it’s high time that we introduce our fabulous new Community Manager, Ciera!
Ciera will be in the studio almost every day to help ensure that we provide you with the best experience possible and to help foster uforia’s amazing community atmosphere. We took some time to chat with Ciera about her background, so keep reading to learn all about this important new member of the uforia family.
What were you doing before you came to uforia? What drew you here?
After working in retail and salon management, I decided to try my hand at the corporate lifestyle. I worked as an Executive Assistant for the past year but realized it wasn’t for me…I missed small business management, so here I am! I love all of the great things we’re doing here at uforia and am excited to be part of this hardworking team. I was drawn to uforia for the strong community spirit, not to mention the kick-butt classes!
Before uforia classes came into your life, what was your fitness routine like?
My fitness journey has been a roller coaster: as a teen and into my early twenties, I really struggled with body image and the pressure to be “perfect”. From 2010-2012 I was living, eating, and breathing the gym. I woke up at 4:45 am five days a week to take early morning spin classes and then returned for round two of weights and extra cardio in the evening after work, sometimes even 6-7 days a week. Then, a little over a year ago, I met my boyfriend, Val (a chef) and slowly started spending more and more time with him, and less time in the gym. As many couples do, we spent a ton of time and money eating out and going on “day-cations” to Half Moon Bay and San Francisco and with that came, you guessed it, MORE eating out. When we weren’t out, we were usually at home cooking. After all, he’s an amazing chef! During this first year together, I’ve gained almost 25 pounds and fell completely out of my workout routine. Now I am learning to balance healthier meals and a less intense exercise schedule. It hasn’t been easy and I am still figuring it out, but uforia’s classes have taught me that working out can be fun AND productive; I don’t necessarily have to slave away for hours a day to be fit. I look forward to continuing my journey to becoming the healthiest me I can be. And what better place to continue that journey than at uforia, right??
I think lots of us can relate to that! So what are your favorite ways to “embrace the sweat”?
I LOVE a great hike outdoors – the Los Gatos Creek trail is an all-time favorite of mine. And, of course, Revolutions and GRIT are two of my new favorite ways to get my sweat on. [Editor’s note: Ciera has also promised to come to Lee’s Hip Hop class with me, so look forward to seeing us shake it like a Polaroid picture in the near future.]
When you aren’t eating your boyfriends delicious creations, what are your favorite local restaurants?
My favorite treat is the pepperoni and jalapeno pizza at Emmanuel’s Pizza in East Palo Alto. For a sit-down restaurant, I love NOLA’s. So convenient that it’s right down the street from uforia! And post-class, nothing beats a green smoothie from Whole Foods. That’s my absolute favorite way to refuel.