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By Stephan Labossiere
I know you’ve heard the saying some people come into your life for a season and some come for a lifetime, and when it comes to love it’s sometimes hard to distinguish between the two! Today I want to discuss knowing when a man is right for now, and knowing when he’s Mr. Right and the subtle differences that’ll make ALL the difference in the longevity of the relationship. Surprisingly what you’ll read below is more about YOU than it is about any single man!
MR. RIGHT NOW: • He will come when you’re lonely • He will come when you’re at your lowest • He will come when your heart is not fully ready
to love again
past relationship trauma He will come when you’re still in love with a man from the past He will come posed as a man, but end up being mentally abusive, manipulative and nothing
• He will come when you’re still dealing with •
•
like the man you met and fell for
MR. RIGHT: • He will come when you’re 100% in love with
yourself • He will come when you have your dream career, job, and life • He will come when your heart is 100% free of past trauma • He will come when you’re ready to love and your heart is free from any ties to past lovers
...The reason he won’t come is, because when you’re not the best version of yourself you’re willing to accept way less than you truly deserve and you attract Mr. Right now! But, when you’re at your best and emotionally strong, mentally ready, and where you want to be in life; Is when Mr. Right will seem to appear out of nowhere, because he’s ready and more importantly YOU’RE ready. You will naturally attract the best version of the GOD fearing man you deserve.
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By Sofia Rodriguez
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Across the nation, stay at home orders have been in place for months with most of us off of a regular schedule. Gyms are closed, social distancing is in place, and mask mandates are in full effect. With that, any exercise routine we had most likely has completely flown off our radars, leaving many out of shape and sedentary. Unless you are a fitness expert or personal trainer, chances are you don’t know where to start when it comes to home workouts. Leave the guesswork out and let us guide you on how to adjust your exercises to have an efficient workout at home.
Below we offer 5 movements you can do without a gym. Complete 2-3 sets, and at least 10-12 repetitions: Squat Overhead Press with A Book: Start with your legs shoulder width apart, toes pointed slightly outward. Come down into a seated position and as you come back up, press the book over your head. Make sure to keep your core engaged and chest upright. Repeat 10-12 times. Pushups Using a Coffee Table: Get into a pushup position with your hands shoulder width apart on the table, and your toes on the ground shoulder width apart as well. Come down bending your arms 90 degrees, and push back up to the starting position. A modification, if necessary, is putting your knees on the ground instead of your feet, and doing the same motion. Repeat 10-12 times. Back Lunges holding Cans: Starting with your feet shoulder width apart, bring one foot back until both legs are at a 90 degree angle. Keep your core engaged and chest upright. Come back to the starting position, and alternate with the other leg. Repeat both sides 10-12 times. Frontal Raises using Water Bottles: Start with one foot behind you to stabilize your spine. Bring one arm up until it is parallel with the ground, palms facing downward, alternating with the other side. Avoid swinging your arms and keep your core engaged. Repeat each side 10-12 times. Russian Twists holding a Pillow: Start by sitting on the ground with your feet flat, and slightly lean back, keeping your core engaged. Bring the pillow from side to side, only moving at the core. To make it more challenging, bring your feet up into the air. Repeat 10-12 times, with one repetition counting as a left to right motion.
If this pandemic has taught us anything, it’s that the days where you need a facility with traditional equipment are over. With a focused mindset and items at home, you can come out better than ever. Doing this routine at least 3 times per week, in addition to getting your cardiovascular exercise in and having a great nutrition regimen, can lead to not only a TONED body, but also a healthy lifestyle. The gym is within YOU. No gym, no problem!
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So I decided to ask people from different walks of life.... what exactly willpower meant to them. Everyone basically said the same thing. However I noticed different wording, from a few individuals. They spoke of willpower as wholeness not as division or separation of mind. After a collection of answers, I did more intensive research with the combination of my own experiences. Willpower definitely suited different parts of my life. So as I begun to write, variations of will power came to mind. I feel willpower is a conscious decision to take action in one’s life. Whether that’s to stop making excuses, complaining or blaming. Willpower is the wholeness of knowing oneself. Truly understanding the power that is held within. And the best way to test one’s willpower, is to set goals. Willpower may start with any part of your life. However, willpower has to be an entire movement to better yourself. You may start with focusing on wanting a better body, which means your eating habits will need to change. Also you will need to figure out a workout regimen to fit your
lifestyle. Which would help with becoming a healthier you, with patience and dedication your body will change. It starts with making a conscious decision, to take action to change your body and life. I also believe with willpower, it must extend to all parts of your life with one step at a time. What I’m saying is, willpower is balancing, changing, letting go of habits and behaviors that no longer service the version of yourself you wish to be. It all starts with making an intention, to be a better you. A commitment to honor your decision and embrace your willpower on the path to the best version of yourself. I’ll leave you with this quote that was told to me, when I asked what willpower meant to them: It’s the perseverance of one’s inner soul to stay viable. By E.A.
Do what you can, where you are, with what you have. -TEDDY ROOSEVELTFitFigures Summer/Fall 2020 18
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The goal of the H.E.A.T. Challenge is to educate individuals on the proper way to reach their fitness goals. Most of the time people lack motivation and just never start. And what better way to incentivize someone to do anything other than a CASH prize? The H.E.A.T. Challenge is a structured and progressive follow-along workout program, nutrition plan, accountability group, and weekly coaching calls.
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Crystal J. Before: 176 After: 147
PHOTOGRAPHY | Devin McAllister (Crystal J.)
Valdez H. Before: 162 After: 155
Laura B. Before: 183 lbs After: 167
Nike O. Before: 148 After: 140
Shaakira M. Before: 199 After: 178
ToCora R. Before: 198 After: 152
Venus M. Before: 190 After: 155
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Cover Story
>> Darrell ‘DP’ Patterson is the founder, owner, and CEO of the rising global fitness brand, HEATXtreme.
GET SOCIAL with DP on IG, @iamtherealdp!
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By Dionne Davis-Frazier
arrell ‘DP’ Patterson is the founder, owner, and CEO of the rising global fitness brand, HEATXtreme. HEATXtreme’s mission is to help men and women of all ages reach their fitness goals in a safe and effective manner, while simultaneously changing their lifestyle habits through nutrition and exercise. Born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio, currently residing in Atlanta, GA, DP fell in love with exercise from an early age, especially athletics. As a former All-American Collegiate Basketball player, Darrell always had a knack for teaching others to be the best versions of themselves. He often remained after practice to help coach his teammates to improve their skill sets and instill confidence in their game. Upon graduation, Darrell sought an outlet to channel the energy he once dedicated to basketball and found a passion for health and fitness. Since, he has dedicated himself to make fitness his profession; and, has done just that. HEATXtreme is comprised of multiple components. These components include the highly popular six week HEAT Transformation Challenge; it’s very own supplement line HEAT Performance; and a Netflix based workout video subscription service called Fitflix. The HEAT Challenge is the bread and butter of HEATXtreme, helping over 100,000 dedicated individuals reach their goals to this day. Per each challenge, five winners with the best overall transformations within six weeks, are awarded $5,000 each, totaling $25,000. The challenge takes out the guesswork for the contestants by providing them with a Gym Training Program, Home Training Program, Customized Meal
Plan, Cooking Tutorials, and exclusive access to the positively supportive Facebook Community Group. It’s a sure bet to say you are more than equipped to transform your life once you sign up. Collectively, the HEAT Challenge has given away over $150,000 since the beginning of 2019. Given the times we are in right now with COVID-19 hitting us hard in these streets, I had to set up a Zoom interview with DP versus an in person interview and it went a little something like this:
FF: How and when did you get started in the fitness industry? DP: Oh that’s a loaded question. I was an athlete, played basketball from middle school all the way through college. I had a chance to go overseas and play and ended up breaking my hand 2 weeks prior to and I just never decided to go back. Graduated from University of Findlay, went there for four years and from there I went to Lowes. I worked my way up as a Supervisor, than to an operations manager. I worked there for eight years and ended up getting fired so I went over to Home Depot and worked there for about a year and a half and got fired. I used to work out after I got off of work depending on which shift I was on. When I got fired the last time, I went to the gym and this was in 2013 and my son was born in April and I got fired in October so having a son on the way, I went to the gym and a young lady walked up to me and asked me if I could train her because she seen how I was always training people. But I wasn’t training people, I was just working out with these guys. I took what I knew from working out and playing basketball because I never
understood the education behind training and working out. I was just staying fit and staying active because I didn’t want to get fat so that was my whole purpose of working out. You can officially say I started my training in 2013. I started with a young lady who paid me $35 a week for training her. I took it because I didn’t have anything else to do and that turned into me getting her results in a month. She told her friends and then the word started spreading and IG was starting to take off so I started posting on Facebook and Instagram. Then I reached out to a guy named Dashaun Johnson of Guru of Abs, and I didn’t know him at the time. I reached out to him a few times and he finally answered his DM and he asked me to come up and do an event with the Housewives of Atlanta. It was the first time I met Dashaun and the first time I met Porscha Williams who was my first client in Atlanta. From that weekend visit, I ended up training Porscha probably a month and a half later so I would drive from Valdosta to Atlanta every weekend just to train her. From that my following started growing because our agreement was if she posted videos of me training her, I would train her for free. I did that close to a year before I moved to Atlanta.
FF: I actually came to know about you through IG. I was perusing on IG and came across the your ad with Porscha and Kandi and thought, ‘Wow! He’s giving away money to get fit’. How did the Heat Challenge come about? Brilliant idea by the way. DP: The challenge came about, well FitFigures Summer/Fall 2020 25
WANT HEAT? Visit
www. heatextreme.com
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my certification in Personal Training and I was just in the gym trying to figure things out. So since 2013, it’s always been how do I become the next Beach Body? How do I become the next black owned fitness company that represents my own kind and that was always the goal. What I started figuring out is; there were just different roads that I had to take and training was gonna be one of them. My class was going to be another and then my online program was going to put everything into play. As I became more efficient with training and when I started my class,
they sucked. My mom had to tell me, she said, ‘these classes are horrible’. And it was true. I would give buy one ticket and get three people in for $10 and I still couldn’t get 10 people in my class. I thought it was a dope class but the problem was I was making it for people like myself. And what I mean by that is the people that came to my class weren’t actually the ones that go to the gym and workout intensely like I do so that style type of workout wasn’t really pleasant or attractive to the people that I was marketing to. After revamping, people started responding. I like to dance and I’m good at choreography so I figured out a way to make functional movements to go along with music that actually burn calories, increase your heart rate and I came up with a concept so you have HIIT training, Tibata, all of those are concepts. And Heat is an actual concept. People think it’s a class but it’s an actual concept. There’s a science behind it so HIIT training will take your heart rate up, bringing it back down. Tabata will be up, down for a certain duration. HEAT is where you go up and you stay up but there are exercises that you do that to the mind you’d think you were in a resting period but it still keeps your heart rate up in a fat burning stage the entire time of the class so I went through trademarking and all kinds of stuff to get this approved and people still don’t understand the concept.
FF: How did you bring the Heat Challenge to the public? DP: So the very first challenge I did by myself and it was a 90 day challenge and it was free. Meaning I’m a very impulsive person so if I think of something I’ll just start doing it. In my head I’m gonna put up videos every day for five days a week and people can go on my IG and follow along. After awhile I started burning myself out and when it got around day 30, day 45 I was running out of exercises to do. Then I started reaching out to other trainers and get them involved and all they had to do was give me a workout and I would post it, tag them and give
PHOTOGRAPHY | Paul Marcus Photos
when I got into fitness the whole idea in the back of my head was, ok if I’m gonna do this and I’m gonna be my own boss. It was never to be a trainer. The goal was for me to own a whole brand. I wanted to be the next Beach Body. That was the goal. The best way I could think of it is, I had a class called Heat and I wanted to get people to do the class but in order to do the class I had to figure out a way to not let it just be in Atlanta but let people be able to do it anywhere around the country. It started off as a seven day Heat Abs program. From October to December 2014, I was learning how to train. I went and got certified in Cross Fit, got
them credit and from there I would put in mine in between so that page grew to like 5000 people. And I said, ok people like challenges. And I always kept my ear to the community and listening to what they wanted. They were part of the creation of this brand that I grew. Every challenge that I do at this point keeps getting better and better because I always go back and ask, ‘what can I do better’? or ‘what can I do that’s different or add more value to the program’? So it started off as 7 day, then it went to 30, then I teamed up with a guy and we called it the 2 month Heat Transformation program. I think we ran that twice together. Then he wanted to give away trips and I said I’d rather just give away money so we parted our ways. The first one I did was $50, $75, $100 and then from there it went to $100, $200, $300 and then it was $500 for all 5 winners, then 5 winners and $1000 and then 5 winners to $5000. I kept that going since 2016.
FF: What have you learned about yourself during this time of quarantine lockdown? DP: I’m chillin’! I just found more ways to elevate my brand even more and now I’m partnered with more trainers across the world and doing classes with them and now everybody is doing that. My focus now is, since I have the attention online, I’ve been doing home programs and gym programs. Programs for people who are at home but have gym equipment at home and people who are at home with no equipment.
FF: I’ve seen you collaborate with a lot of different people. Who did you enjoy working with the most and why? DP: It’s probably gonna always be Dashaun. Just because he is who I started with. We have two different brands and two different angles we attack the body so we never clashed at what we do. He offers strictly abs and not as intense as what I do, and then I offer overall more intense workouts
Darrell & girlfriend, Naturee.
and when you bring them altogether it’s a great collaboration and it was my Day One. That’s probably who I’ll team up with the most. Just because I was on his couch and we were trying to figure out what to do next and always bounce things off of each other so just seeing him grow and seeing myself grow it will always be like that.
FF: So if people wanted the HEAT program from you what would they need to do? DP: Click the link in any bio that I’m on. They can follow me on Instagram, Facebook. They can check out the website: www.heatextreme.com
I moved it down to a 6 week program. I also have another platform program called FitFlix which is a fitness version of Netflix. So when the app drops you’ll be able to do the challenge but also have individual programs inside of Fitflix so I’ll never sell programs directly I’ll just sell a subscription to Fitflix and you’ll have unlimited access to programs. We don’t have an official drop date yet.
FF: DP Thank you so much for taking this time to interview with FitFigures and I wish you much success on everything that you put your hands to.
FF: How long are your home programs? DP: It used to be a 60 day program but FitFigures Summer/Fall 2020 27
Fun Facts What’s your sign? Pisces Where’s your dream vacation? Somewhere on the beach What’s your favorite workout? Any shoulder workout What’s your favorite go to meal? Pizza, burgers and fries One thing you’d like to accomplish that you haven’t yet. Life
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#BlackLivesMatter An organized movement advocating for non-violent civil disobedience in protest against incidents of police brutality against African-American people.
By Corey Andrew
Dear White People,
our white counterparts.
I hope you will forgive the way I have opened this letter, seemingly addressing you all as one monolithic group. It is not my intention to insult anyone by corralling you all together as one singular presence. However, as over 47,000,000 black people in America must endure such generalizations every day, I trust you will survive a few minutes of similar treatment in the brief time it will take you to finish reading this letter.
My dear white people, I expect many of you will take offense to the statements mentioned above. However, let me assure you that you are not the victims in this equation, and I will explain why in this letter.
I decided to write this letter to tell you that Black Lives Matter and to explain why your response of All Lives Matter, is a gross insult in consideration of the past 400 years of injustice suffered by African American citizens. Our declaration that black lives matter does not suggest that other lives do not, but instead, its purpose is to demand that America finally acknowledges and rectifies its history as a white-patriarchial society, rooted in the racist practice of devaluing black people’s lives in comparison to
Initially, I wanted to write a very different letter, one that might make you uncomfortable, as I fully educate you about this country’s vile racist history with its crimes against black people such as white racist mobs burning down our progressive black-owned towns out of jealously. However, that information is readily available for you to seek when YOU are finally ready for the truth, so I opted not to exhaust my time writing that letter. Just Google “White mob, Black Massacres,” and you’ll be on your way. No, that letter would take far too long with each exhaustive example of inhumanity that has burdened African Americans, starting from the pillaging of our ancestry, with the
arrival of the first slave ships on these shores in 1619. It was the beginning of slavery as America’s brutal premier industry. If I wrote that letter, I would be concerned that even my most skillfully selected words could never convey the destitute existence of nothingness endured by the African slaves. For centuries these human beings–may ancestors, were deemed sub-human or humanoid and determined to be only 3/5 human by law in the U.S. Constitution at that time. At the hands of white slave owners, Africans’ lives consisted of little more than harsh, hard labor, beatings, starvation, poverty, death, torture, rape, and the selling of their bodies and their children, like cattle, from 1619 until their final emancipation in 1865. Alas, I decided not to write that letter because it would only infuriate me as I would have to recount the two hundred forty-six years of chainshackled bondage the Africans endured until their freedom. But then too, “freedom” had new FitFigures Summer/Fall 2020 31
terrors for the Africans, most of whom were denied their emancipatory compensation of 40 acres and a mule. That is what each freed slave was supposed to receive, to begin a new life as free Americans. They instead were met with the continued betrayal of ruthless slave owners who created fraudulent grandfather clauses that kept Africans in further bondage for decades after the Emancipation Proclamation. In that letter, I was going to share the depravity of our racist founding fathers who forced ignorance and illiteracy unto the slaves. They actually made it a crime punishable by death for anyone who taught slaves to read and write. And further, I was going to share the heart-wrenching tales of how after working in forced labor to build the United States – without compensation, freed slaves received no post Civil War assistance from either side, the south, or the north. They were left to scavenge for survival, and many died of diseases like cholera, having been denied medical assistance. The nearly 300-year headstart of the white male hierarchy in wealth distribution was fully established, and it intentionally excluded those who were vital in
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building that the Africans.
wealth
–
Hopefully, you will appreciate that I opted not to write that letter to spare you from the full reality of the grotesque decimation of the African slaves who physically built this great union under the brutality of white racism. So, my dear white people, let me now bring you forward to address how the country’s racist, unresolved past still affects African Americans today in 2020. You see, right after the alleged “freeing” of millions of slaves in 1865, African Americans were not suddenly thriving and welcomed into society. On the contrary, they were immediately indoctrinated into America’s next phase of black oppression, the Jim Crow era. The name Jim Crow originated from a black minstrel show character. The minstrel shows themselves were hideously racist theater acts where white performers donned blackface makeup and mocked the African Americans, portraying them as ignorant buffoons. The painful irony was the same society that kept black people from literacy for 300 years was now mocking them for being illiterate. At
the
same
time,
the government that “freed” black people from slavery was now allowing individual states to enact and enforce Jim Crow laws, which served one purpose – to further marginalize African Americans. These laws lasted nearly 100 years after the Civil War, denying black Americans entrance into most businesses and restaurants, denying them voting rights, barring them from employment, housing, and denying them education (again). Nearly every opportunity for prosperity was denied to African Americans during the Jim Crow era through segregation, and anyone who broke those laws could be arrested, fined, and potentially sentenced to death. Under Jim Crow, African Americans merely wanting a drink of water or to use a restroom were met with signs that read “Whites Only,” or bathrooms marked, “No Coloreds.” These laws did not end in this country until 1968. Think about how recent that is and make no mistake about America’s history; from 1619 to 1968, it is abundantly clear that for those 349 years, white lives mattered, and black lives did not. In America, the socioeconomics of the past have spawned our current society of white male dominance, but at
its core, the truth is, the oppression of others obtained it. In contrast, all African Americans have ever asked for was a fair opportunity to get some of the wealth they helped create. However, instead of adequately addressing the inequities it created for 400 years, America has dealt with the disparity by becoming a land of biased law enforcement, with a prison system that operates to the demise of black people as if it were ‘Slavery 2.0.’ According to records from the Federal Bureau of Investigations, black inmates make up nearly 40% of the prison population but make up 13.40% of the total U.S.
population. Many white people like to use these statistics to support their distorted idea that black people are inherently more criminal than white people. That is inaccurate. There is data that supports claims that black people are more likely to go to jail for the same petty crimes and minor drug charges committed by white people. Additionally, research indicates that black people are often targeted and profiled frequently by police, specifically with traffic stops. According to a report by CNN, (CNN)A study of
recent nearly
100 million traffic stops from around the country has concluded that, on average, black drivers are 20% more likely to get pulled over than white drivers. The Stanford University study analyzed 93 million traffic stops from 21 state patrol agencies and 29 municipal police departments between the years of 2001 and 2017. Researchers then analyzed the traffic-stop data in relation to the number of people of driving age within each jurisdiction and controlled for demographics, gender, reasons for traffic stops and other factors to try to create the most standardized set of data possible. The results, which reflect experiences that have long been shared by people of color, revealed an observable racial bias in both traffic stops and subsequent decisions to conduct vehicle searches. America’s past systemic racism still prevails and fuels such situations of bias today, as noted by Stanford University’s study. In my lifetime, I have experienced first hand being thrown in the back of a police car for nothing, my civil rights wilfully discarded by the officers. It was unsettling to be racially profiled and detained by police who claimed I “fit
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the description” of a suspected criminal in the area. In these instances, though, I remained calm and collected because my mother, like most black mothers, had years prior given me “the talk.” My dear white people, please understand that your mothers don’t need to have “the talk” with your sons about how to survive and not die at the hands of the police who may pull you over for a routine traffic stop. My dear white people, you are likely never going to be pulled over by a cop for a traffic stop, but then end up hanging from your neck in a jail cell like three days later, like Sandra Bland. My dear white people, you will likely never feel the baton of four police officers beating you down until you are almost dead, but they keep hitting you anyway, just as we watched happen to Rodney King. It was all captured on video, and yet the officers were acquitted. My dear white people, you are likely never going to be gasping to say, “I can’t breathe” like Eric Garner as you’re being choked to death by a cop for the almost laughable offense of selling loose cigarettes on the street. My dear white people, you will likely never be shot in the back like Aumaud Arbery, who was
killed by two hillbillyass racists who hunted him down, trapping him like an animal, claiming he looked like a neighborhood thief - when there had been no recent robberies reported in that neighborhood. Then add to that the police department sided with the shooters to cover up the video evidence of the incident. My dear white people, you will likely never be sleeping peacefully in your bed like Breonna Taylor and get shot to death by cops who cared so little about her black life, that they never even confirmed if they had the correct address first before storming inside the wrong house, guns blazing, looking for a drug dealer. My dear white people, you likely will never experience a fate like George Floyd, whereby three officers held him down as a fourth embedded his knee into Floyd’s neck, as he begged them to stop because he couldn’t breathe. Still, they continued for almost nine minutes anyway, blatantly cutting off his lifeline to air. These are some of the reasons we march and chant, Black Lives Matter. But when we ask you to stand with us in solidarity against crimes of bias, some of you, my dear white people, cling to a favorite retort, “Well, what about black
on black crime? You guys are killing each other, and nobody says anything about that? My response to that misdirected deflection and defensive reasoning is that black on black crimes occur due to the over 400 years of economic disparity between blacks and whites that I have shared in this letter. It is no great revelation that a systemically oppressed group, denied it’s a fair share of an economy it helped to build, would succumb to the inevitable stealing, harming and murdering each other over the scraps that remain. So my dear white people, please let that one go. In closing, I hope I have given you a better context of the plight of African Americans today and why there are Black Lives Matter protests occurring in all 50 states and various countries. It’s because it is time for America to finally face its day of reckoning for its failure to make right the wrongs it has done, not only to Africans but also to the indigenous inhabitants of the country. In essence, we are not saying all lives don’t matter. What we are saying is that we are tired of trying to convince you that Black Lives Matter TOO!
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scholarly articles on the topic of racial discrimination and health confirmed a strong association between discrimination and mental health outcomes. These findings demonstrated that discrimination correlates with poorer mental health outcomes, i.e., depression and psychological stress, as well as diminished self-esteem, control, and life satisfaction.2
By Attorney Arnold Lizana he recent round-the-clock coverage of the tragic murders of black men and women by police officers has generated wide recognition that the subtle and systemic forms of discrimination are jeopardizing the lives of black people around the world. Since racial bias in employment is now generally acknowledged as a powerful social determinant that negatively impacts health, it is no longer considered an exaggeration to say that racial discrimination is slowly and surely killing Black people. Although most stressful experiences do not increase vulnerability to illness, certain kinds of stressors are particularly harmful to your health, especially those that are as unpredictable and intractable as racism. Being the target of racial discrimination can stir strong emotions, including sadness, anger, and embarrassment. Such experiences can often trigger a physiological response of elevated blood pressure, heart rate, and body temperature. Numerous healthcare studies have confirmed that the detrimental effects of discrimination are visible across a range of physical fitness and mental health outcomes, including psychological distress, anxiety, depression, obesity, hypertension and potential risk factors for disease, i.e., high blood pressure and substance abuse1. A 2015 meta-analysis study reviewing over 200 FitFigures Summer/Fall 2020 36
Some researchers have described physical health outcomes linked to discrimination as “stress responses.” The stress response models conceptualize discrimination as a social stressor that sets into motion a process of physiological responses. These heightened physiological responses over time can have devastating effects on your health3. The routine workplace discrimination experienced by many racial minorities has become a chronic stressor that is effectively eroding their protective resources and increasing their vulnerability to physical illness.
COPING WITH DISCRIMINATION If you find yourself battling discrimination in the workplace or just “job hunting while Black,” take a deep breath, center yourself, and make strategic decisions about how you should respond. The most impactful responses generally take into account the preservation of your health (first and foremost) as well as defending your core beliefs and personal commitment to effect change4. In these moments, it is critically important that you prioritize your mental and physical
health so that you are well equipped for sober reflection and decision-making. Try to remain mindful of what is happening to you, mentally and physically. Neurologically speaking, when you experience discriminatory conduct, your brain shifts into a protective posture and immediately floods your bloodstream with a stress hormone called “cortisol.” Cortisol elevates your heart rate, shallows your breathing, warms your head, stimulates your sweat glands, and diverts blood flow away from your brain. Functionally, these rapid physical changes are preparing your body for a “fight or flight” response. The blood flow diversion from your brain impairs your ability to formulate any rational or wellreasoned response5. At such times, your emotions can quickly get ahead of you, and cause you to respond in ways you might later regret. The good news is that if you quickly recognize what is happening to you mentally and physically, you can assert some measure of control over your neurological response by deliberately slowing you’re breathing or using other relaxation exercises to calm your body’s stress response. After that, you will be able to think more clearly about how you want to respond. One common mistake victims of discrimination make is allowing themselves to become isolated. Talk to your family, friends, therapist, or an attorney to help you process the discriminatory conduct and gain some valuable perspective on how you should respond. You can also join a support group of like-minded persons
concerned about workplace discrimination, locally or online. It can often help to dialogue with others who have experienced similar discrimination to gain some insights regarding ways of responding that you may not have considered. One factor that makes workplace discrimination particularly dangerous to your mental health is that people often internalize others’ negative beliefs about race, even when they are false6. For this reason, restorative and affirming meditation or prayer can be effective for maintaining your sense of self-confidence. Professional therapists who specialize in helping employees manage workplace stress are generally well qualified to help you keep an objective view of your self-worth. However, some organizations are more specifically equipped to address the particular needs of Black people who have experienced workplace discrimination, like the Massachusetts-based African Diaspora Mental Health Association. Shameka Brice, a therapist at the association who conducts tele-medicine counseling commented, “Black people are constantly aware when they walk into any room, be it a store, our workplace, or a social gathering, that they are immediately seen as threatening, which is sufficient by itself to trigger stress responses that can damage our physical and mental health.” Brice accurately described one of the daily challenges of living in dark skin, and since the state of your mental health is often a key determinant of your physical health, victims of workplace discrimination are well-advised not FitFigures Summer/Fall 2020 37
to underestimate the importance of seeking professional counseling. Another coping strategy that can motivate you to succeed during such difficult times is to focus your attention on your core values, beliefs, and perceived strengths. This strategy can be particularly useful in buffering some of the adverse health effects of bias when we pause to recognize the ancestral source of our strength, values, and beliefs. We know that we stand on the shoulder of resilient ancestors who endured far more egregious oppression and discrimination than we will likely encounter in our lifetimes, and it is comforting to know that we have access to that same well of strength and endurance. Through their example, our ancestors have taught us that overcoming hardship builds resilience and better prepares us to face the challenges ahead. Accordingly, we must commit ourselves to overcome all discriminatory obstacles by whatever means necessary to honor the memory of our resilient ancestors7. You may find it necessary to complain to the HR, file a lawsuit, lead a protest, or perhaps withdraw your energy from the matter entirely to focus on your health. The critical factor is that you will have afforded yourself time and space to make a rational decision about what is best for you and your family. Once you have performed your self-care, sought professional help, and responded FitFigures Summer/Fall 2020 38
appropriately, at some point, you will have let it all go. This is much easier said than done because we all have a human tendency to ruminate and rethink things over and over, wondering if we should have responded differently. The problem with rumination is that it only makes matters worse. Clinicians refer to rumination as a “silent” mental health problem because its impact is often underestimated. Studies have shown that while traumatic experiences are a significant cause of anxiety and depression, people who ruminate those negative thoughts and experiences report even more stress and anxiety8. We have full and productive lives to live that must not be held captive to the rumination of someone else’s racial bias towards you. If you allow yourself to obsess over mistreatment by persons who do not appreciate your worth, your oppressor has succeeded in victimizing you twice. Your employer may have attempted to kill your spirit, but you are certainly not obligated to assist them in doing so. Chose healthy responses to discrimination and defend your health at all costs.
(Williams et al., 2019)1
(Carter et al., 2017)2 (Bailey et al., 2017)3 (Holt & Sweitzer.,2020)4 (Carlson & Agerström, 2016)5 (Coley et al., 2017)6 (Snyder & Schwartz 2019)7 (Quillian et al., 2019)8
By Basheerah Ahmad MS, MHR, CPT, CSNC
ne of my favorite quotes from Maya Angelou says: “If one has courage, nothing can dim the light which shines from within”. I believe that this quote can serve as a very appropriate reminder to all of us facing the unprecedented historical crisis that 2020 has become. We’re only 7 months into the year and it has already turned out to be one for the record books! First a deadly Pandemic and now a Racial Revolution that’s been brewing for centuries. Although we are still in the middle of all this chaos, it’s important that we take moments to recognize the amazing people that are still operating in excellence each and every day. This is exactly what “Black Girl Magic in the Fitness Industry” is about. We showcase courageous, intelligent and beautiful women of color, who have devoted their lives not only to their own health, but also to serving as role models to their communities. Rikki Dee Brown Founder of #EbonyFitness IG: @rikkideebrown After fracturing her foot and undergoing surgery in 2013, Rikki didn’t walk for 16 weeks. She lost a lot of weight and wanted to get into the best shape of her life by her 30th birthday, so she started lifting and fell in love with it. This gorgeous mother FitFigures Summer/Fall 2020 40
Rikkie Dee Brown
and wife created one of the very first Black fitness accounts on Instagram called Ebony Fitness because she was tired of not seeing women of color featured on other popular fitness profiles. Today the hashtag #EbonyFitness has been used nearly 1 million times, and still inspires countless
honestly say that I have experienced ALL the ups and downs in the body image business! I have gone from an athlete, to becoming overweight, then a single parent and working mom to becoming a figure competitor and beauty pageant contestant. At the peak of my fitness career I had several injuries leading to 5 surgeries within a 3-year time frame. I can relate to women who struggle w/ taking time out for themselves to help improve their overall fitness goals. I believe I’m also unique because I want people to understand the basics and educate them on how important it is to make it a lifestyle change opposed to a quick fix. My clients appreciate my approach, sincerity and passion for their health goals.” She’s the proud mother of a young black man in college. Shakelle Oneal
black women across the globe. When asked what make her unique as a role model she said “I am unique in that I promote what I call Whole Person Wellness. That is, taking care of your physique, your mental health and your overall wellbeing. It isn’t all about abs and muscle. After all, what good is a six-pack if you’re sad, stressed and unwell?”
PHOTOGRAPHY | James Pratt (Lenee), Tommy Mystro Bedford (Shak)
Shakelle Oneal, ACSM-REP, R-OT, NC IG: @S.H.A.K.fit Even though this curvaceous beauty works a full-time job, she always finds the time to continue to do personal training and group exercise classes in her community. She’s also fortunate to work w/ local orthopedic physicians in assisting surgical candidates on losing weight so they can have surgical procedures. Her business motto is Shaping Health by Applying Knowledge or (Body by S.H.A.K). When asked what makes her unique as a role model, Shak replied “Well I can
Lenee’ Adkins Former Miss Model Fitness America IG: @shugafit
Lenee’ Adkins
After a good friend suggested that she should enter Fitness Competitions, this professional dancer not only entered but also won the coveted title of Miss Model Fitness America, an honor few black women have shared with her. From that point on she knew that a career in fitness was for her. Lenee’ went on to win titles in Fitness Bikini and Figure Competitions. She also became a certified personal trainer. Lenee’ believes that you shouldn’t just preach to people about what they should do but you lead as an example. She even uses her job as a flight attendant to teach people how to cook healthy as they pack for their trips. Although she leads a very hectic lifestyle, she still finds time to motivate neighbors, friends, and even people on planes to be healthy. When asked what makes her unique as a role model Lenee’ replied “I genuinely care about people. I want to help them get to their goal, to help them get off of their blood pressure medication, and to help them change their diets. Being a role model is more than having a great body. It is to care, to listen, to inspire and to walk their walk with them. If I can touch one person and know that I changed their life in anyway is unique enough for me.”
(Basheerah Ahmad is an international celebrity fitness expert, who has a heart for wellness, business and her community. Find out more at www. basheerahahmad.com) FitFigures Summer/Fall 2020 41
Interviewed By Dionne Davis-Frazier
with Sherrell Duncan
You expected to hold your baby in your arms after delivery, but you may not have expected to also be holding on to lots of extra fluid all over your body. Swelling after giving birth is par for the postpartum course — as normal as it is common. I had the pleasure of talking with Personal Trainer, Sherrell Duncan of The Good Thick as she walked us through her journey of dealing with postpartum edema and her pregnancy journey. Sherrell and her husband had a beautiful little girl named Royal. Babies are a blessing from God. FF: So let’s talk about your post pregnancy in dealing with Postpartum Edema. SD: Basically what happens, it doesn’t happen to all pregnant women but it happens to a lot of pregnant women. It’s a lot of fluid that builds up in your legs and your hips and it can go all the way up to your shoulders. I had it in my legs, ankles, my calves, my hips. FF: Does it go away? SD: It does, I find that when I exercise it’ll go down but in the morning when I wake up it’s really hard to move and when I get out of the bed it takes me awhile because my feet are hurting. The pain from the fluid, I would still feel it in my feet so normally it’ll probably take me a minute to go to the bathroom but now I have to stand there. FF: Let’s pregnancy.
talk
about
during
SD: My pregnancy was so rough. When I tell you that I am so grateful for my daughter, I keep it real, that was just FitFigures Summer/Fall 2020 42
the worst thing that I went through. I was unexplainably sick the first trimester. I was hospitalized five times for dehydration and they were concerned because of the laws we had here before. They monitored me. They gave me medicine for nausea and it didn’t work. I couldn’t walk. I mean it was so bad. My water broke in the middle of me getting my hair done. It was so funny because the girl who was doing my hair called me and she asked me if she should still come. And I’m like girl yes my hair is a mess plus I had pregnancy carpal tunnel which doesn’t allow me to do anything. There was a burning fire sensation in my hand. This pregnancy threw me for a loop! FF: But you forget all about it once the baby is brought into this world? SD: I was still in a weird zone because I had to have an emergency C-section. I had been in labor from like Thursday to Friday night and we tried to wait it out but my uterus started to swell and she was trying to come out of old incision. I was very hurt behind that because my birth plan was to have her natural but it just didn’t happen. I was in lot of pain afterwards. After you’ve had a c-section they want you to walk around and that pain was so crazy. FF: So take us from the time you had the baby and brought the baby home. What was that like for you compared to your “normal” life? SD: To be honest, my life stopped being normal once I found out I was pregnant. I wasn’t able to work. I was no bed rest and I was gaining weight rapidly. The day I had my daughter I was 318 lbs. When I brought her home it was a surprise. But when I finally got her home I was like, ‘Oh my God, it’s really you’ and I still say that when I look at her. I was just so
grateful and not knowing if we would ever have a child and to be totally honest with you the thoughts of her not making it still lingered. I had faith but you just never know. You think in your mind you’re making a plan, and then it doesn’t go that way. Fast forward, she gave us a run for our money. She did not sleep. But now she’s sleeping. Her bedtime now is 12:00 am and she’ll wake up at 6am or 7am. That was a gift for us. Because normally her bed time would be between 6am and 8am and she’ll wake up at noon. Stay awake and go to sleep for a little while and then wake up at 9pm and stay up until like 8am. That was for the first 2 months she was born. If we weren’t in a pandemic, my husband would’ve been tired if he had to go to work. And he puts her to sleep at night. It’s so good now. FF: Talk about the time when you found out you were pregnant. Seeing how you had already experienced a miscarriage. Where were you and your husband mentally? SD: To be honest when we found out we were pregnant we were going through a really hard financial situation. We had both lost our contracts with our businesses. He started applying for jobs because it started to get really bad for us. One day I woke up and was feeling very emotional. My granny had gotten sick at that time and I was going to take care of her and then coming home and having to get on the laptop trying to find jobs all day and trying to figure out how we’re going to pay these bills. It was a lot going on. So one day my daughter was in camp and I had an appointment to go see about my knee the next day so on my way to pick her up the Doctor called me and said we see something abnormal in your test. Before you get this MRI we need you to take a pregnancy test before you come. I said there’s no way I’m pregnant.
So I go to Dollar Tree and I get five pregnancy tests. I went to Gabby’s camp and used their bathroom and took the test and one was positive but that didn’t nothing, then I got to the fourth one and I was like, ‘Oh my God!’ I was losing my mind in that bathroom. I took the last and final test and of course it was positive so we get home and I tell Gabby to go upstairs in her room and take a bath and stay upstairs until I tell you to come down. My husband is out on the patio so I go out on the patio and I had on workout clothes so I didn’t have any pockets so I put all five pregnancy tests in my pants. I reached into my pants and I laid them on his laptop and he looked at me and said, ‘For real?’ ‘Pregnant?’ And I said, ‘yes’. He said, ‘are these accurate’? Our response this time was not the response that we had in 2018. In 2018 we were so excited! But this time, though she was a blessing, the season we were in…Ok God, a baby? For about a week we were both in shock. We had tour dates lined up but I got extremely sick as soon as I found out I was pregnant. And I was sick up until the 5th month. They wanted to send me home with in home IV’s. It was a tough pregnancy but we got through it. FitFigures Summer/Fall 2020 43
FITNESS is like a
RELATIONSHIP. you can’t cheat and expect it to work..
By Jacob Olesen The word Gerascophobia is derived from Greek ‘tha geraso’ which is a phrase that means ‘I am getting old’ and phobos meaning dread or deep fear. To an extent, most of us are afraid of growing old. No one wants to lose their youthfulness, develop wrinkles and face other health problems that are inevitable with age. Right since the dawn of mankind, humans have been searching for the mythical “fountain of youth”. The tales and exploits of Spanish and American explorers in search of the waters of this fountain are quite well known. In extreme cases of Gerascophobia the sufferer experiences persistent, irrational and constant fear of getting old. This fear can lead to several consequences including interference with social and personal life, lost job opportunities and almost every other daily aspect. Often, the phobic realizes that the fear is unwarranted but s/ he is completely powerless over it.
CAUSES OF GERASCOPHOBIA Why does one fear of aging? Often, to ‘normal’ people, it may seem quite odd that one can fear such a natural phenomenon. However, the fear of getting old phobia actually tends to have deeper roots. Most common underlying factor behind such a fear is anxiety. By nature, Gerascophobic individuals are anxious or high strung. They tend to have certain underlying health issues, which may or may not include hormonal imbalances, adrenal insufficiency, thyroid related problems and so on. In the United States, hundreds of thousands of elderly people live alone. The fear of getting old, and being unable to care for self or falling down and not being able to get up or call out for help etc can terrify the phobic. Getting old also means retirement, death of near and dear ones etc. The thought of losing a spouse, losing one’s income, not being able to support self or loved ones financially are depressing thoughts that may lead to the phobia. Gerascophobia can also be attributed to firsthand or secondhand negative experiences related to aging. The phobic might have seen the difficulties faced after getting old. Possibly, his parent might have developed debilitating conditions like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, AMD or other age related degeneration. They even might have been sent to a retirement home or required full time assistance. Growing old thus translates to becoming dependent on others, losing one’s self esteem and “being weak”. All these factors play heavily on the phobic’s mind.
SYMPTOMS OF THE FEAR OF GETTING OLD PHOBIA Different people have different reactions to the fear of getting old phobia. Some are so overwhelmed by the thought of aging that it leads to a full blown anxiety/panic attack with following symptoms:
• • • • •
•
Feeling dizzy, fainting Shaking, shivering, developing chills Thoughts of death or dying, Palpitations and rapid breathing Inability to think or express oneself clearly- feeling disconnected with reality Feeling total loss of control- feeling as if one is going mad.
Naturally, all these symptoms can greatly affect one’s day-to-day life and cause one to become completely withdrawn and depressed. Excessive worrying also leads to stress which can cause health problems like high blood pressure or heart disease. Naturallt, the phobia affects one’s personal and professional lives. TREATMENT FOR THE PHOBIA It is completely possible to get over Gerascophobia using a combination of self-help techniques and medical intervention. However, the cure for this phobia mainly depends on how the phobic accepts aging as a natural part of life. Few of the recommended therapies for overcoming the fear of getting old include: Exposure therapy– This is closely related to CBT or cognitive behavior therapy. It includes 5 steps-Evaluation, Feedback, Developing fear hierarchy, Exposure and Building upon the rationalization steps. CBT or Exposure therapists help the patient rethink his thoughts and responses about getting old in order to control them better. Exposure may also include, in varying degrees, stimuli that involve seeing pictures or videos about old age and then using the flooding technique to overcome the Gerascophobia once and for all. Energy Psychology or the Emotional Freedom TechniqueThis is a form of acupuncture therapy without needles. It helps get to the bottom of the phobia by removing negative association with getting old. Hypnotherapy and Psychotherapy are two other techniques of overcoming Gerascophobia once and for all. The phobic’s loved ones should also support the individual as much as possible. Self help techniques like yoga, meditation, positive visualization along with modern medications can also help overcome the fear to a great extent. Many modern techniques and remedies are similar to the mythical fountain of youth; they are proven to help retain one’s beauty and health longer. That being said; it is essential to accept aging as a natural process and consider life as a gift. By aging gracefully, living for others and finding one’s passions in the form of good books, drama, art etc one can look at things in a positive manner and overcome the fear of getting old.
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Mental Health... involves effective functioning in daily activities resulting in:
• Productive activities
(work, school, caregiving)
and cope with adversity
• Healthy relationships • Ability to adapt to change Mental Illness...
refers collectively to all diagnosable mental disorders — health conditions involving:
• Significant changes in thinking,
•
emotion and/or behavior Distress and/or problems functioning in social, work or family activities
Mental health is the foundation for emotions, thinking, communication, learning, resilience and self-esteem. Mental health is also key to relationships, personal and emotional well-being and contributing to community or society. Many people who have a mental illness do not want to talk about it. But mental illness is nothing to be ashamed of! It is a medical condition, just like heart disease or diabetes. And mental health conditions are treatable. We are continually expanding our understanding of how the human brain works, and treatments are available to help people successfully manage mental health conditions.
Mental illnesses are health conditions involving changes in emotion, thinking or behavior (or a combination of these). Mental illnesses are associated with distress and/or problems functioning in social, work or family activities. Mental illness is common. In a given year:
• nearly one in five (19 percent) U.S. adults experience some
form of mental illness
• one in 24 (4.1 percent) has a serious mental illness* • one in 12 (8.5 percent) has a diagnosable substance use disorder Mental illness is treatable. The vast majority of individuals with mental illness continue to function in their daily lives.
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Mental illness does not discriminate; it can affect anyone regardless of your age, gender, geography, income, social status, race/ethnicity, religion/ spirituality, sexual orientation, background or other aspect of cultural identity. While mental illness can occur at any age, three-fourths of all mental illness begins by age 24. Mental illnesses take many forms. Some are mild and only interfere in limited ways with daily life, such as certain phobias (abnormal fears). Other mental health conditions are so severe that a person may need care in a hospital. https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/what-ismental-illness
By Tami Forman
The way self-care is portrayed today is completely and utterly backward. First, self-care as a concept is almost exclusively aimed at women (generally wealthy white women who can afford the goods and services that get marketed to them as selfcare). The not-so-subtle suggestion is that women need to be reminded to care for themselves because, after all, they are so busy taking care of everyone else. And the even lesssubtle suggestion is that while we should be taking care of ourselves, that doesn’t absolve us from taking care of everyone else. Which brings me to the second way that the current portrayal of self-care is backward — it’s characterized as an indulgence. This means both that the practice of self-care is something we are occasionally allowed to indulge in and that self-care should feel like an indulgence. Think expensive bath products, luxurious chocolates, spa appointments. When we spend more time talking about the self-care power of high thread count sheets than we do about getting enough sleep we’ve wandered pretty far from anything that can be remotely considered healthy for either mind or body.
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Self-care is not an indulgence. Self-care is a discipline. It requires tough-mindedness, a deep and personal understanding of your priorities, and a respect for both yourself and the people you choose to spend your life with.
If we are being honest, self-care is actually kind of boring. Which is why self-care is a discipline. It takes discipline to do the things that are good for us instead of what feels good in the moment. It takes even more discipline to refuse to take responsibility for other people’s emotional well-being. And it takes discipline to take full and complete responsibility for our own well-being.
For example, self care is:
Turning off the TV instead of watching another episode of “The Crown” because the alarm is going off at 5am so you can get to the gym. Declining the second drink at the office holiday party. It might even be declining the first drink. Saying “no” to the thing you don’t want to do even if someone is going to be angry at you. Maintaining financial independence. Doing work that matters. Letting other people take care of themselves.
Self-care is also a discipline because it’s not something you do once in awhile when the world gets crazy. It’s what you do every day, every week, month in and month out. It’s taking care of yourself in a way that doesn’t require you to “indulge” in order to restore balance. It’s making the commitment to stay healthy and balanced as a regular practice. Ironically when you truly care for yourself, exercising all the discipline that it requires, you are actually in a much stronger place to give of yourself to those around you. You will be a happier parent, a more grateful spouse, a fully engaged colleague. Those who take care of themselves have the energy to take care of others joyfully because that caregiving doesn’t come at their own expense. And those who take care of themselves also have the energy to work with meaning and purpose toward a worthy goal. Which means they are also the people most likely to make the world a better place for all of us.
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