Today we’d like to introduce you to Amelia Herschede
Hi Amelia, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I grew up with Rheumatoid Arthritis and am no stranger to chronic pain & inflammation. Luckily my mom worked at our local gym, so that began my journey into fitness as medicine. With having been on a wide array of medications with a list of side effects longer than the list of benefits, I knew that I had to have more autonomy in helping assist my autoimmunity from the inside out. Through exercise I was able to find more freedom in movement, & through nutrition & education on the gut micro biome I learned that I can also gain freedom from harsh medications & help reset my immunity. 20+ years post diagnosis I feel more free in my body than ever before! About 3 years ago I shifted from working in corporate to going full time instructing fitness (specifically yoga, Pilates, & mobility) so that I could teach my community the movements that attributed to said freedom, & I now work at about 10 different studios / gyms / hotels in the Tampa Bay area, helping spread the message of quality movement & longevity.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The work I do has been the smoothest road of my life. It felt as though I was put on our earth to teach & inspire through movement & mindfulness, & that my city agrees. I now teach all throughout the city for a vast array of clientele. The part of my journey that has not been smooth has been my health. Autoimmunity is all about learning to ride its rollercoaster ride, knowing some days will be better than others. No two guts or immune systems are the same, so there’s no one way of living that’s successful for everyone. It’s all about experiencing how certain modalities of food & movement make you feel, & moving through a space of intuition. Through my rocky journey I get to be a living testimony to the practice & how through consistency & patience, we can all achieve that intuition that’ll help guide us throughout the remainder of our lives.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I teach fitness classes in yoga, mat style Pilates, & mobility / functional movement. I’m known for incorporating joint mobility movements in all of my classes, allowing us to gain a deeper range of motion in our joints which’ll allow us to live with less pain. I’m also known for incorporating breath work as it’s the main driver for the nervous system to allow all the movements I guide us through to seep in for long term benefits for our bodies. I’m the most proud of being one of the only female mobility coaches in Tampa & bringing mobility to the mainstream. I teach not only at yoga studios but also at gyms & hotels (such as The Edition, The JW Marriott, & The Don Cesar on St Pete Beach), & I’m also sponsored / an ambassador of the brand Alo, so I get to introduce & inspire all walks of life with my teachings.
What was your favorite childhood memory?
Spending my summers in Florida. I’m from Ohio but I was named after Amelia Island (located in north east Florida) & knew I was almost meant to live here. I moved to Tampa to go to UTampa back in 2013 & have basically been here ever since!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Www.happyhealthyhershey.com
- Instagram: Ameliahershey
Image Credits
Dele Rockson Media
Kodawari Studios
Cats & Caffeine
