Well this sucks. Typing with one hand, I mean. Why am I typing with one hand, you ask? Well, because I bruised mine over the weekend, and boy does it hurt. Like a lot. I’d be happy share the reason for my hand’s unfortunate purple status, but because it's actually a really embarrassing story, I’m not going to tell you. But I do have a point for mentioning it. The point that I want to make (and I learned this the hard way), is that we should all take very good care of our bodies. We only get one after all (but at least we get two hands). Admittedly, this is a lot easier said than done, especially when living in a city like Chicago – where everything is incredibly delicious and absolutely soaking in grease (Portillo’s you yummy bastard, I’m definitely talking about you). It can be far too easy to make excuses for yourself, but excuses don’t burn calories. Eva Meier, a tatted quirky junior at the University of Illinois at Chicago (also my former roomie) recently started an Instagram-based fitness blog, where she posts nutritious food ideas, fitness advice, and inspiring photos of her journey to strength – proof that anyone can stay happy and healthy even when surrounded by Chicago’s many temptations. “Basically it was my way of showing the world that 'I do fitness' which sounds funny, but I was coming from the dance-world which generally doesn't really incorporate lifting or weight training. ECM_Strong was created to show people that this is what I do, this is what I'm passionate about,” Meier shared. And her passion truly is contagious. It’s easy to see why she has gained such a following; her artistic photos wonderfully capture the strength and flexibility of the human body, complimented by the urban backdrop of the everyday Chicago scenes that we all know and love. But it isn’t just being healthy that attracted her to fitness; Meier admits that she has a bit of a Napoleon Complex: “If I'm going to be short for the rest of my life, I might as well be strong!” Meier laughed. It’s true that what motivates many to turn to fitness, stems directly from the fear of what other people think — like the fear of being considered weak for being too short. But Meier has learned that the best reason to get healthy is to improve yourself, for yourself. “I'm a very independent person and I think weightlifting reinforces that kind of strength. Literally just being able to bring my own suitcase up a flight of stairs, or move myself into an apartment without having to ask for help — it's a powerful feeling.” Although she prioritizes fitness, Meier still finds time for the sweeter things in life. In several of her Instagram photos, you’ll notice pictures of not-so-healthy foods mixed in with the nutritious ones. Eva is a strong believer that being healthy doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to cut every sugary, fried, thing out of your diet; rather, it’s all about balance. “I absolutely do not believe in restrictive diets. Our bodies are so volatile, it's literally impossible to just say, ‘oh yeah, I'm never going eat bread again!’ That'd be such a miserable way to live, in my opinion,” Meier said, “We've needed carbs for thousands of years... You're not going to change your body’s needs just by cutting them out in one day.” “I eat a ton because I train heavy, so I know my body needs it… Like last night, I had a half pound of deli turkey, Greek yogurt, spinach, and toast for dinner,” Meier laughed, “Balance is definitely key.”
As a certified personal trainer, Meier offers custom fitness programs to Chicago residents. For more information, contact her by email: [email protected] and be sure to visit ECM_Strong on Instagram. Rachel Knowles is a junior at the University of Illinois at Chicago.
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Rachel is a senior at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Visit the About page to learn more! Archives
April 2017
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