I met Amanda through my ‘day job’ at Olentangy Local Schools.  She is a certified health coach for our district and works with our staff to promote wellness and work fitness into our daily routines.  She was kind enough to let us interview her for our a March spotlight…

Expertise [Bio]:

Amanda Spring has been involved in the fitness/healthcare industry for over 14 years.  She is certified as a Clinical Exercise Physiologist through the American College of Sports Medicine as well as a Certified Health Coach through the National Society of Health Coaches.  She is currently employed through Mount Carmel as the Olentangy Local School District Health Coach for the facility.  She has worked in clinical settings such as Cardiovascular Rehabilitation Phases I-IV and Cardiovascular Stress Testing and has held several roles including Personal Trainer and Group Exercise Instructor/Manager.  Her experience encompasses a variety of demographics ranging from adolescents, athletes, individuals with disabilities, and the elderly.

Amanda’s alma mater is Indiana University, where she studied Kinesiology with a major in Exercise Science and a minor in Nutrition. In her spare time she enjoys trying different types of exercises and being outdoors.

What is your motivation for LIVING FIT?

To take care of my body… it’s the only one I am going to get!  I like to have a balanced approach to fitness, wellness and healthy living. I enjoy making people feel good about themselves and seeing people have personal successes. That keeps me motivated.

How did you get into the health and fitness profession?  

From a young age I always had a passion for exercise and health. Once I got into college I realized that I should make a career of it. I started out working in the college fitness facility, personal training and teaching group exercise classes. My first job out of school was a Personal Trainer/Group Exercise Manager. I enjoyed health so much that I wanted to do the clinical aspect as well. From there I went on to work in a hospital in Cardiovascular Stress Testing and Cardiac Rehab.  As an Exercise Physiologist, I was able to run the stress test along with starting IVs and administering medication for the pharmacological stress test as well. I was also able to be a part of the Code Team in which I served for 4 years and instructed my own 12-lead ECG class. It was a very rewarding to be a part of saving lives. I truly believe that this job made me appreciate people and life so much more.

I also had the privilege of running a Wellness Program in Michigan where I worked in a fitness and clinical setting.  From there my husband’s job moved me to Ohio where I accepted a Wellness job at Mount Carmel Hospital performing health screenings and wellness checks for employers. Before I knew it, I was assigned to work specifically for the Olentangy School District Staff. This job is amazing because I am able to utilize all my work knowledge that I have gained over the years. I’m able to perform ongoing health screenings for staff, teach a variety of fitness classes, act as a health coach and coordinate health events.  It’s a very unique job because it’s the first school district to have a full time onsite Health Coach. I enjoy it from all aspects of health and fitness.  

What is one of your Favorite FITness memories or accomplishments?

My favorite fitness accomplishment was helping a patient through all phases of their diagnosis of coronary artery disease. This was rewarding to me because I assisted and educated this patient through their pre-op, phase I-IV of cardiac rehab, yearly stress test and I was able to personal train them. The patient was not only able to improve their unsteady gait post-surgery, they also learned to love exercise and make it a regular habit. This was a great memory because what once was fear in someone became an accomplishment for two people!

Tell us about some of your favorite FIT things!

 

• Favorite FIT place around Columbus: My favorite facility is the MC Fitness Center in Lewis Center. It’s brand new and has many options to get a good workout and mix it up!
• Typical weekly workout routine:  30 minute HIIT routines at home aside from teaching fitness classes 4 day per week. I love doing bodyweight exercises because it makes me feel strong and more coordinated to be able to lift my own body because I carry it with me all day long 🙂
• Favorite healthy food or meal:  Mexican Pizza! It’s a whole wheat tortilla shell with fat free refried beans, a little bit of low fat cheese, onions, peppers, tomatoes, shredded romaine lettuce, lots of spices all baked in the oven for 30 minutes. A small dollop of plain Greek yogurt goes on the top along with some fresh cilantro.

 

 

We often meet up for coffee after group runs and events.  What is your go-to order?  

I like to order regular coffee with a little skim milk, splenda and a dollop of coolwhip. Yum!

What is one thing people may not know about you?  

I have an identical twin sister. We still share clothes to this day.

 

Thanks Amanda, for both your time and your inspiration to others in and around Columbus!  Hope you can make it to a group run someday!