Wellness Reimagined: Stephanie Thomas On 5 Things That Should Be Done To Improve and Reform The Health & Wellness Industry

In our world of constant change, and with life moving faster than ever, topics such as mental health, self-care, and prevention have become popular buzzwords. People are looking to live healthier lives, and there is superb care out there that is being offered. At the same time, there are misconceptions about the meaning of self-care and exercise. Many opt for quick solutions — surgery, pills — to dull the problem without adequately addressing the underlying cause. Meanwhile, many parts of the industry are unregulated and oversaturated. People with years of training are competing with people with weekend training. Many providers are overworked, overwhelmed, and underpaid. The general public is not educated about asking the right questions when selecting a wellness provider. In the face of all this, what can be done to correct the status quo? In this interview series, we are seeking to hear from a variety of leaders in the health and wellness industries who agree that the wellness Industry is in need of an overhaul and offer suggestions about what can be done moving forward. As a part of this series, I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Stephanie Thomas.

Stephanie Thomas, CPT is a certified personal trainer, health coach, yoga teacher, and author of The Little Book of Rest, who believes that creating the happy, healthy life you want can be a laid-back, realistic, and, most importantly, enjoyable experience.

As the founder of Stephanie Thomas Fitness and creator of the signature wedding workout program, Bridal Body Fitness, she helps brides develop healthy habits and get wedding dress ready through her wedding fitness programs. Her fitness philosophy is “You don’t have to work out, you get to work out. Take care of your body so it can take care of you!”

When she’s not creating workouts for her clients, you can find Stephanie reading the latest health book, spending time in nature, or taking a walk with her two cavalier pups. You can grab her free Bridal Arms Mini Guide and sign up for her weekly wellness newsletter, the Sunday Sweat, at her website.

Thank you so much for doing this interview. It is an honor. Our readers would love to learn more about you and your personal background. Can you please share your personal backstory? What has brought you to this point in your life?

I’ve had an interest in fitness and nutrition since I was a teenager. I loved going to the gym and taking group classes like Body Pump, yoga, and Pilates. I genuinely enjoyed exercising and reading fitness and nutrition books at Barnes and Noble. While I was in high school, I competed for Miss Maryland Teen USA and won the state pageant. As I prepared for the national pageant, Miss Teen USA, I was given a strict workout and nutrition routine to follow. It wasn’t until when I returned from the national pageant that I felt completely burnt out and immediately signed up for a month of unlimited yoga classes. That’s when I realized there’s a better, more sustainable and enjoyable approach to fitness and it doesn’t have to be extreme or too strict. While I was in college, I earned my 200 Hour Yoga Teacher Certification from a local yoga studio, and eventually became a Certified Personal Trainer and Certified Health Coach. Over the years, I realized so many brides were reaching out for help to get in shape for their wedding day. I decided to shift my business offerings to support brides and people getting ready for weddings. I love helping brides look and feel their best on their big day, and helping them get into a healthy routine that they truly enjoy.

What is your “why” behind the work that you do? What fuels you?

My goal is to be able to share healthy and sustainable ways for brides to get the results they want for their wedding day. When I was getting ready for my wedding, I couldn’t find an effective program geared for brides so I decided to make my own. It was important to me to look and feel my best in my dress on my special day, and I know other brides have the same goal. Many brides come to me feeling lost or overwhelmed with all the fitness information on the internet, and I love knowing that I can help them achieve their wedding fitness goals in a healthy and sustainable way through my program offerings.

Over the years I’ve participated in countless workout programs to see what works and what doesn’t work. I love that I’ve been able to create a system that truly works for women. There are so many fad diets and extreme workout plans that simply don’t work and can cause more harm than good. I was exposed to many of the unhealthy ways of dieting during my pageant years. I knew there had to be a better, more enjoyable way to get fit and reach your goals. Now I want to educate brides and give them all the tools and programs they would need to be able to feel their best on one of the most important days of their life.

What are some of the most interesting or exciting new projects you are working on now?

I recently extended the duration of our signature wedding workout program, Bridal Body Fitness! It started as a 90 day workout program, but I received so many requests for brides to continue the program up until their wedding day (even afterwards too!). So, I decided to extend Bridal Body Fitness so brides can continue the program for up to a year. Every bride goes through the first 90 days of the program, and at the end of the 90 days, I offer them the option to continue on a month to month basis with our Bridal Body Membership for up to a year.

It has been said that our mistakes can be our greatest teachers. Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

Business mistake:

When I was first starting my online business, I jumped into a Facebook ads course way before I really understood what I wanted to offer and who my audience was. It was like I was doing everything completely backwards! Now I’ve learned the importance of really knowing your customers and not trying to rush advertising online.

Fitness mistake:

When I was younger, I thought that as long as I worked out, I could eat anything I wanted and still see results. Of course now I know that you cannot out-train a bad diet, and focusing on nutrition is not only crucial for seeing results, but for longevity. I love learning as much as I can about nutrition and simplifying healthy eating for my clients.

OK, thank you for all of that. Let’s now shift to the core focus of our interview. From where you stand, why are you passionate about the topic of Reimagining The Health and Wellness industries? Can you explain what you mean with a story or an example?

I’m passionate about the topic of reimagining the health and wellness industries because I care about helping women actually see results and gain confidence through fitness. So many workout programs make huge promises and some falsely advertise what it takes to achieve certain results. I would love to see the fitness industry shift towards transparancy so they can truly equip people with tools and resources that will help them.

Additionally, as the author of The Little Book of Rest, I love helping women realize that resting is an essential part of a fitness program and that it’s actually a good thing to do nothing from time to time!

When I talk about Reimagining the Wellness industry, I am talking about reimagining it from the perspective of the providers as well as from the perspective of the recipients and patients. Can you share a few reasons why the status quo is not working for both providers and patients?

Right now, I don’t think there is enough emphasis put on the importance of mindset and how it impacts one’s ability to achieve their fitness goals. Without working on one’s mindset, and I mean REALLY working on it every day, then people are likely to fall back to their old habits after time.

Additionally, rest needs to be prioritized in fitness plans so people can understand how much rest impacts the results they achieve for their physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing. In our busy daily routines, it can be easy to overlook the importance of rest. So, if it’s scheduled into a daily routine (or fitness plan) just like any other meeting, then it will be prioritized and accomplished. As a result, the benefits of rest can be felt on a daily basis.

Why do you think there is a good opportunity now to improve and reform the health and wellness industry?

After the last few years, people are simply burnt out. We need a shift towards real self-care, a focus on rest and rejuvenation, and transparency on how to really achieve various health goals. Now is the time to book a meditation session or restorative yoga class rather than a bootcamp class at a gym. We need to start taking care of our mental health first.

Can you please share your “5 Things That Should Be Done To Improve and Reform The Health & Wellness Industry”?

1. More education, less marketing. Bust the myths of quick fixes and educate people on what it really takes to make lifestyle changes.
2. Focus on rest and relaxation. Include yoga and meditation in wellness programs.
3. Emphasize importance of eating real food and less on supplements.
4. Make healthy eating simple and accessible to all. Have more healthy meal delivery services to make eating well effortless.
5. Focus on building healthy habits. Better sleep, less processed foods, eating in a healthy calorie range, and simply moving more throughout the day.

From the recipient and patient side of the industry, can you please share a few ways that patients and recipients should reimagine what the wellness and healthcare industry should provide?

Yes! The first step is to understand there are no quick fixes. Progress takes time. Set realistic expectations on how fast you’ll achieve your goals and stay consistent with your routine.

What do you think are the biggest roadblocks to reforming the industry? What can be done to address those hurdles?

All the varying information out there! It can be so confusing to know what’s true and what’s false.

We need more health professionals sharing real life tips to make lasting changes.

I’m very passionate about the topic of proactive versus reactive self-care and healthcare. What do you think can be done to shift the industries towards a proactive healthcare approach? How can we shift the self-care mindset for consumers and providers alike?

The key is to stop procrastinating. Simply start now. Don’t tell yourself “I’ll start eating healthy on Monday” or “I’ll start that fitness program 2 months before my wedding day”. Whether it’s fitness or self-care related, find ways to make changes in this very moment. Don’t wait until a healthcare professional tells you that you need to change your diet or lifestyle habits.

Thank you for all that great insight! Let’s start wrapping up. Can you share your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Why does that resonate with you so much?

“When things change inside you, things change around you”

This quote shows the significance of your mindset. The thoughts you think every day impact the way you live and how your life unfolds. When mental health is prioritized and we pay close attention to our thoughts, our life will begin to change positively. We need to slow down and take time for rest and relaxation — both mentally and physically.

We are very blessed that some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world or in the US whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we both tag them :-)

100% Jasmine Star! I’m sure she already knows it. We often connect on IG and she knows how much I love what she has created with Social Curator. But I would absolutely love to have breakfast with her, JD, and Luna!

I appreciate your time and valuable contribution. One last question, how can people reach or follow you?

If you have a question or just want to say hi, you can send me a DM on Instagram at @StephanieThomasFitness. You can pretty much find me anywhere at that handle! If you would like to learn more about my products and services and share them with a friend, check out my website stephaniethomasfitness.com.

This was very inspiring. Thank you so much for the time you spent on this. We wish you only continued success.

About The Interviewer: Maria Angelova, MBA is a disruptor, author, motivational speaker, body-mind expert, Pilates teacher and founder and CEO of Rebellious Intl. As a disruptor, Maria is on a mission to change the face of the wellness industry by shifting the self-care mindset for consumers and providers alike. As a mind-body coach, Maria’s superpower is alignment which helps clients create a strong body and a calm mind so they can live a life of freedom, happiness and fulfillment. Prior to founding Rebellious Intl, Maria was a Finance Director and a professional with 17+ years of progressive corporate experience in the Telecommunications, Finance, and Insurance industries. Born in Bulgaria, Maria moved to the United States in 1992. She graduated summa cum laude from both Georgia State University (MBA, Finance) and the University of Georgia (BBA, Finance). Maria’s favorite job is being a mom. Maria enjoys learning, coaching, creating authentic connections, working out, Latin dancing, traveling, and spending time with her tribe. To contact Maria, email her at angelova@rebellious-intl.com. To schedule a free consultation, click here.