Women In Wellness: Alex Higa of Tempo On The Five Lifestyle Tweaks That Will Help Support People’s Journey Towards Better Wellbeing
An Interview With Candice Georgiadis
Add positive changes into your life… Often we think about taking things out of our lives (such as calories, sweets, alcohol, etc.), but shifting your mindset to consider things you can add to your life helps foster a healthier lifestyle and relationship with yourself that can be more sustainable. For example, you can drink more water, eat more fruits and vegetables, move your body 3–5x a week, or walk 10k steps per day.
As a part of my series about women in wellness, I had the pleasure of interviewing Alex Higa.
Alex Higa is a fitness coach at Tempo specializing in Pilates, strength training and HIIT. A fourth-generation Japanese American from the Pacific Northwest, Alex brings years of personal training experience to Tempo. She is a Certified Stott Pilates instructor, is certified in Group Fitness through ACE, and has a Bachelors degree in Kinesiology. She was also on her college hip hop dance team and taught pilates to NFL’s Seattle Seahawks players.
Having worked with clients ranging from professional athletes, pre/post-partum women, young athletes, and dancers, Alex’s mission is to encourage everyone, of all fitness levels, to experience the benefits of daily movement, and help you “live what you love.”
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Our readers would love to “get to know you” better. Can you share your “backstory” with us?
Movement has always been a huge part of my life. At the age of 3, I started dance classes and then began training at Pacific Northwest Ballet School in Seattle. Once I reached middle school, I discovered a passion for basketball and left ballet to focus on that throughout high school. I then attended Western Washington University and received a bachelors of science degree in Kinesiology with a focus on health and fitness, with a minor in dance. I also taught a variety of group fitness classes. After graduation, I began my journey of personal training, moved to Hawaii for a couple years, was introduced to functional strength training and then moved back to Seattle where I started my own business. Along the way, I was lucky to work with an extremely wide range of clients — who all shared a common goal: to move well. I began to incorporate Pilates in my training because I saw how it could help all my clients improve their flexibility, strength and overall performance. I love movement and am passionate about spreading the joy of fitness.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started your career? What were the main lessons or takeaways from that story?
I have worked with a variety of clients, from professional athletes to pre/post-partum moms, to retired individuals, but despite their different experiences, lifestyles, ages and challenges, they all shared a desire to move well. I was sitting at a stop light when a thought came into my head: I love movement. Of course, looking great is something many people strive for, too, but being able to move your body without pain or limitations is extremely rewarding. The importance of moving mindfully has been one of my biggest messages to my clients or anyone who trains with me.
Can you share a story about the biggest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
When I first started my career, I wanted to teach every type of group fitness class you can name. And I did, but it wasn’t sustainable in the long run for my body, or my mind. I got burnt out, and I almost quit teaching as a result, as exhaustion replaced joy. As fitness professionals, we often forget that we are human, and we can’t do it all. There is such a ‘hustle’ and ‘sleep is for the weak’ mentality — in the fitness industry and in life overall — and that can be a dangerous mindset. I learned that if I want to continue a career in the fitness industry, I need to take care of my body and mind first.
Let’s jump to our main focus. When it comes to health and wellness, how is the work you are doing helping to make a bigger impact in the world?
When it comes to health and wellness, it is not just about picking up a weight or seeing how many push ups you can do — it’s about asking yourself, “How does my body feel today? Am I taking care of my body and mind to become a better version of myself? Am I paying attention and being honest with how I am feeling at the moment? During class? After class?” I believe that mindful movement can have a tremendous impact on your well being, and that is exactly what I teach, and it shapes the way that I coach.
Can you share your top five “lifestyle tweaks” that you believe will help support people’s journey towards better wellbeing? Please give an example or story for each.
Add positive changes into your life… Often we think about taking things out of our lives (such as calories, sweets, alcohol, etc.), but shifting your mindset to consider things you can add to your life helps foster a healthier lifestyle and relationship with yourself that can be more sustainable. For example, you can drink more water, eat more fruits and vegetables, move your body 3–5x a week, or walk 10k steps per day.
Breathe… Breathing is something that we often take for granted. Not only is it vital to living, but it has so many benefits if we truly focus on our breath. When I am feeling anxious, I always take a moment to breathe and focus on taking deep, slow breaths. It slows down my heart rate and relaxes my mind. People often call this meditation.
Set small monthly goals …and celebrate them! We often set large and unrealistic goals that are not achievable. While I still like to make large goals, I set small monthly goals to help me get there steadily and sustainably. Do what works best for you… whether it be a vision board, hanging a post-it on your wall, or having an accountability partner. Do anything that can help remind you to continue to work towards that goal. Always remember that no goal is too small.
Live what you love… That is my motto in life. Simply do the things that make you happy. Ask yourself, “What brings you joy?” For me, I love spending time with family and friends, animals, live music, dancing and traveling anywhere that has a beach. Life is too short.
Control what you can control… My dad would always remind me of this because I was a very reactive person, and it always took away from my inner peace. This goes along with how you treat others as well as how you react. There is only so much in this world that is in your control, so be aware of what can have a negative impact on you.
BONUS: Live life with gratitude… I like to journal about what I am grateful for every day. The 5 Minute Journal helped me start this daily ritual. We go through life so quickly that we forget to stop, reflect and give thanks to not only what brings joy into our lives, but also to ourselves. Journaling has become a form of therapy for me over the years.
BONUS: What is this teaching me… Whenever I encounter an obstacle, I always think to myself, “What is this teaching me?” rather than, “Why is this happening to me?” You should always be learning and growing from your journey!
If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of wellness to the most amount of people, what would that be?
I would start the “Be Kind Movement.” That includes kindness toward others as well as toward yourself.
What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Started” and why?
You can’t please everyone. I remember when I had my first bad review… I took it hard, and I could not stop thinking about it. My dad had to remind me that you can’t please everyone in this world so don’t take it personally. Just learn from it and move on.
It’s vital to understand finances and how to set realistic goals when running a business. When I was running mine, I had no idea what I was doing. If I had spent more time learning to truly understand finances, I could have been better positioned for success.
Build on your strengths! Find out what you’re good at, and be honest about your weaknesses. Fine tune your craft and see how you can continuously grow.
Being a female in this industry will have its challenges. In such a male dominated industry, I have definitely had my moments where I needed to defend and prove myself.
You will have an impact on the Asian community and that representation matters! 🧡
Sustainability, veganism, mental health, and environmental changes are big topics at the moment. Which one of these causes is dearest to you, and why?
Mental health is an important topic to me because it goes hand in hand with fitness. Growing up, talking about emotions and feelings was not something we did on a regular basis, and I think it stems from how my parents were raised and how their parents were raised. It is extremely important that we talk about our feelings and learn how to cope through trauma so that we can take care of our inner peace. Always remember that you are not alone and that it is okay to reach out for help.
What is the best way for our readers to further follow your work online?
You can follow me on Tempo and @higafit on Instagram, Tiktok, and Twitter!
Thank you for these fantastic insights! We wish you continued success and good health.
Women In Wellness: Alex Higa of Tempo On The Five Lifestyle Tweaks That Will Help Support People’s… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.