Lisa Watson

Qualifications: Certified Fitness Trainer: CTF with ISSA. Specialist in Fitness Nutrition SFN with ISSA. Certified Les Mills Body Pump Instructor. Trained in Mat 1 and Reformer 1 Pilates with PHI Pilates.

Personal History: I have been very interested in fitness most of my life. I ran cross country and track in high school, and did very well (although, I did suffer a few injuries along the way). Since becoming a personal trainer, I have learned how to keep my body strong through Pilates and strength training (cross training) which has kept me injury free. I have since run four half marathons and two full marathons without an injury.

Workout Philosophy: I started to realize how most runners just run and do not really cross train. Strengthening your whole body, specifically your hips, glutes & core, will keep your body in perfect alignment when you are running. When most runners get injured, they think they need different shoes. Yes, good running shoes are important. But if your hip, glutes and core are strong, then your legs will move and land in the correct form. That allows you to stay strong and injury free.

Sucess Story: My favorite success story would have to be my own — running my first marathon (The Marine Corps marathon in 2010). Running a marathon had always been in the back of my mind since I started running, but I just never thought running 26.2 miles was even possible. I finally decided to give it a try. I trained very hard with my dad and a friend for four months. By running and religiously completing my "Strong Stride" workouts, I managed to stay injury free and cross the finish line. I have since also run the Chicago marathon.