Just Do It: Kenzie Mariano

Personal trainer, Broward County
Website: km-fit.com / Instagram: @kenziemarianofit

Was there something in your past that inspired you to become more passionate about fitness?
To start, I was always the black sheep in the group most of my life. On top of that, I was overweight. These two combined caused me to feel insecure and, a lot of times, depressed. I slowly started to get into fitness when I was a teen. I first became passionate about running; I could run for miles, and it felt unreal. It was like my escape from reality. I started training with a few different coaches in the gym around this time and began to learn the basics of weightlifting. By college, I was 20 pounds lighter, I’d gained muscle, and I was confident as hell, happy and addicted to the fitness lifestyle.

What distinguishes your workout routine?
My whole thing is, don’t settle for a cookie-cutter routine. It’s nearly impossible for thousands of people to follow the exact same diet and workout plan, and achieve success. The fastest way to achieve your goals is through a personalized fitness program crafted specifically to meet your unique preferences, requirements and lifestyle. This is what I do during in-person and online training. I do a mix of functional training, high-intensity interval training and circuit training to help you reach your goal as fast as possible. A big part of my training has to do with helping my clients not just reach that societal “perfect body” look, but to be the best, happiest and healthiest person possible.

In addition to exercise, how else do you try to lead a healthy lifestyle?
I’m a big advocate for mental health. I think having a healthy mindset is everything. With a strong, healthy, positive mindset, you can literally accomplish and succeed at anything in life. Along with physical exercise, I use meditation, yoga, reading and journaling to strengthen my positive thinking and overall mental health.

Words of wisdom: “Find your ‘why’ and remind yourself of it each day. We all have a purpose and reason; use that to push yourself to live a healthy and fitness-oriented lifestyle.”

Photography by James Woodley
Creative Direction by Melanie Smit
Art Direction by Evelyn Suarez
Shot on location at Margaritaville Beach Resort, Hollywood Beach