Meet Trailblazer Azucena Gonzalez

Today we’d like to introduce you to Azucena Gonzalez.

Azucena, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
Growing up, my father instilled in my sisters and I the need to be active, encouraging us to play outside and participate in sports. We played soccer in city leagues up until middle school, transitioning to soccer, cross country, and track once in high school. College was a different story with my crowded schedule including employment and extracurricular activities such as honor societies, student government, etc. During my junior year of college is when I finally realized that although I had primarily been active for most of my life, I was not in the athletic condition I used to be in. A romantic relationship in this time guided my evolution to eating healthier, opting for leaner meats, eating more vegetables, as well as exercising. Graduate school changed everything a couple of years later. I was now riding my bike to campus which was about 3 miles away. Let’s be real though, I choose to do so over necessity, marking it as a win-win as I was exercising while saving money on gas and parking! Meeting my now-husband at Havana Nights at Dave and Buster’s ultimately led me to where I am now. He would wake up every morning around 5 am to go to the gym. In the early stages of our relationship, he would invite me, to which I would respectfully decline, as I considered myself “in shape”. Mind you, I had not ridden my bike for about a year now! Although it was a part of my identity, I was not acting it. I finally accepted his invitation one day, seeing that he was fit, I was foolishly nervous he would fall for someone else in better shape. My goal was to go to the gym three times a week.

Some weeks, I was successful, other weeks I negligent, but continued to pick up the following week as best I could. Funny thing about going is that if you go enough times, you begin to notice yourself getting stronger and feel better overall. A good workout can be addictive and while I began to increase my strength and endurance, group fitness classes caught my eye. Daren Parks, a group fitness instructor at the gym, with pumping music and intense motivational commands seemed to have quite the following. I desperately wanted to be in his class but was VERY nervous that I wouldn’t be able to hang or that I would be the recipient of The Look. I always stared into his classes and my husband encouraging me to try it. “But what if I suck?” I would tell him, to which he always laughed off, as he knew I knew I was strong enough but was intimidated. Alas, I started with a class I found to be a lot less threatening: Zumba, Turns out two of the women who went to Zumba also went to Daren’s classes, so I started to talk with them, whom also encouraged me to attend. Finally, I mustered the courage to attend my first class with Daren: HIIT Spin. It was everything I wanted and more! The rest is history. I went to the gym now at least 5 times a week to 4 group fitness classes and one leg session with my husband early every morning. The fact that we had talked about getting pregnant in the years to come encouraged me to get to the gym even on the days that my eyes seemed glued together from lack of sleep. I knew my body would thank me for sticking with our routine.

Interestingly, people around me saw my dedication and started asking for tips and bits of information and my Zumba instructor and friend, Krystal Harris, encouraged me to become a Zumba instructor. I decided to get certified, and within a month, I became employed at a local gym teaching Zumba. This opened the door for me as it allowed me to take in house trainings to teach other modalities. I also became a certified group fitness instructor so I could teach at other gyms. We then became pregnant! I felt prepared as I was in great shape and was able to maintain a lot of my strength throughout pregnancy. I was teaching 12 classes a week, which I slowly began to dial down as my belly grew month by month. At 38 weeks, I stopped teaching per my doctor’s request, so that my body could relax as we would be having quite the workout having a baby! I did do prenatal yoga and went for walks during that time so I could sleep better at night and because it was all I could do. I gave birth at 42 weeks and pushed for over 3.5 hours, which I firmly believe I was able to take on physically due to my physical training of two years!

Today, my baby is over three months old and I am slowly building my body up. I didn’t work out for six weeks after having Kai Vic and maybe went to a group fitness class every two weeks. Now, I am back teaching three classes a week, a good start for us both as we get used to childcare at the gym and increasing endurance. I look forward to pushing my body even harder and encouraging others to do the same. We all have to our stronger selves within.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
The fitness journey has fortunately not been very difficult for me in that no serious injuries have put me out from it. As they say, the devil is in the details, and the details in the fitness journey is resisting the temptation to stay in a warm, cozy bed on a cold, winter morning when it is still dark outside. Getting up early doesn’t get easier the longer you do it, though you do get out of bed because you know better.

Making the right food choices is another aspect that I worked on every single moment. Even on days where I would eat anything and everything, I knew I could make it better by choosing healthier alternatives in the snack/meal, etc. It is called balance. I don’t follow fad diets because they tend to be unsustainable. My food choices are a lifestyle.
You can literally start today. YouTube has come a long way and I know I have done quite a few home workouts from individuals who upload their workout routines online. Regardless of your current situation, the smallest steps can pave the way for bigger ones: drinking more water, smaller portions, using stairs, walking more, etc are all great small steps. Even if you feel you mess up for a day/week/months, you can always pick right back up. Who cares if you stopped, what matters is that you pick up and keep going.

We’d love to hear more about Fit With Azucena.
Aside from taking care of my precious baby boy, I am a group fitness instructor in several gyms around the Valley of the Sun and a realtor. I proud of creating a safe space everywhere I go, encouraging people to disclose and pursue their fitness and real estate goals. I know how vital it is for my well being and family, which is why I work to guide people towards their goals. In fitness, previous participants of my class know, you may groan and moan as we go through the workout, but the feeling at the end makes it all worth it. In real estate, my clients see how I pour my heart and soul to ensure they are best represented in what is typically one of the biggest transactions in their lives. I seek to help others improve their quality of life, however, that comes to be. One thing I am currently working on is providing personal training for individuals, especially to women before, during, and after pregnancy. Adding skills to my toolset makes me a better trainer for anyone looking to take their fitness to the next level.

Finding a mentor and building a network are often cited in studies as a major factor impacting one’s success. Do you have any advice or lessons to share regarding finding a mentor or networking in general?
I recommend to look for someone who already does what you want to do and get to know them! Take their classes, go out to lunch, do what you can and let them know what you are trying to do. I find people to be very generous and willing to help out. Being candid goes a long way.

Contact Info:

• Phone: (928)366-8024
• Email: fitwithazucena@gmail.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fitwithazucena/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fitwithazucena/

Image Credit:
Victor Hugo Mendoza

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