Interview with Diane Malchan: All-Round Certified Fitness Instructor

Tell us a little about yourself and your background in fitness?

My name is Diane Malchan and I am an All-Round Certified Fitness Instructor.

I have been actively and creatively transforming lives through vigorous and strategic work-out routines for the past 28 years. I am well qualified and come highly recommended in the area of fitness.

I take pride in all I do for each of my clients. Personal health and well-being is not just a cliché for me but in fact a true reflection of who I am and strive for each of my clients to achieve.

How did you find your passion for fitness?

My personal journey to fitness began at a tender age of fifteen.

I lived on the countryside of this island, Trinidad, as a child with my grandparents and besides their love and care for me one thing stuck out to me in my family lineage: we were all plus size or heading in that direction inclusive of myself. I personally didn’t want that for myself, so my fitness journey began.

As I began to pursue this goal and actually entered the arena of fitness a bit of vanity rose up in me. I saw myself in these lovely well-designed gym wear and from there it was no turning back. Please remember I was still in my teens so maturity wasn’t at its peak yet. As I continued further along this path- early hours, strenuous training day after day- vanity waned and fitness for life grew.

When I looked at my life then and saw what was accomplished in my physical wellness, there was no way I could have kept that secret to myself hence my passion for fitness was birthing and I am still burning with that desire today.

What is the most rewarding part of being a fitness trainer?

The fruits of my labour: Like any parent, it gives them great joy to see their children well-accomplished and established in life after the great investment that was placed on them – so too it is for me as a personal trainer.

When I see my clients’ before and after look, and their ability to stick with the routine, dedicated to training, it is a great reward for me.

It never gets weary for me to see the transformation take place before my eyes. It gives me the courage to engage others into this lifestyle knowing I have testimonies that living healthy and fit works.

I have trained young and the young-at-heart and the results are the same. I have come to learn that I am my product and that I must wear my brand well, hence, I strive to keep up with my personal fitness regime as well.

How do you balance career, family and spirituality?

My personal motto to myself is, “I can do ALL things through Christ who gives me strength”. Simple words: Great benefit.

In my early days as a fitness instructor, I will admit I have had my fair share of disappointments, false hope and shattered dreams until that fateful day almost thirteen years ago when I got into a fatal accident that changed my life forever.

Everything I held dear to me was slipping through my fingers. I was injured pretty badly and my body (brand) was in no shape or form to continue life as usual.

It was there as I laid on that hospital bed, I had a chance encounter with the One who was giving me the strength all along. I now had my own personal trainer; He healed me, transformed my mind and set me on my feet again. My life now has balance for I now carry within me the Christ who taught me how to bring career, family and spirituality as one.

Fitness is my career, my clients are part of my family and I am free to share my faith with each of them daily. We train together, have fun together and most importantly we pray together. Jesus at the center of it all.

Please share with our readers your best fitness tip.

Creep before you walk!

I know there are various fitness programs and workout techniques and styles in the marketplace, but it is important to know who you are, your body and what is necessary for now.

When I started on my journey, I didn’t immediately start running around the Queen’s Park Savannah, nor did I do three circuit rep every five minutes for an hour. I took baby steps: I changed my diet gradually (I continued to eat everything but in smaller portions).

My best tip for you: Don’t start with any fast, vigorous exercise routine. Take it slow.

If you are plus size and trying to lose some weight, start with your food intake; less sugar, less carbs, more fruits and water. If you are trying to maintain your current physique: start with five-minute workouts daily and as your body strengthens increase workout time.

If you are trying to gain muscles start with 10lbs dumbbells then increase as you gain strength. Of course, I can’t give tips for all categories’ but feel free to visit my Instagram page (dianemalchan-fitness-d-fashions) for more tips.

What is your vision for your business?

To transform every client’s body, mind, spirit and soul.

This vision has worked personally for me and also in the lives of all those who have crossed my path. Fitness is not just a physical attribute. Our body is just an outer shell that houses our spirit, mind and soul hence my main business aim is to give a holistic fitness and wellness program to treat with all aspect of the body.

Too many people are carrying attractive bodies but their mind, spirit and soul are all mangled inside. I speak from my own personal experience, I too lived like that until my chance encounter.

I don’t just want my clients only looking well, I strive for them to be comfortable with who they are now and who they are becoming. As mentioned before, with Jesus at the center of it all I have seen my clients transformed, my business transformed also Diane Malchan the brand, and the person transformed.

Do you have any words of advice for our readers on pursuing their dreams?

Don’t quit! If at first you don’t succeed, pick yourself up and try, try, try again. Fitness is not what we do, it’s a lifestyle.

We have to want it for ourselves. I know if I didn’t notice the telltale signs of my family lineage I too would have entered that same fate but instead, I saw a problem, searched for a solution, tested it and gained great results.

I have learnt from the Bible, “write the vision and make it plain upon tablets, that he may run that read it.” In other words, have a vision for your own personal life, make such an impacting statement of your life with it so others can see it working for you and follow in your stead.

Any closing remarks?

Be your best you always. Be comfortable in who God created you to be.

Love and invest in yourself; in other words, do for yourself exactly what you will like others to do for you. Treat your body right and it will work for your good.

I hope I have given you vital tools to work with and I pray for your every need to be met: spirit, soul, mind and body.

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