Lisa Mandal Fitness

Wellness has been a part of my life since I was a child. I was 12 when I decided to become a vegetarian despite living in one of the barbeque capitals of the world—Kansas City. Throughout school, I balanced being an athlete and student. In high school, I was an All-District volleyball player and played competitive club softball. I chose my undergraduate and Master's degrees, in social work, because I understood that wellness is both physical and mental health.

Over the past fourteen years I have worked as a fitness instructor and personal trainer. I approach each session or class as an opportunity to improve physical and mental health. I understand that a teacher must also be a student and I am always looking for ways to better the services I can offer to my clients. Over the years I have completed the Certified Personal Training program through the National Association of Sports Medicine, AFAA group fitness certification, ACE Weight Management Specialty Certification and a 200-hour Vinyasa Flow teacher training program. Throughout my life, I have practiced what I teach and have been very involved in numerous fitness activities: distance running, yoga, team sports, kickboxing and strength training. As life progressed, my interests expanded and I began seeing the benefit of functional fitness, HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training), Optimum Performance Training (OPT model) and the role of clean eating in relation to performance.