Up your fitness game in 2020 with Andrea Lopez-Velarde
This month’s Good Influencer talks about fitness motivation, female empowerment, San Diego’s best healthy eats and her side project, AEYUS.
It’s the New Year and for many people, it’s a time for rebirth, rejuvenation and resetting goals for the coming year. It’s the time when people make resolutions and — more often than not — those resolutions are to get in shape or live a healthier lifestyle.
Those struggling with these goals or simply looking for fitness inspo can look to Andrea Lopez-Velarde (@andrea.lva) for sweat session motivation, healthy recipes and on-trend fitness apparel, making her the ultimate in “new year, new me” goals.
In addition to her healthy lifestyle, Andrea is passionate about AEYUS (pronounced like ellas in Spanish), a bilingual, bicultural content creation group she founded with friends.
We caught up with Andrea to talk about female empowerment, cheat-day meals, San Diego’s best healthy eats and how exercise can help with anxiety.
Where are you from and where do you live now?
I’m from Mexico City. I moved to San Diego when I was 10 years old and I live now in between Mexico City, San Diego and Los Angeles.
Tell us about your own fitness journey.
I have played tennis since I can remember, but I was never a fan [of the] running I had to do while training. I quit tennis when I was about 18 years old. I started to have anxiety (at about) 23 years old and that was the reason I started to exercise again.
What sparked your passion for a healthy lifestyle?
I grew up with my mom running marathons and my dad always exercising. The one thing I didn’t like when I was younger (running) literally became my passion. Ever since that day, my favorite thing to do is wake up, put on my running shoes and run at the beach while it is still dark outside. There is nothing better to me than starting the day seeing the sun rise.
What do you hope your audience takes away from following you at @andrea.lva?
I have always been a perfectionist, but in the past years, I learned nothing in this world will ever be perfect, so the only thing to do is be the best version of yourself while enjoying life to the fullest. So I’m on a mission to empower women. I enjoy sharing my workout routines, healthy lifestyle, my love for fitness fashion and traveling tips. I’m on a mission to help people achieve their health and fitness goals while balancing and enjoying life to the fullest.
What are some tips for living a healthier life in 2020?
Be consistent and keep your goals easy and accessible. Once you start and make it a habit, it will be easier to push yourself for more. And, most importantly, ENJOY the process!
What are your favorite forms of exercise?
I love running on the beach. I recently got into the Tracy Anderson Method and have seen a huge difference [in] my body and the ability to do things my body wasn’t capable of before. Some of my favorite classes to go to are SoulCycle, Rumble, Barry’s Bootcamp and Lagree Fitness (pilates).
What are some of your favorite local spots for healthy (and tasty) food?
My favorite local spots are Villa Nueva Bakery in Coronado, since they have a big variety of food items I can indulge in (chilaquiles) or be healthy (egg whites and salsa). Let’s not forget their all-bran muffins, which are a must! I also love Juice Crafters. My favorites are their wellness shots and their Green Guru #4. I also love Cafe Gratitude, but most important, I love food and I just try keeping it healthy wherever I go and having a balanced diet.
What’s your go-to cheat day meal?
I have lots of favorites (yikes), but I think my go-to cheat meal is pizza.
Tell us about @AEYUS.
I get super excited when people ask me about AEYUS since it’s a project I started with my best friends. They are women who inspire me every day and when I say every day, I really mean EVERY SINGLE DAY. AEYUS comes from a friendship of more than 15 years. We all grew up together in San Diego and come from Latin American backgrounds, but were raised in the United States. AEYUS is a group of bicultural and bilingual creators, with real creativity, real content and real connections. … To learn more, please don’t hesitate to visit our Instagram (@AEYUS_) and see how we collaborate with brands while keeping it real on our trips.
Follow Andrea Lopez-Velarde at @andrea.lva (37.2K followers).
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