1. Who is Monique Ammons?
Each week, the Defender highlights a member of the community who is ‘Fit & Fine’ and has the body that reflects high healthcare standards and a healthy lifestyle. Each fitness enthusiast shares his or her keys to fitness success to help raise the quality of self-care in our community on a physical, mental and spiritual level. This week, we feature fitness instructor Monique Ammons.
Age: 34
Occupation: Fitness Instructor
Education: Texas Southern University
Major: Criminal Justice
Motto: “Life is exactly what you make of it.”
Unknown facts: “I love reading romance books.”
Fitness start: “Aerobics was something I did with my mom growing up. Every Monday and Wednesday at 5:30 p.m., we would go to the Judson Robinson Community Center to Mrs. Gretchen’s class. That was our weekly routine.
“My mom was murdered in 2014. At that time, I lost my better half. I didn’t want to work out. I didn’t want to do anything! I locked myself in my house and isolated myself from friends and family. Mrs. Gretchen called me one day and told me I needed to get up and pull myself together because my mom wouldn’t want that for me. She said I needed to start back coming to class. I didn’t listen. I stayed in my room and cried. I asked God why I still needed my mom even though I was an adult.
“Then, my daughter came and asked me, ‘Are you going to die too?’ That opened my eyes! The following week, I went to Mrs. Gretchen’s aerobics class. I had a different excitement when I was stepping! I felt like my mom was right there with me. Mrs. Gretchen encouraged me to get my certification to teach. At the time, I was training with Antanique Landry (Joe) I asked her whether I could teach at her gym. She welcomed me with open arms!”
Fitness advice: “Love yourself and never give up on you.”
Top 3 fitness tips:
- Stay motivated.
- Protect your energy.
- Eat the right foods. No matter how badly your stomach tells you to go for candy over healthy food, try to avoid sweets.
Social Media:
IG: @moshantell32
Facebook: @Monique Ammons
2. Nutrition: Eat healthy. Avoid sweets.
“For breakfast, I always enjoy a bowl of oatmeal and a banana. It’s my favorite. For lunch, I love tuna. I generally snack on a bowl of fruit; kiwi is my favorite. For dinner, I’ll have a balanced meal of a protein, green veggie and a carb.”
3. Physical: I do strength training every day.
“I do strength training every day with Coach Rockie at 6 a.m., and on Wednesdays and Fridays with Coach Naz at Fennix Fit. On Saturday mornings, I train with the beast herself, Antanique! For cardio, I step six days per week.
“My top fitness goals are to never give up on myself, and to be clear with the universe about what I want to achieve with fitness.”
4. Mental: I love inspiring women.
“Mentally, I am motivated daily by inspiring women worldwide through my step class instruction.”
View this post on Instagram
A little live footage from class! Advance Step tonight ladies 7:30pm join us In Person 5325 Glenmont Drive Suite C or Virtually by clicking the link in the bio. See u soon A post shared by Monique Ammons (@moshantell32) on
5. Spiritual: I encourage others.
“I make prayer and meditation a habit. Also, every day, I spend time encouraging others.”
View this post on Instagram
Don’t ever feel bad for making a decision about your own life that upsets other people. You are not responsible for their happiness. You’re responsible for your own happiness. Anyone who wants you to live in misery for their happiness should not be in your life to begin with!! Love yourself enough to take the actions require for your happiness…. enough to cut yourself loose from drama-filled past…enough to feed your mind and body in a healthy manner!! Protect your energy when u do that baby smile and the glow u carry!! Is on another level of happiness A post shared by Monique Ammons (@moshantell32) on
