Getting Healthy with Ming Bridges
Singer-songwriter and now CEO of her own fashion rental platform Rentadella, Ming Bridges shares with us ways to stay healthy amidst her busy schedules, in addition to having a reliable SweatBuddy to workout with and hold her accountable!
As a thought leader, CEO and musician, how do you hope to positively impact the broader community to be healthier mentally, physically, emotionally, socially?
I’m hoping to lead by example. Social media is such a powerful tool, filled with tons of people who seem to be killing it in every aspect of their lives. In reality, you often don’t see what’s really going on behind the screens.
It’s easy to portray a lifestyle of someone who seems happy working out 24/7, who barely eats anything, who is madly in love and who has all the best friends in the world. I once fell for that and ended up being the most miserable I had ever been in my life - but then did the same thing with my social media account to make it seem like I was the happiest.
People ask me all the time how I’ve lost weight and they go through the whole list: “Did you cut out carbs? What exercise are you doing? You must be eating dinner very early. How many calories are you eating? Is it cause you do HIIT?” and I tell them that it’s when I stopped dieting and started to eat normally that I became HAPPY. And when I was happy, I moved on to doing things that made me feel good.
I’ve found the best way (for me) to impact the broader community to be healthier is by sharing my discoveries and my journey on social media, hopefully reminding people that IT’S OK TO BE NORMAL. It’s ok to have rolls. It’s ok to be socially awkward. It’s ok. We put so much stress on being great when we are all already good enough. Learning techniques like meditating and working out with the intention of feeling good instead of looking good helps us grow towards a healthier lifestyle without being sucked into the stress of perfection.
What does being healthy mean to you?
Being healthy means FEELING healthy. The number one thing for me is watching my stress level, which is quite hard when running a start-up. I think there is a lot of misunderstanding of what being “healthy” is, as it’s very different for everyone. Trying to diet or “be skinny” is the opposite of being healthy because not eating enough adds stress to the body. Because my mind is constantly thinking, I try to make life easier by making sure my body isn't stressed as well.
What do you do to maintain a healthy mind & body?
I don’t drink coffee and alcohol. They’re a hard no for me, especially coffee. When I’m working, just having a little bit gives me the worst anxiety. I also try and limit my dairy & gluten intake so that my body has less to deal with.
My body is very sensitive to stress - especially when I’m working. When I'm on holiday I can climb mountains and play tennis with no problem at all, but when I’m at work I can’t do as much. I stay healthy by going on short walks and doing a bit of yoga but nothing too strenuous.
I also make sure I don’t miss meals and I have snacks on hand to keep me going. You’ll rarely find me without a pack of almonds in my handbag because I never know when the hunger is going to hit!
I’m also trying to get into meditation. I really enjoy exercise and want to try reducing my mental stress so that I can do more of the things I love. But my brain is crazy and loves to overthink so instead of battling it and trying to do too much, I relax on my workout schedule when I’m very busy and make sure I get rest when I can. Sleep and water is very important.
What are 3 simple steps individuals can take to kickstart or sustain a healthy lifestyle?
- Get off your phone as much as you can.
- Eat three full meals a day of proteins, carbs and fats.
- Reduce your sugar intake (I’m all for yummy deserts but it’s not part of my day to day because it sucks all your energy away - I eat bananas instead).
Credit: Images by Zack Dilaroca.
Looking for someone who shares the same values and goals of being healthy? Create your FREE profile and start connecting with others over your favorite workouts and healthy cafe hangouts!
