Running With Intention — About ExhaloFortis
“When I run, when I lift, when I practice, when I consume.
Run for a purpose or for no reason at all. Run to heal, to forget, to release to be reminded.
Lift to get stronger, to maintain, to grow. Lift to sweat, to release, to explode.
Practice to breathe, to sit still, to stretch. Practice to meditate, to soothe, to mend, to extend.
Consume media, music, images, purposefully. Consume foods that satisfy, nourish, and please.
Do it all with intention”
I wrote the poem above entitled “. . . with intention” as the foundation for Exhalo Fortis. Exhalo Fortis means strong breath or breathe strong in latin. I chose latin as the name for my project because it can be pronounced just as easily in English as it can be in Spanish. As someone who was born in Mexico but lived in the United States for most of my life, I have first-hand experiences on how language can open doors and possibilities. I also have a deep understanding that language — or better put — the lack of language can leave you in front of a locked door with no key in hand.
My intention with Exhalo Fortis is to provide my family, friends, clients, and community with a wellness resource. I first became active and interested in physical activity when I had mental health struggles while in college. As an 18-year old away for school, I did not have the coping skills I do now to manage my depression. During my freshman year, I was surrounded by my peers who seemingly came from means to afford that first year of school. I definitely did not. I expected there would be a financial gap between my school mates and myself, what I did not expect was a deep feeling that I did not belong there. Not being able to afford school, being the first person in my family to enroll in university in the United States, and having to research every step of the way to enter university and explain it to my parents in Spanish left me feeling completely alone. Coupled with unmanaged depression, I found unhealthy and harmful means to deal with my negative feelings — that is until I met a new friend.
She was a sophomore I met in my oral French class. We chatted after class one day and we realized we lived in the same dorm hall, on the same floor even. It was meant to be. Our dorm was right next to the giant, new recreation building and I mentioned that I was starting to venture in there to hop on the treadmill. She then suggested we meet up for a night run.
I remember the first night we got together to go running, my Virgo sun wanted a plan. I asked her, “where are we running? how fast? for how long?” She responded, and I will never forget this, “wherever our legs take us. If we get tired, we’ll stop.” A revolutionary idea for someone who was truly struggling mentally in this new environment away from home. No plan, no mental chatter, no set goals, no music, just go run goddamnit!
We quickly became running friends that semester. On one of our initial hangouts she explained to me that running helped her with her form of Tourettes. I had noticed during our French class that she would have involuntary muscle spasms. Her leg would kick repeatedly for a few seconds every so often, sometimes inadvertently kicking the chair or table leg. It was noticeable. She explained that running helped her manage her Tourettes. I did not pry too much but I remember being happy that this new friend found something that made her feel better. At the moment, I did not intellectualize our runs. It was simply a fun activity.
I’ve been running ever since that first year out of high school. And like my first night running partner, I now can say that running has truly helped me personally in more ways beyond what is outwardly visible. After graduating college with a B.S. in Biology (after several years, time off, and switching schools a few times), I worked in labs, offices, and I did field work in the environmental consulting field. Once the pandemic hit in 2020, I realized that office work and the 9–5 grind in a major U.S. city was not for me. I wanted to truly help others in a way that I had been helped. This is when Exhalo Fortis began. Exhalo Fortis is my way of providing inspiration and encouragement to others as I was inspired years ago.
I started Exhalo Fortis to change the status quo. As a queer, immigrant, I want those who feel intimidated by the fitness industry to have a place to turn to. A safe space for queer, gender-non conforming, and BIPOC to get active. With Exhalo Fortis, I can share my passion and expertise for different wellness modalities. For this reason, I continuously pursue information to improve my craft. Currently, I am certified by the American Council on Exercise (ACE) in personal training and group fitness instruction. I also completed a 200 Hour Yoga-Teacher Training program, an Ayurvedic Nutrition Certificate, National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) Virtual Coaching Specialist Certification and I am an ACE Fitness Nutrition Specialist. As I engage with more clients virtually and in-person, I find that my knowledge base can forever be improved to better serve those who reach out to me.
I hear your stories and many times I hear fear, shame, and discouragement. My heart breaks when I hear about the relationships you have with your physical bodies and how it impacts your lives. So my contribution in this world is to use my background to serve as best as I can in a way that I know how. I do this because I personally experienced how physical activity helped shift my mindset and perspective in my life.
I truly feel that running and physical activity in general saved my life back then in my first year at university and running continues to save my life to this day.
“do it all, with intention.”
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