Meet Karen Perez | Wellness Educator/Coach & Group Exercise Instructor

We had the good fortune of connecting with Karen Perez and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Karen, what habits do you feel play an important role in your life?
Key habits that have helped me succeed are:

– Getting in movement regularly, it truly helps me clear my mind, feel more energized and tackle challenges more efficiently.
– Taking baby steps when trying to do something new to not overwhelm myself with trying to do too much too soon. Even as a wellness coach I find that the folks that I work with are more successful in making long term lifestyle changes when they commit to small attainable and every time we connect we add another bite size piece into the mix of things we want to change.
– Making daily lists of the tasks I need to complete each day. Helps me feel more organized and accomplished once I complete each task

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I was an obese kid growing up. I hated sports and maaaan did I love eating!

I grew up in a small one bedroom apartment cramped with four adults that had different work shifts and they all worked in the food industry.

I was always down to try all the leftovers they brought at any times of the day/night whether I was hungry or not.

It being a small apartment, there wasn’t much space to move, so the combination of not much movement and so many delicious selections it created a perfect storm of bad habits and extreme weight gain.

I grew up with folks teasing me for my size and as a kid things felt extremely hurtful. Things got more challenging after my doctor shared his concerns with my parents, they were struggling in finding effective ways to help me.

Through the years I built a poor relationship with food. I went from overeating to the point of discomfort, to then starving myself in school as a preteen. In high school I started to find a better balance with food thanks to my love for dance! I would try to fuel right to have the energy to practice and perform in concerts.

Dance truly got me through a lot over the years. Not only did it motivate me to fuel right, it got me out of my shell, kept me from falling into deep depression and it was the vital connection to all that I enjoy doing today in my profession.

I feel like my struggles with obesity at such an early age and finding my passion for dance was the combination of things that led me to all that I do today. I get to use my experiences to help folks build healthier relationships with food and move more to feel better physically, mentally and emotionally on a regular basis and feel so grateful to be able to use my experiences to help others.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Goodness! Where do I begin!?! I would recommend you start at Grand Central Market! Try as many food spots as you can, you truly can’t go wrong. Hop on to the Angels Flight, it’s an LA must! Head over to little Tokyo and explore the cute shops in the area.

Abbot Kinney is so fun! I love popping into Butcher’s Daughter for some yummy plant based foods or checking out their food trucks on the 1st Fridays of the month. My favorite speakeasy is close by too, The Del Monte Speakeasy! They have the best DJ playing the ALL the bops!

You have to check out the beaches! I enjoying rollerblading or bike riding around. Rentals are always available. Or check out the Santa Monica pier and hop into some rides!

I’m a valley girl, so I have to say PLEASE check out the valley! My favorite spot (maybe I’m being biased because it’s my family’s place) but “Mariscos Los Arcos” has the best seafood! I also love “Follow your Heart”, they have the yummiest vegan food in the valley! To add some movement into the mix there are plenty hikes to choose from. My favorite is top of Topanga! It’s so bright and fun!!! I have dance up there countless of times!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Major SHOUTOUT to my loving parents Melania + Jaime Perez and my life mentor Louise Hernandez.

My parents have an extremely strong work ethic. My parents came to this country from Mexico and worked multiple jobs to make sure I always had everything I needed to thrive in this country.

My dad worked many years in restaurants from washing dishes, busing and waiting tables, to then opening his own Mexican seafood restaurant with his brother. Perfect example of how hard work can truly get you places.

My mom powered through a lot of challenges when she built her own business. She lost it all, but stayed strong and did her best to keep on working and doing all she could for our family. She started working at a hospital cleaning after losing her business and that is where she met Louise (my now mentor and then manager of the health education dept). My mom would talk a lot about me and her fears of me moving “far” to go to school. Louise encouraged my mom to let me go and let me spread my wings.

Time passed, I graduated from UC Merced with my psychology degree and was in search of a job in the real world. My mom goes back to Louise and was like “remember my daughter? She was told to contact you!” I had been looking for a job in the health education department having zero clue that the manager I had been trying to contact was this woman my mom had been talking to for years!

Louise then hired me as an independent contracted ZUMBA instructor for worksite wellness. Then I was hired to be a health education assistant and then after I finished grad school I became a certified health education specialist, which was an absolute dream!

Now years after Louise still continues to connected me with new programs, so I can continue to expand my horizons on wellness.

My parents powered through a lot to get me here and I am oh so very grateful for them. I don’t think I can ever thank them enough.

Website: https://www.energizewithkp.com/

Instagram: @kp.energy

Image Credits
Matt Armendariz
Cesar Campos

2 photographers that took the professional pictures