Venezuelan instructor: Fitness depends on you

THE REGULAR practice of physical exercise is perhaps the best natural aesthetic treatment and, combined with adequate nutrition, can enhance feminine beauty.

These premises are confirmed by Caryn Tovar, a Venezuelan fitness instructor, who for two years has been dedicated to the physical improvement of women in TT.

"Through training, you can get better skin and hair colour and texture, less wrinkles, less cellulite and varicose veins, a more streamlined body or less overweight," explained the trainer.

Tovar, 31, is a native of Anaco, of the Venezuelan state of Anzoátegui and, since she was a child, she was interested in learning about the bases of the beauty of Venezuelan women.

"Venezuela is one of the countries that has won the most international beauty pageants and all women since birth are concerned about our physique that is associated with health, from there we say that beauty depends on ourselves," said the instructor.

She came to TT in 2011 to study English at Pro-Language Institute in Port of Spain. She returned to her country after completing two levels of language learning.

Three years later she married Shanton Khan, a Trinidadian, in Venezuela. The couple met while she was studying in TT and they have a two-year-old daughter.

“In 2015, we decided to come to Trinidad and settle here,” she recalled. And, in 2018, she finished her studies in personal training.

"I really liked the world of fitness and decided to do a personal training course at the Trinidad and Tobago Fitness Academy," she added.

The knowledge gained led her to open her own private bootcamp classes.

Tovar began training at home with friends of her mother-in-law.

"They wanted to obtain a good physical condition and taking advantage of the skills learned in the course, in addition to some tips from the Venezuelan beauty, things have been progressing and my students have strengthened their quality of life," she said.

Four women attended her fitness classes. Then others joined the fray, which created a problem in terms of space.

“I increased the number of students and that motivated me to look for another environment for training. Since the beginning of 2020 we have settled in the Arima savannah in front of the playground, ”said Tovar.

Today, she has 10 Trinidadian and Latin American women, who train on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from 6.30 pm.

However, after the announcements made by the Prime Minister Dr Rowley to avoid large gatherings of people, Tovar and her team opened a group on whatsapp, from where she gives guidelines for her students to follow at home.

"We talk every day about the feeding system and the exercises of the day, they do them and send the videos so that I can correct them if they do something wrong," said Tovar.

The women are eager to see an end to the problems generated by the covid19, to return to outdoor training.

"The Trinidadian women are in excellent physical condition, they love to exercise and that is positive when it comes to implementing strong workouts to burn body fat and build muscles. They just need a little encouragement and support so they can maintain a perfect combination of health, with physical strength and the natural beauty that we women have,” she stressed.

Tovar does training with rubbers, balls, weights, elastic bands, cones and uses endurance competitions that further attract the attention of the students.

She considers that there are many local women doing exercises, they walk. "The parks are full of women every afternoon, but many do not control food and there is the basis of everything, health, beauty and even moods," she said.

Tovar is also a geological engineer, a profession that she has not been able to develop in TT and that is why she has dedicated himself to her passion – fitness.

"I invite Trinidadian women to burn calories, control their diet and above all, show their beauty," concluded the coach.

She uses the instagram @caryn_fitmami, where people interested in improving their health through training can follow her.

Nutrition tips for women

Breakfast –

Whole grain cereal with skimmed milk.

Four or five egg whites (maybe a yolk), vegetables (tomato, paprika), one or two slices of whole wheat bread and 100g of melon or pawpaw.

Three or four egg whites with spinach and 100g of strawberry or pineapple.

Morning snack –

Tuna with green salad (lettuce or cucumber).

Lunch –

Tuna with lettuce, tomato and cucumber salad.

100g or 150g of white rice, banana or spinach pasta and tuna or chicken.

A cup of vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, chard, artichoke) and 100g of chicken breast.

Snack –

A chicken breast with a cup of white rice and a salad.

Tuna with lettuce.

A glass of protein meringue in water.

Dinner –

Tuna and vegetables (broccoli, zucchini or cauliflower).

Salmon or sardines with vegetables (lettuce, watercress, radicchio, cucumber) and a little olive oil.

Pineapple, strawberry, and sometimes baked plantain.