Meet Corian Love | Fitness Coach and Advocate for Mental Health

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

Hi Corian, do you have some perspective or insight you can share with us on the question of when someone should give up versus when they should keep going?
This question hits close to home for me, simply because of medical issues that have occurred in me life recently. These issues impacted the nerves in my left leg and now doing things that use to come easy to me are now difficult and painful. And as a fitness coach not being able to have range of motion can be disheartening. I felt crushed that I couldn’t bend,flex, squat or even stand on my own without pain. And the question above started to ring out in my mind….”Do I Give Up, or Keep Going?”

For a whole month I was on bedrest and in that down time I had to do my best to not slip into depression. And that’s when I decided to Keep Going. To not let sadness or pity for myself win, but to give myself a fighting chance. This isn’t the first time I’ve had to rebuild my body due to physical issues. And even though this pain was new and worse then anything I’ve ever encountered before I told myself that we can do this. Let’s step back assess the situation and create a solution. And that’s how I approach all issues and challenges in my life and in my business. Before we quit, throw in the towel, or give up, let’s assess the problem and look for a solution. Let’s not rush and be impulsive but instead let’s take it one step at a time and find a solution for each problem. Because in the end I wasn’t ready to give up on my business and my brand due to nerve damage in my leg.

Even though I still had to train and my clients are use to HIIT I explained the situation to them and changed my entire program to be more body specific to my clients so that I could really focus on them and each move they had to do, all the while taking into consideration that my leg could go out at any minute. But by simply switching them to low impact HIIT I was able to heal while I trained them by doing the moves with them. I didn’t give up, I simply slowed down and keep going.

And I feel some times life comes at us so fast and so hard that the easiest thing to do is to give up, sometimes it feels harder to keep going. You just have to remember it’s about the journey and the rewards that await you for perseverance.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
My brand is With Love Fitness and it was established in 2022 after leaving my first gym home and place of employment. I needed to shake things up and train others in a different way then they are use too. I wanted clients to understand that fitness and nutrition do go hand in hand but if your mental health is lacking it can and will have a negative impact on your weight loss journey.

What sets me apart from so many fitness coaches and trainers is that I also teach my clients healthy coping mechanisms. To seek out therapy, to identify their mental health issues, to learn their triggers and how to handle then along with their everyday life. That fitness is an amazing coping mechanisms but it isn’t the only one.

I want my clients to live a full and healthy life and not just a mediocre kind-of healthy life. I want them to enjoy and be proud of making healthy and impactful decisions that are long lasting verses impulsive ones that only grant temporary satisfaction.

That way if they have a bad moment in their day instead of going off the rails they sit, take a moment, reflect, assess the problem and find a solution. Even if the solution isn’t a right now or right away solution. I want them to be able to find joy even when there’s sorrow in knowing they didn’t give up and they found a way to fix whatever is wrong.

In this business you learn that everyone is different in the way the process things mentally and how their bodies need different things in order to lose weight or to gain weight. You really have to dive in and be hands on with each client. And by doing so you increase their ability to have amazing results within their fitness journey. And that is truly rewarding.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I truly love my city, and even though Memphis is given a bad rap it’s a truly amazing city. You just have to know were to look. Some of my favorite restaurants are quaint and beautiful starting with Porch and Parlor, Costal, Folk’s Folly, Seasons 52, and The Capital Grille. For a more lively place to eat and hang out I’d recommend Side Street Grille, Sliders, Slim And Huskies, Evelyn and Olive, Curry and Jerk, and Babalu’s.

For fun and excitement try our Escape Rooms or our newest attraction Amuse interactive museum. The Peabody Hotel offers rooftop parties in the summer and a beautiful view of the city as the sunsets. Our lounge areas are gorgeous including Tiger and Peacock, Inkwell, Beck and Call, Salt, The Social and so many more.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
So when it comes to the story of me so many people deserve a shoutout. Starting with my family and mother for always encouraging me to follow the beat of my own drum, no matter who likes it or doesn’t. That type of encouragement at an early age made me pretty much fearless, and enabled me to always follow my own path even if I walk alone.

When I decided to join the world of fitness I was actually training at a black owned gym in Memphis and the owner was a long time friend of mine. I sat with him one day and explained that I really enjoy working out and that I want to be a trainer. I love seeing people rejoicing in their new found strength and loving their new bodies. And that I was going to start working at his gym. No I didn’t ask, I told him. Simply because I could see how passionate he was about helping the community and how tired he was doing it alone so I offered my services. I learned so much from him and while working in his gym, that it gave me the courage to branch out on my own. To take a risk on myself and how I wanted to train.

And after 2 years of being at his gym I was able to get my own and start my business. It’s been such a rewarding journey and to think it all started with me as a client at GodBody Fitness and Nutrition.

Instagram: @with.love.fitness

Facebook: WITH.LOVE.FITNESS

Image Credits
Taryn Daily