Her Campus at WVU will be hosting a Get With The Times watch party for the Morgantown community on Sunday, March 31– partnering with The New York Times, Mirage Magazine and Warrior Body. Hosted at the WVU Media Innovation Center (4th floor Evansdale Crossing), the viewing will focus on women’s empowerment and body positivity, with refreshments, giveaways and a Q/A discussion with personal trainer and women’s advocate Micki Pauley, founder and head coach of Warrior Body.
RSVP for the event here and follow our social media accounts @HerCampusWVU for more updates and information.
The Warrior Body challenge, an 8-week fitness program with focused “levels” (beginner/all-star) and even an online option, provides the Morgantown and WVU area with a network and family focused on self-growth. “I don’t know if you go home at night and don’t have the support, but I can promise you will find it within our community– every single day,” said Pauley, who was voted Morgantown’s best personal trainer in 2018 and 2019.
HC: What path led you to a career in fitness and health?
MP: Health and fitness have always been a part of my life. I was a competitive gymnast and soccer player growing up, so fitness for me was all beneficial, physically. When I got to college, I wasn’t in a group sport anymore so I started going to the rec center religiously and really started diving into what exercise not only did for us physically, but the emotional and mental side of it became even more important for me!
HC: What is the inspiration behind and the beginning of Warrior Body like?
MP: I worked in schools with many female teachers who just struggled to get exercise in. It is tough– a lot of teachers either go in super early or stay late to work done because there isn’t time during school to. I actually have my degree in education, so I started in the school system! Right before one summer break, I asked many of the teachers who would be interested in me doing a free workout on law school hill on Saturday mornings and I got a good response, but once it started cooling down the workouts became difficult to sustain outdoors. I learned of Viking Performance opening up on Greenbag road so I got in contact with the owner, Jerry Handley about starting my class there. We, of course, had to come up with a more Viking-like name, hence Warrior Body! The inspiration is in the individuals who attend classes. While it is so much about the workout – it is also about the support from everyone, being relatable for so many other individuals in the class. It is amazing!
HC: What are your main goals with the Warrior Body program and community?
MP: My main goals with Warrior Body and the community are to show others that fitness CAN be a part of our everyday life. It actually, in fact, is– but, when we understand the transfer of exercise to our everyday tasks we become much more willing to work out. Warrior Body isn’t just coming in and doing a set of curls and leaving. It is so much more about training the body to do what it is already designed to do, but making it more efficient at it!
HC: What advice do you have for college-aged women looking to pursue a career in this field?
MP: There are so many health and fitness experts, but find what makes YOU different and STAND OUT!
HC: What tips do you have for college students looking to get more exercise, specifically with limited time in their schedules?
MP: Bodyweight workouts are great! You can get a GREAT workout in just in your dorm room! Choose 4-5 exercises (upper body, lower body, ab, plyometric), a set of reps (10-15 reps), and set a timer for anywhere from 15-30 minutes. Do as many rounds as you can in that allotted time! BOOM. Workout is done. You don’t always need fancy equipment to get an effective workout in!