Former Soldier stresses nutrition, teaches others to reach fitness goals

By Tina Ray
Paraglide

April 28, 2011

	Courtesy photo Bridget Anthony

You can take the Soldier out of the Army, but you can’t take the Army out the Soldier.

Bridget Anthony is a former U.S. Army Special Operations Command Soldier who owns The Fitness Studio in Southern Pines, N.C., where she teaches clients to achieve optimal fitness.

Anthony, who served in the 4th Psychological Operations Group, now known as Military Information Support Operations, opened the studio last September and offers private training sessions, private small group sessions, nutrition counseling classes and circuit training.

Anthony uses the skill set learned in the Army to continue to connect to both servicemembers and civilians.

“Being in the military exposed me to a different type of training and allows me to reach that community (military) in a different way having done it myself,” said Anthony, who has also trained paramilitary personnel such as firemen and police officers.

The Army taught her to incorporate Olympic lifting into circuit training and the importance of good cardio, Anthony said. She passes those lessons onto her customer base.
One of the goals of The Fitness Studio is to narrow down fitness options for clients and to make navigating the fitness maze easier.

“There are a lot of options out there and a lot of books saying, ‘this is the way out,’” Anthony said. “A trainer finds the right recipe for that particular person.”

Marsha Southers has been a client of Anthony’s since January, and has made progress in reaching her fitness goals, she said.

“She (Anthony) not only knows the fitness side of things, but she also incorporates the nutritional value, as well,” Southers said. “She has a working knowledge of how food groups interact and how that affects you as an individual.”

Anthony gives common sense and very-manageable information that can easily be incorporated into one’s personal situation, Southers said.

The key to achieving greater health and fitness intelligence is to concentrate on improving mental stamina, said Anthony.

For Anthony, a native New Yorker, it was a lesson first learned as a teenager who triumphed over chubbiness through participation in high-school track and field. The sport taught her fitness accountability.

Today, Anthony often assigns homework to her clients. The assignments are specific to the person and depend on the person’s access to a gym and access to exercise equipment at home.

The intent of The Fitness Studio is not to take the place of a gym, Anthony said. Being able to access Fort Bragg’s Frederick Physical Fitness Center and the Tucker Performance Enhancement Center is a phenomenal opportunity that Anthony has taken advantage of herself, she said.

The Fitness Studio gives clients individualized tools for accomplishing their goals in a private setting. That setting, Anthony explains, allows her to build a bridge of trust with clients.

She teaches techniques such as proper lifting to keep one’s metabolism running optimally and resistance training to improve strength.

Initial consultations are conducted free of charge and coaching can be done in person, by phone or over the Internet. Clients are seen by appointment only as the studio is open seven days a week.

Anthony said the one aspect of ownership she enjoys most is “the opportunity to share other people’s successes.”

She has come a long way from a chubby teenager who struggled to reach a healthy weight to a Soldier who learned the importance of physical fitness to being an entrepreneur who passes those lessons to her customers.

It is a personal journey that Anthony maintains by lifting weights four to five times a week, cross training and doing cardio, she said. She also enjoys both teaching and taking spinning classes.

“It (spinning) allows you to be in a group level where everybody can work on an optimal level, but no one has to be on the same level,” she said. “It’s very intense, but gentle on the body, which is really nice.”

As a PsyOp Soldier, Anthony served in Iraq from 2005 to 2006. In the window of her fitness studio hangs a flag that flew over Iraq during her time there, and seems to remind her of her service to her country.

“I served because I believe that every American has a patriotic duty to serve in some manner and I am very proud to have worn the uniform,” said Anthony, who has no plans to stop her civic service.

“I’ll always be a supporter of the military. Any expertise I can offer any servicemember, I’m happy to do it because I think they are doing a great service for our nation,” she said.
You can take the Soldier out the Army, but you can’t take the Army out the Soldier.

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