GREATEST: Remi Ishizuka
Health and fitness writer Remi Ishizuka began her journey into fitness by “adding in one healthy habit a day.”
Since her departure from working at an interior design firm a few years ago and becoming her own boss, Ishizuka has gained a steady following of health-focused fans who tuned into her socials to see her daily breakfast bowl imagery on her feed and adjoining recipe. Around the same time, Ishizuka also credits discovering Kayla Itsines’ Bikini Body Guide as the other major component to getting healthy (with a strict workout routine of six days per week). The adidas ambassador, returning from a back-to-back traveling expedition from Cuba to Mexico, shares with us her sneaker rotation and what it was like visiting the adidas headquarters in Germany.
So when I became my own boss, I told myself I would see more of the world and travel.
Remi Ishizuka
How do you like to start your mornings?
Each morning I wake up and make myself breakfast! It’s the one meal I never like to skip. I’ll usually have a filling smoothie with fruits, greens, and healthy fats like avocado and coconut oil to hold me through the morning. Once that digests, I head to the gym to get my workout in since it instantly makes me feel energized and sets the pace for a productive day.
For those who don’t know already, how did you start your journey into fitness? And maybe this ties into that question, but prior to you discovering Kayla Itsines’ Bikini Body Guide, you were already becoming known for your healthy breakfast bowls. What made you commit entirely to not only eating healthy but working out and getting in shape as well?
I started by adding in one healthy habit a day. For me, that was making a healthy breakfast. I was so used to the typical pancakes and eggs so when I discovered new and delicious ways to have oatmeal, breakfast smoothies, acai bowls and more, I was hooked. I was starting to have so much fun in the kitchen and along with that, I was noticing I was eating healthier for lunch and even dinner too. It was like a domino effect and from there, I noticed so much energy and clarity in my head. I was able to focus on work better and my energy lasted all day. At around the same time I discovered Kayla Itsines’ Bikini Body Guide and started following her workouts religiously to prove to myself anything was possible. Together with the two, I started living a colorful, healthy lifestyle and started seeing results in my body and mood. I actually got abs!
Congrats on recently becoming a certified health coach. How rewarding did that feel when you finally became certified?
I had been working on getting certified for the past year, so it was definitely very rewarding to graduate. I learned so much and knew that this is the field I want to be in for the rest of my life, helping and motivating women to start moving every day, eating healthy, and feeling good from the inside out.
Is it difficult to stick to your routine of working out six days every week?
It has definitely become routine and something that is part of my lifestyle now. Working out six days a week to me is like having to brush my teeth every day. It’s just something I have to do, so I stick to it no matter what. There are days when I don’t feel like it, of course, especially when I’m traveling, but I push myself to do it anyway and I always feel better once I’m done. If I don’t work out, it’s because I made that choice and I’m not going to feel guilty about it.
How often do you travel? Do you try and workout wherever you go regardless of where you’re at?
I travel a lot! At times, it’s back-to-back for months and it definitely throws me off my routine. But I just have to be flexible and squeeze it in whenever I can, even if it’s a 30-minute walk. As long as I’m moving my body right!
What was it like visiting the adidas headquarters in Germany? Did you get a chance to meet other adidas brand ambassadors?
It was definitely a highlight of the year for me. I got to learn so much about the brand on a deeper level, meeting the global shoe designers, visiting super hush-hush rooms like the archive room and athlete services. Seeing the science in action as they test the clothes and shoes had such a profound impact on me. They genuinely want the best for the athlete and it was so cool to see it firsthand.
When it comes to performance footwear, what are you looking for the most?
Support, energy, and style.
Do you have any footwear that you continuously keep in rotation?
Yes, my adidas Ultra Boosts, Ultra Boost X’s designed for women's feet, and the AlphaBOUNCE.
Before you went full-time into fitness, I read that you also were taking interior design classes in the evenings. Do you still have an interest in interior design? If so, what projects are you working on at the moment?
I always loved interior design since I was a child and still do. I remember going to the library and looking through interior design books growing up. So for a while, I was in interior design school, working at an interior design firm hoping to one day become an interior designer. Although my career unexpectedly shifted, I am still working on redecorating my own home, and it’s been very rewarding seeing my place change.
Do you have any special mementos at home that mean a lot to you?
I never had the opportunity to travel when I was working at my old job. So when I became my own boss, I told myself I would see more of the world and travel. I started bringing home little trinkets wherever I went and have a shelf where they all sit. So right now, I have collected a red horse from Arizona, a red horse from Mexico, a cuban cigar, and a white llama from Peru.
Interview and Photography: Diane Abapo