Today we’d like to introduce you to Kat Seay.
Hi Kat, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I am an ACE-Certified Group Fitness instructor who has been teaching classes for over 15 years. I am a wife, mother of three, grandmother, and joy-filled Jesus Follower. I began my fitness instructor journey in 2009. I love spreading JOY to others and find that teaching fitness classes is a great way to do this. After over a decade of teaching at my local YMCA and other locations, I felt a calling to open my own, faith-infused fitness studio. The idea to start the Live Move Be Fitness® Studio came as a result of wanting to create a positive and uplifting fitness environment–a space of belonging and encouragement for every person regardless of age, size, or fitness level. I had a desire to connect with my students on a deeper level beyond just leading them through a fitness class—to address the needs of the heart and soul as well as the body. The studio name was inspired by Acts 17:28, and my mission was to help people LIVE with purpose, MOVE with joy, and BE all they were created to be. The studio doors opened in January 2020 and offered a variety of fitness classes such as dance-fitness, yoga, barre, Pilates, circuit classes, and more. For the first three years, I had the honor and blessing of seeing lives changed through fitness that places emphasis on the heart over any other part of the body. #everydayisheartday
However, I knew that fitness is not the only way to address the complicated and diverse needs of the human heart, and so in 2023 the idea for the LIVE MOVE BE CENTER (501c3) was birthed — a nonprofit organization that offers 20+ Live Move Be Fitness®️classes each week as well as hosts support groups, Bible studies, helpful workshops and fun community events.
We are now in our seventh year of operation, and I continue to be amazed by the difference a “ little studio with a big heart” can make in the lives of others and feel so blessed to have the opportunity to encourage and uplift others through something as simple as a fitness class taught with intention. 😉
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
One unexpected struggle occurred just 2 1/2 months after we opened… COVID! But we were determined to keep our community moving and quickly pivoted to online classes, We also began holding classes in our parking lot. When we were finally able to get back inside the studio, we continued to offer classes via Zoom, and to this day this is one of the ways many of our participants are able to enjoy our classes regularly. All our classes are available live via Zoom as well as in person.
My biggest struggle personally was in the fall of 2022 when it became apparent to me that I was going to need a hip replacement — a very discouraging diagnosis for someone as active as myself who runs a fitness studio and teaches a majority of the classes. This turned out, however, to be a blessing in disguise because it was during this time that I prayerfully determined to create the nonprofit which has given me the opportunity to impact even more people! My hip resurfacing surgery in Jan 2023 was a huge success, and I am back to teaching and doing all the things I love!
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
One of the things that I think sets my classes apart from others is the true joy that I feel when I teach and the joy I hope to impart to my students through faith-infused movement. I think fitness should be fun! I often say in my classes “we do some serious workouts around here, but we don’t take ourselves too seriously.” I think that’s important. There is so much competition and comparison in the fitness world. That can feel very discouraging. If you make working out enjoyable, people will look forward to doing it, and that is why I try to create a very welcoming, fun, and positive experience in all of my classes for ALL ages, shapes, sizes and fitness levels—through the music I choose and the words I speak over them.
We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
Because I am a follower of Jesus Christ, I consider success to be doing what He has called me to do for His glory and for the good of others. I am successful when I am faithful to do the work He’s given me to do and then trust Him with the outcome.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.livemovebefitness.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/live.move.be.studio?utm_source=qr
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1GEMBiNtCB/?mibextid=wwXIfr
