Priscilla Barrera-Cintron has been active her whole life. She started with gymnastics, jazz, and ballet at age 2, and never slowed down.
The Laredo, Texas-based nutritionist and trainer knew as a teenager that she was destined for a career in wellness. She became a registered dietician after college, started competing in fitness competitions in 2007, and opened her gym, Origin Method, earlier this year. “It’s always been a passion of mine to take it to that next level: looking good, feeling good, having sustained energy and staying healthy,” she said. “Movement is not just my passion; it’s my sanity, it’s my happiness.”
Origin Method is Barrera-Cintron’s way of helping other people find that same passion and happiness in movement. “It’s a dream I’ve had since I was 17 years old: to help transform other people’s health and bodies. Origin Method is just the beginning of learning the lifestyle. It’s personalized nutrition and fitness training for families and individuals that provides a challenge and delivers effective results,” she said.
For Barrera-Cintron, the most rewarding aspect of creating Origin Method is helping her clients make sustainable changes that achieve results. People appreciate that her nutrition programs don’t feel like “diets,” and her workouts can be adapted to any fitness level.
TRX has been a major part of Barrera-Cintron’s wellness journey, both as a fitness competitor and a wellness entrepreneur. She learned about the TRX Suspension Trainer years ago through another coach, and she knew that it was a tool she wanted to use when she opened her own studio. “It doesn’t matter if I have 6-year-old kids or 70-year-old adults; it’s a tool that allows me as an owner, trainer, and coach to take my clients from easy workouts to challenging workouts.” She also uses the Suspension Trainer in her own workouts, whether that’s TRX for yoga—“I’m a beginner and it’s so challenging,” she admits—or traditional strength training.
As part of her own routine, Barrera-Cintron sets aside time every day for self-care, dedicating 20 to 40 minutes each morning or evening for exercise and 20 minutes for daily meditation. “I love integrating different moves with the TRX Suspension Trainer, box jumps, sprints, agility, drills, plyometrics, cardio, strength and core. I usually aim for 250 minutes a week.” On top of her personal fitness schedule, she teaches 8-10 fitness classes each week at Origin Method, and spends time running and playing with her daughter.
Establishing and maintaining healthy lifestyle doesn’t have to consume every minute of your day. No time to travel to the gym? Take a short run or squeeze in exercises with your TRX Suspension Trainer. Remember that movement can take on many different forms beyond squats and burpees; it could even be as simple as taking your dog for long walks, or riding your bike to the farmer’s market. Trying to spend more quality time with your kids? Bounce with them on a trampoline or play tag in the park.
While her 9-to-5 gig may center around wellness, Priscilla Barrera-Cintron is a great example of how committing to a few small efforts can make a big difference. Allotting even 20 minutes each day for movement can help improve health, relieve stress, and make you feel happier.
