Maria’s Story

Although Maria was born and raised in beautiful Southern California, she comes from a rich Hispanic heritage with her father being from Puerto Rico and mother from Mexico. She comes from a very musical family and started to sing and play piano at a very early age. Spanish is her first language, having learned English when she started school. She holds a Bachelor’s in Business Management with an emphasis in Organizational Leadership, having graduated with honors from Vanguard Univeristy.  She currently lives in Orange County with her two sons and attends Life Church in Irvine, CA.

Maria has been a successful group fitness instructor for over 10 years. She started by teaching kickboxing and cardio salsa for LA Fitness gyms. Throughout the years, she has also taught for Equinox, Bodies in Motion and Total Woman as well as for corporate accounts. She has since created her own High Intensity Fitness Program, BURN™.

Maria’s love for fitness began as she realized the empowerment she obtained by understanding how she could help herself feel better, live healthier, and be stronger.

“Because I was very thin, probably underweight, most of my young adolescent life, I thought I would never be concerned about my weight. Then the kids came. It was like my metabolism said, ‘Look, I’ve been working overtime all these years. Now, you’re on your own!’ I became very overweight (over 200 pounds at one point), which took a physical, emotional and psychological toll on my wellbeing. I tried every diet in the book and a few I made up myself… nothing worked! I spoke with doctors, trainers, counselors, you name it, and not in vain. In the process, I gained knowledge about how my body works and how its wellbeing is connected to my mental and psychological state.  After losing approximately 80 pounds, I began meeting many women in similar situations. I wanted to hug them and shake them, but mostly, I wanted to help them. So, BODY BY MARIA was born.”

Maria has appeared as a trainer on the new weight-loss TV program, Dale Con Ganas, from the creator of The Biggest Loser, on Univision. She has also appeared in People en Español (Feb, 2012), FitnessMagazine.com, Univision.com, and CBS Moneywatch among others. She is one of the resident Fitness Experts for Primera Edicion on the local Univision television network and columnist for The Huffington Post.  Furthermore, Maria travels throughout the country as a Keynote/Motivational Speaker for various Corporate Events and is the National Spokesperson for the American Heart Association’s Go Red Por Tu Corazón campaign.

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