聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 Personal trainer and powwow dancer Brandyy-Lee Maxie has created POWfit- a fitness class that is 鈥渃ulturally-inspired鈥� as part of her mission to help prevent diabetes in First Nation communities. Maxie grew up on White Bear First Nation and says: 鈥淚t's a class suitable for everyone-both First Nations and non-First Nations people. It's fun, but it also incorporates our cultural teachings.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚 take various dance moves from different powwow styles and I introduce them to a fitness routine,鈥� explains Maxie. 鈥淚 use styles from the contemporary powwow and I try and choose music from First Nations artists. I'll use round dance or side-step music for certain routines. I sometimes use urban Aboriginal music, for example, music by 'A Tribe Called Red.'鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚 introduce the fitness routine and I give a background to a group of origin stories, so it's a fitness class and an introduction to indigenous culture.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Maxie's POWfit classes are typically an hour long, and have both cardio routines and strength training.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚 wanted to create something that was fun and something that would allow other people to participate in the powwow without the regalia,鈥� she says. 鈥淢y classes are for everyone, but I have a special interest in helping to reduce diabetes in First Nations communities.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淲hen I was pregnant with my youngest son,鈥� says the 33-year-old mother of three. 鈥淚 was聽 diagnosed with gestational diabetes. It didn't go away after he was born and I was told it was Type 2 (diabetes). I asked what I could do and I was advised to lose weight... I didn't want to go to the gym, but I started working out with a lot of online videos, like Zumba, Tahitian cardio and belly dance-that are all culturally-inspired.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淲hen I lost the weight, the diabetes went away,鈥� she says. 鈥淒iabetes is especially prevalent in First Nations people and that's why I encourage First Nations people to adopt healther lifestyles.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淢y dad has diabetes, my sister has diabetes, I had gestational diabetes that didn't go away after the birth of my son. He's seven now, and he's been diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淲ith diabetes, often the focus is on foot care, eye care and managing the disease, rather than prevention. But I'm trying to break down barriers for people in First Nations communities to help them get fit.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淢y personal fitness journey began about seven years ago,鈥� says Maxie. 鈥淎nd I'm not done my fitness journey. I'm not everyone's vision of what a fitness instructor looks like. But it's not about that. It's about health and well-being.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚've struggled with an eating disorder where I struggled with body image issues and I was starving myself. And I've also gone to the other extreme, where I've used food as an emotional cushion,鈥� she says. 鈥淓verybody has their own fitness journey. We all start somewhere and we all have our ups and downs and challenges.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 While developing POWfit-which she is in the process of trademarking-Maxie also embarked on what she calls 鈥渁n entrepreneurial journey.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚 come from a family of entrepeneurs and my parents (Jackie and Delmar Maxie) had the Maxie Ranch and Riding Stables, along with a petting zoo, tipi camp and the craft and gift shop there.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淢y entrepreneurial journey is quite a journey,鈥� says Maxie. 鈥淚 couldn't find work or a home and I had to separate from my kids for a while... I did a presentation at a First Nations entrepreneurship competition and I had to make a pitch to W. Brett Wilson of CBC's Dragon's Den. It was quite nerve-wracking and exciting at the same time.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Maxie not only impressed Wilson, she went on to enter and win numerous other business competitions, learning more about business and networking along the way, while studying journalism at Regina's First Nations University and 鈥済etting the fitness certifications I needed.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Since then, her POWfit classes have been taught at the 鈥淵鈥� in Regina, the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon, and in First Nations and non-First Nations communities throughout the province.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Even with the growing success of her venture, Maxie says she will be most gratified if POWfit can positively impact the health of people from First Nations and other communities throughout Canada.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淢y measure of success is not so much monetary, but how I can affect health statistics in my community, in Saskatchewan, or even nationally,鈥� she says.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淢y children Valyncia (Sparvier), 12, Cassius (Maxie), 9, and Adonis (Maxie), 7, are really my driving force.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淢y grandma's last powwow was last year in Regina. I still have the jingle dress she made me when I was 16. I put my dress away while my grandma was sick, but I danced in her honour this year.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淟ife happens and that's really why my focus is so much on prevention and healthy living,鈥� says Maxie.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淢aybe I had to explore all of this with my family and loved ones so I could help people live healthier, longer lives.鈥澛�
