Shelley Russell, Teaching Fitness

Early bird Shelley Russell fills her cup through learning, creating and working in the fitness world

Eighteen years in the fitness industry and Shelley Russell, 58, is loving her career more than ever. The pandemic didn’t slow her–during those years, she pivoted and taught herself how to create by teaching fitness classes online.

The Joy of New Beginnings

Besides teaching fitness online, though, to keep active daily herself, Russell enjoys weightlifting and indoor cycling. “It’s fast, fun and effective and I love moving to the beat of the music–I first learned about fast-paced metabolic training at a personal training convention, and I’ve always enjoyed moving to the beat of the music,” she says. She takes her fitness to the great outdoors, though, to the sound of nature, too as Russell also loves hiking, which she took up when she moved to Colorado in 2020. In fact, one of her happiest moments was when she woke up in her new house in Boulder after driving from Tucson by herself.

Balancing Work, Rest, and Hobbies

As active as she is, Russell also treasures rest and downtime. An ideal night? “I buy a chocolate sea salt caramel apple, climb into bed, and watch a Netflix series like Vikings,” she says. She devotes just as much time to her hobbies and professional development, too. “I’m passionate about eMarketing and business, developing websites, engaging in social media, and capturing moments with my Camera,” she says.

A Passion for Learning and Professional Growth

It’s clear that Russell’s work is central to her happiness and feeling a sense of success. Creating a great class, learning something new and technical, and posting content that performs well are all things she finds especially rewarding. In fact, she feels most herself when immersed with something on the computer, such as creating something or learning something new.

Russell is proud of having taught herself OBS software, WordPress, HTML, CSS, PHP code, and photography. “I also learned how to use Premiere Pro for video editing,” she adds. “I enjoy figuring things out and simplifying them as much as possible.” That sense of fulfillment isn’t all from being on a computer though. Hiking in the middle of nature with her dog is up there, too. “My laptop and my dog are never far from me!” she says.

Besides gaining new software skills, fitness is what Russell holds close to her heart–so much so that she says she’s living her dream life. Working in the fitness world is what she finds incredibly fulfilling and she is excited and passionate about continuing to help more people with her teaching fitness classes.

Embracing Positivity and Life’s Precious Moments

Her uplifting personality has certainly contributed to her success in teaching fitness. Russell’s closest friends and family have always said that she has an infectious laugh and exudes light. “And I especially like that. When I was young, my mom painted my room yellow to match my personality, which she said was sunny,” says Russell. She admits this seems accurate as well.  “I’m generally optimistic and, overall, happy,” she says.

And although she’s always been a positive and optimistic person, she would say she’s changed somewhat as she’s gotten older and become more relaxed. “I was a bit intense when I was younger,” she says.  “Life is much shorter and much more precious now, and I don’t waste time on trivial stuff.” With that in mind, if she were to give advice to her 20-year-old self, she’d tell that younger Shelley to let things sit and percolate for a while. “Wait until they are refined to their most straightforward and best form,” she says.

Besides the happiness that fitness and her work bring to her, Russell is most joyful when her family feels joy, and she especially has great admiration for her husband for his remarkable memory and ability to see the big picture. “In contrast, I tend to focus on details. He is more easy going when it comes to travel, while I tend to get fatigued because I prefer sticking to my routine,” she says, adding that this is something she is actively working on.

Because, as you may have come to realize, Russell is always working on something. Her next goal? Creating a flowchart for the process of starting a business. “What software to buy, how to create a website, what social media platforms to use, how to make videos in Premier Pro for content, etc. It’s lofty, but I’m interested,” she says. And if her life and career as evidence of everything she’s accomplished when she’s passionate about something, this process will be completed without fail.

Photos By @JPatrickPhoto