A little about Diana... she's a corporate professional with a full-time 9 to 5 but also a fitness coach that teaches and trains before and after work. Juggling these both, she's learned so much about how to balance everything in a thoughtful way that makes her feel emotionally fulfilled but not drained. She's lived in a multitude of cities - with the latest being NYC for 8 years. During the pandemic lockdown, she made a change and moved to Miami in May 2021, home of Jibs :)  

Who: Diana Mitrea

Where: Miami, Florida

Find her: @diana.fitness

DIANA, FIRSTLY CONGRATULATIONS ON THE NEW MOVE TO MIAMI! TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOUR ARRIVAL, AND HOW YOU’RE SETTLING INTO THIS VIBRANT CITY?

Thank you! It’s been a wild ride. I came here with just a suitcase and with all intentions of not staying longer than a month - and one year later I just signed another year lease at my apartment. I think Miami has evolved so much over the last year and it’s been really fun to be here to witness it. I feel like I’m catching my stride, settling into somewhat of a routine but also still exploring everything Miami has to offer.

WHAT'S ONE PLACE SHOULD WE VISIT IN MIAMI?

My gym, Anatomy :)

WHAT'S ONE PLACE YOU JUST HAVE TO RE-VISIT WHEN YOU GO BACK TO NYC?

Every time without fail - Levain Cookies. Definitely the best cookies I’ve ever had!
 

YOU’RE A BIT OF A FITNESS NUT (IN ALL THE GOOD WAYS!), HOW DO YOU CHOOSE TO STAY FIT AND HEALTHY NOW, AND HOW DO YOU ENCOURAGE YOUR FRIENDS AND CLASS MEMBERS?

I choose to stay fit and healthy by doing things I enjoy so that moving and exercising is fun and doesn’t feel like a chore. It should be a time you carve out to take care of you and be something that you’re looking forward to. I try to plan my week out on Sunday evenings, juggling work and my workouts. I’ll also have friends and coaches to hold me accountable. Working out with others is also more fun to do. I also don’t focus on aesthetic benefits of working out which can feel far out of reach and honestly not that motivating. Working out should be all about the endorphins, feeling good, and getting faster or stronger at something. 

WHAT FITNESS TRENDS DO YOU FORESEE COMING UP NEXT? ARE THE “MUST-DO” CLASSES AND PROGRAMS THE SAME HERE IN MIAMI AS THEY WERE IN NYC? …BE FUN TO KNOW WHAT YOU SEE IN SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCES BETWEEN CITIES WHICH AS OF LATE ALSO SHARE A LOT OF PART-TIME “LOCALS”! 

I think the main difference between Miami fitness and NYC fitness is that class participants are much more chatty and likely to be friendly to you in Miami. In NYC people are much more heads down and less open to conversation. I make a lot more friends in Miami workouts!

THERE’S A MOVEMENT NOW TOWARDS A MORE INCLUSIVE ACCEPTANCE OF BODY TYPE IN THE FASHION INDUSTRY. WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THIS? DOES BODY CONFIDENCE / IMAGE AWARENESS ONLINE CORRESPOND TO WHAT YOU SEE IRL IN THE STUDIOS?

I love it but I think there’s still a lot of room for improvement. I have personally unfollowed some accounts because I felt like they were not serving me and instead draining me and making me judge myself.

WHAT DOES LIFE BALANCE MEAN TO YOU?

Life balance means not living your life according to what society or your colleagues expect you to do - but truly doing what you enjoy doing and all the right amounts of it. I used to care a lot more about what people thought of me and so I would do things (or not do things). For example, I used to not go out as much because I was worried about what my work colleagues or fitness colleagues would think of me - but now I realize that going out dancing once a week is the right life balance for me and I have a blast doing it!

WE LOVE YOU FOR YOUR PUNCHY HAPPY ATTITUDE AND IT SEEMS TO COME ACROSS IN YOUR CHOICE OF APPAREL AS WELL!  HOW WOULD YOU SUM UP YOUR PERSONAL FASHION STYLE?

I’ll try anything once! I love seeing something and then trying it on for myself even if I’ve never worn anything like that before. Moving to Miami has allowed me to explore all types of new styles and I enjoy mixing it up. I even wore a pink bob wig for New Year’s Eve!

WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE JIBS SHOES, AND WHY DO YOU LOVE THEM? 

I love my classic white because they go with ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING. Especially in Miami where I am wearing a lot of bright happy colors - these are the perfect shoes to pair with floral dresses or jean shorts.

WHICH LOOK DID YOU LOVE THE MOST FROM THE JIBS SHOOT AND WHY?

I think I really liked styling the Jibs with my more formal work attire. It’s awesome how they can be dressed up or down!

ONE TIP FOR THOSE DAYS WHEN PERHAPS WE’RE RUNNING ON EMPTY YET STILL HAVE A TO-DO LIST TO TAKE ON THE WORLD…?

Take the rest day. The to-do list can wait until tomorrow. You cannot pour from an empty cup. It took me a long time to realize this and even now my first instinct is to push through. Taking a rest day when you need it, you’ll have way more energy in the long run and you won’t be burning out so quickly this way. Plus, everyone around you and your work will be better for it.