Ads by Google Ads by Google

Lifestyle: “Food is not the problem — the person is the problem.”

Pro-Sports trainer, Roger Valdivia
ausage@samoanews.com

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — A pro-sports trainer for Sports Performance, Roger Valdivia is working with the Department of Youth and Women's Affairs (DYWA) to encourage people to live a healthy lifestyle and promote the theme: “Live a Healthy Living”.

Valdivia arrived in American Samoa last month, and he’s partnered with DWYA and local non-profit organization, 30-30 Strong American Samoa, which was formed in late 2017 under the leadership of president, Jonathan Fanene, who is also the DYWA director.

In an interview with Samoa News last week, Valdivia said one of the things people need to look at, is how to manage their diet everyday, which he believes is the only way people can change their lifestyle.

According to Valdivia, “food is not the problem — the person is the problem.”

“What I’m trying to convey to some of the people who are joining our daily exercise with DYWA and 30-30 Strong American Samoa, is to do more alkaline diet instead of trying to change their diet immediately from meat to vegetarian,” Valdivia said.

“Alkaline diet is looking for more raw living food to eat like the fresh coconut, fresh fruits or vegetable — cut of the vine. The more fresh we can do this, the more electricity, the more voltage we can get to the body which is to help with detox."

Valdivia said the one message he wants to get out there, is that everyone can do it. “The faster you move through the workout, the more dynamic moves, the faster the results will be. As long as everything is in the right direction, the results and the performance will be outstanding,” Valdivia.

He told Samoa News that he loves to help people and that is the reason why he came back to American Samoa for a second time — to offer his help and assistance to  everyone on island.

“This is the third week of training since I arrived and I know that they have learned a lot, which I believe will benefit them”.

Not only is Valdivia promoting healthy living, he is also helping local trainers learn more on how to become certified in the future.

Valdivia first visited American Samoa in 2013 when he was training Fanene who was then still playing for the NFL's Cincinnati Bengals.

“My job is to train several athletes around the United States. I do sports training and sports performance for a lot of pro players including NFL players. I also do boxing training,” Valdivia said.

“I’m very happy to be here to help the community advance in fitness and health," he said, adding that he's also here to assist with some of the training being conducted by the DWYA and its staff. "I told people that if they train like professional athletes, they will look like professional athletes." He advises people to "focus on training.”

According to Fanene, Governor Lolo Matalasi Moliga's vision is to not only offer health programs for everybody in the territory to take part in, but also promote a healthy lifestyle for our people so they can change the way they eat and drink.

“This is all about healthy living, and the program is not specific to a group of certain people. This program is open for everybody. If you want to live a healthy lifestyle, feel free to join us. Our new trainer will provide different styles of exercises for you everyday, and it will help you change your life,” Fanene concluded.

The training exercise is held at the DYWA gym in Pago Pago (Monday through Friday, 4:30p.m - 5:30p.m.)