CYNTHIA CHANG

Certification: National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM)

Growing up in New York City with two working immigrant parents, being physically active was not a part of Cynthia’s childhood. As an adult, fitness became a passion for Cynthia and helped her find balance and strength – both physically and mentally.

Cynthia received her BA from Vassar College in Sociology and Public Economics and Master’s in Public Policy from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. After receiving her Master’s degree and assisting in the response to Hurricane Katrina, Cynthia served as the head of homeland security and emergency management for the metro Boston area. The extreme stress of this role and the toll it took on her made her realize she needed to do something for herself, so she signed up to work with a personal trainer.

Because of the tremendous benefits she experienced from strength training and the support and guidance she received from her personal trainer, she decided to obtain her NASM Personal Training Certification to continue her learning and help others on their own health and wellness journeys. She has trained, performed with, and led the conditioning workouts for the only Asian women lion and dragon dance troupe in the U.S (lion and dragon dance are martial arts that were traditionally believed only men were strong enough to participate in).

Cynthia enjoys working with people of all ages, abilities, and experience levels, especially since she was once herself a complete novice to fitness. Given her personal experiences as a mom of two children and her work with older adults, she has a particular interest in women’s fitness, pre/post-natal health, older exercisers, and helping individuals learn to strength train safely and effectively. Her favorite exercise is the TRX row to overhead press because it not only helps with back and shoulder health, but also does wonders for posture and opening up the chest cavity. Cynthia speaks conversational Mandarin and Cantonese Chinese. In her free time, she enjoys cooking, rock climbing, yoga, going for hikes and walks, and dancing (mostly in her kitchen!).

Philosophy on Training: Being kind to yourself is just as important as being kind to others, including learning how to take care of your body so you can enjoy life. The secret to strength is the ability to hold yourself up when gravity is pulling you down. Life is about rising against resistance, and to do so, you need to cultivate your strength so you can do all the things you want to in life. It is Cynthia’s mission to help you achieve your goals, whatever they may be! For more information or to schedule an appointment, email: cynthiac@waverleyoaks.com.