LAKEISHA EDWARDS, HELPING CLIENTS IMPROVE HEALTH, PERFORMANCE THROUGH TOTAL BODY FITNESS
By Joycelyn Osborne | January 2023
After losing her beloved mother, confidante and best friend to heart disease, Lakeisha Edwards became very serious about making sure she not only took her own health and fitness seriously, but that she helped others to do the same, by bringing sound total body fitness and training to a new level.
A successful real estate broker based in Brooklyn, NY, Edwards is also a personal trainer of fitness-seeking men and women, and owner of The LME Connection. In fact, her personal training and fitness coaching began in 2020, during the pandemic.
“I actually started The LME Connection in 2020 during the pandemic because I recognized that people were stuck in the house, not able to exercise because gyms were closed and if they did catch COVID, they had to be physically strong to survive,” said Edwards. “As a result, I became a certified trainer through the National Association of Scientific Medicine (NASM), to offer clients customized scientific evidence- based performance training,” she continued. “As part of my own fitness routine I would run everywhere with my mask outside, which was the safest place to be during the COVID pandemic. This led to starting to work with clients and training them outside in the open air, instead of gyms,” she said.
Lakeisha Edwards Transforms Fitness Levels at Age 40
Edwards shared that she actually transformed her fitness level at age 40 after the sudden passing of her mother, which propelled her to make some real changes to her approach to health and wellness.
“Although it’s not hereditary, but in addition to my mother, several of my aunts and uncles had cardiovascular disease, which motivated me to develop better eating habits, along with exercising,” shared Edwards. “The evening my mother passed, which was Thanksgiving Day, she had been complaining about a nagging, stabbing pain in her back all day, which turned out to be a symptom of heart disease, and she passed that night after I had gone home,” she said.
Lakeisha running NYC Marathon
Edwards decided to convert her pain into something positive and began doing research about cardiovascular disease, which led to her fitness transformation and the building of her business.
“I learned that the symptoms of heart disease are not necessarily the same for everyone, and that it is the number one killer of African American women…also known as a silent killer,” said Edwards. “My mother was my best friend and after she passed, I became very sad and would run and cry for hours. Although I was always into health and fitness, I became even more so after Mom transitioned and decided to join the New York City Marathon and run for charity-- on behalf of the American Heart Association, which was my first marathon,” she said.
Runs NYC Marathon for First Time
The world’s largest and longest marathon, which goes for about 26 miles, the New York City Marathon attracts over 50,000 runners from all around the world, winds through all five boroughs of Manhattan (26 miles) and is not an easy Marathon for which to qualify.
“To get selected, you had to have run in nine races the year prior; had been running for a charity or be picked by lottery,” shared Edwards. “Once I was selected to run to help raise money for the American Heart Association, I only had four months to prepare,” she continued. “I began building up my body by working out four hours at a time every day by doing things like kickboxing, dancing, weight training, running, etc. I ran the NYC Marathon for years and my last one was in 2015, where I finished in four hours and six minutes, which was pretty good!” said Edwards.
Lakeisha and her daughter, Clinton
Edwards says starting the LME Connection also came not only from the ongoing requests for personal training she was getting from people who witnessed her workouts and were seeing the results she was having on her own body, but also because she saw a need in fitness training that wasn’t being filled.
“I saw a deficit in how people were being trained and there also seemed to be a lot of gimmicky approaches that weren’t really addressing the fitness needs of people I knew, so I intentionally got certified through the NASM to ensure clients were getting scientific- based performance training, to enhance the opportunities to meet their fitness goals,” said Edwards.
Already the mother of a daughter in her 20’s, Edwards was surprised as she was in the midst of starting and growing her business when in January of 2021, she discovered she was pregnant at the age of 47.
“It was really a miracle and I thought I was experiencing menopause, but because the doctors said I was in superior health due to my athleticism, I was able to continue training throughout my pregnancy; I even ran on the treadmill for two miles the day my baby was born,” shared the newly-engaged Edwards. “In fact, after giving birth, my body snapped back quickly because I had been training throughout the whole pregnancy, which was encouraging to other pregnant women,” she said.
LME Connection Offers Performance-Based Fitness Training
Edwards says a lot of her business comes from referrals and what differentiates her personal trainings from others, is that she not only assesses the strengths and weaknesses of her clients’ fitness levels, but she also gets in there and works out with her them.
“I believe in encouraging performance-based training, which involves balancing stability, weight training, flexibility and cardio-vascular activities,” said Edwards, who also trains clients virtually. “I don’t just tell my clients what to do, I get in there and work out along with them. I find working out alongside my clients brings about greater results and helps to motivate and encourage them to take ownership of their fitness and also better enjoy the process,” she said.
Edwards says she is looking forward to a successful 2023 both personally and professionally.
“I’m excited about what 2023 has to offer,” said Edwards. “I look forward to seeing how I can continue to grow The LME Connection and serve more clients as a personal trainer, while continuing to succeed as a real estate broker in New York. I turn 50 this year, am the proud mother of two beautiful daughters; the youngest one will be turning two and the older one is killing it in the beauty and fashion industries. In addition, I look forward to planning my wedding and marrying my best friend, so yes, I am expecting to have a great year!”
Follow Us On
© 2023-2022 Celebrity Boss Inc., All Rights Reserved.