Esme Prince is dancing as fast as she can on General Hospital as the conniver continues to stay two steps ahead of the people around her. In real-life, her portrayer, Avery Kristen Pohl, takes a multi-faceted approach to staying fit. Soap Hub chatted with the GH newcomer about her wellness philosophies for this week’s Wellness Wednesday.
Avery Kristen Pohl Shares Wellness Thoughts
On GH, Esme appears to be looking out for No. 1 and plays things close to the vest but Pohl has lots of helpful advice for folks who are looking to get in shape. Find out her thoughts on wellness in the following Q&A.
Soap Hub: How do you schedule fitness into your life?
Avery Kristen Pohl: I truly love working out and finding fun ways to integrate fitness into my life. In terms of scheduling, my ideal scenario is waking up and heading straight to the gym before I go to work although sometimes life doesn’t always play out on a strict schedule so occasionally I will go to the gym or a dance class afterward instead.
Soap Hub: What’s a typical fitness regime?
Avery Kristen Pohl: Regardless of what is happening I always try and make time to exercise five times a week, whether it is going to a dance class or the gym or on a hike just to stay active. When at the gym, I usually do traditional strength training or cycling, whatever suits the schedule better for that day.
Soap Hub: Do you have a “cheat” day? Do you believe in them?
Avery Kristen Pohl: I don’t have a planned cheat day per se, but I believe in balance! Sometimes it’s a day when you want to have a smoothie and salad and other days you want a pizza! Everyone is so different and goals and expectations can change constantly so I think it is important to listen to your body and find whatever fits your lifestyle and habits best.
Soap Hub: What’s one thing that you’d like to work on – more water? Shut off the cell phone after a certain hour?
Avery Kristen Pohl: I could certainly be much better about my [cell phone] screen time. When I am working, I try to pick days where I leave my phone in my bag, but other days I have school to accomplish or emails to get sent so my phone will be near me most of the day. It is a great tool for communication in work, school, and in a social capacity, but that being said, I love getting to put it down when I can.
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Soap Hub: Do you meditate?
Avery Kristen Pohl: Very rarely. Meditation is something that has come highly recommended to me and I have a feeling I would benefit from it greatly, but it currently isn’t part of my daily routine. I even have reminders set on my phone to take a mindfulness moment….of which I think I have hit dismiss on every time I have seen the notification.
Soap Hub: Have you always been active?
Avery Kristen Pohl: Absolutely! I like to think of the gym as a type of therapy for me. I love getting some energy out before I start the rest of my day. I grew up dancing ballet and then playing basketball in middle school and high school so staying physically active was always important to me.
Soap Hub: Did you change your exercise regime during COVID? What positives may have come out of learning to do things differently?
Avery Kristen Pohl: Because gyms closed, I changed my routine significantly. I found it was harder for me to stay motivated working out at home so I exercised closer to three to four times a week compared to the seven to eight workouts I would do every week in 2019. I started doing way more HIIT [High-Intensity Interval Training] and bodyweight workouts and took up running for a little bit. I spent a lot of time cycling with my dad as well! I think a lot of positives came out of doing things differently. I learned to adapt to taking dance classes over zoom, as well as finding the motivation to keep myself moving even when my routine is a bit out of whack. The biggest positive from this experience was letting myself relax in the number of workouts I was doing every week. I believe I spent many years working out too much and have found a much better sense of balance since returning to the gym.
Soap Hub: Everyone is different and has different needs but do you have any advice for those who are looking to work on their wellness?
Avery Kristen Pohl: I think that it is crucial to find the routine that works best for you as an individual. The type of goals you set have to be realistic for your lifestyle. It is okay to be patient with yourself. Making choices that make you feel healthy and balanced are what is most important rather than what routines may be working well for those around you. Wellness can mean a lot of things, such as eating in a way that fuels your body well, doing art that helps you creatively, remembering to reset with yoga or meditation, or doing a more hands-on type of exercise. Wellness has multiple components and I think everyone should keep in mind that you don’t have to go to the gym five days a week to be a healthy individual. Food, exercise, and genetics all play a role in “results” so aim for what works best for YOU.
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