#ThisIsActive Q&A: Angel Taylor, IT Professional and Dedicated Runner
Our #ThisIsActive Q+As are part of an ongoing series to show how plus size women live their active lives. Share your active life with us on social media by using #ThisIsActive on Instagram or send your story to social @ junoactive.com for a chance to be featured.
About Angel in her own words:
My name is Angel Taylor and I’m a 38-year-old mother of two sons, 20 years and 12years old. I have a career in IT Operations, love to travel and dance, and I could eat tacos every day! I started running (or walk-jogging since I’m not that fast) at the age of 30 by joining a running group dedicated to getting African-American women active in the running community. As a result, I’ve completed over 75 races including 6 half marathons.
Running and fitness serves as therapy for me. In the beginning I needed it to manage stress and sadness, now I use it for maintenance of the mind and the body. Not to mention the amount of confidence I gained by the things I accomplished in running. That is what has now pushed me to model. And while I don’t complete as many races as I used to annually since I started modeling, I still try to remain active for the on-camera benefits.
1. How do you like to stay active?
I started in running but nowadays I choose to do cardio kickboxing and aqua fit. And of course little fitness hacks like parking further away from stores and taking stairs instead of elevators when possible.
2. What’s your favorite outfit to wear to pump you up and get you in the mood to work out?
Anything with purple in it! It’s my favorite color and makes me feel strong and badass! I don’t have a shirt preference however I prefer capri workout pants because they work in any weather. My shoes are always purple no matter what I’m wearing. Everything starts with the shoes!
3. Do you like to exercise solo or with a group?
Both have their benefits. When I need to focus, I prefer to workout alone. I am able to concentrate on my form and target areas. However, group workouts are extremely motivating! They usually involve good music and friendly-competition which is always fun and can make a workout go by quickly.
4. What is one myth you’d like to see busted in the plus-size active world?
Goodness! Where do I start?! There are so many! I think the most common one is that we are inherently lazy and when people see us doing something active, they think we’re new to working out and offer unsolicited advice on dieting and fitness. But the myth I’d like to see busted is that all plus size people are working out to lose weight. While that is a benefit, it’s not always the purpose. I’ve always been happy at any size. I personally used fitness to overcome a tough time in my life. I wanted to manage my sadness and stress in a productive manner.
5. What would your dream workout class be like?
Lots of good music and dancing! I love to dance! And it’s an awesome workout that you can do anywhere. Even without music (don’t ask LOL). Now, that doesn’t mean I’m a good dancer but that doesn’t matter when I’m feeling a beat and hitting a groove! Oow!
6. As a runner, what’s your favorite song to run to?
I like really uptempo music that has a beat that my feet can hit the pavement to. The faster the beat, the faster I go. This has made me a fan of EDM for this very reason. Most EDM songs have this great 30-40 second build up to a great infectious beat that’s good for running or dancing! My favs have changed over the years but right now I really get pumped to “This Is What You Came For” by Calvin Harris and Rihanna.
Follow JunoActive on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter, and let us know if you or someone you know would like a chance to be featured in our #ThisIsActive interview series.