However, what many might not realize is that breathing can be trained and controlled, adapting us to the environment and situations we find ourselves in the gym and in the world. I’ve learned firsthand how breathing deserves to be in a primary position of respect to how it affects and equips both our body and mind.

In fitness and physiology, after about 2-3 minutes of continuous low- to moderate-intensity exercise, our bodies start to depend on the Aerobic “With Oxygen” Energy System as the primary energy source. I like to compare this energy system to traditional cars. There is a need to take in fuel “gas” to keep the engine running and also the need to have proper exhaust system. Similarly, our bodies rely on breathing in oxygen as fuel and exhaling carbon dioxide to eliminate waste. If either process is disrupted—whether in a car or in our breathing cycle—both become distressed, performance suffers, potentially leading to a shutdown.

A key issue with the Aerobic Energy System our body uses is that if we don’t regulate oxygen intake, our movement will falter. And if we don’t exhale enough carbon dioxide, lactic acid builds up which triggers the body to rest or shut down until the lactic acid is flushed out.

Solution: Finding a comfortable breathing method and rhythm is key. For example, during a run or non-contact exercise, I might inhale short soft belly breaths for a count of four in through my nose to supply my body with proper oxygen and exhale short breaths out of my mouth for the same count to proportionally eliminate the carbon dioxide—1, 2, 3, 4 in, and 1, 2, 3, 4 out. As my heart rate increases or decreases, I will change up the rhythm to fit my body’s need.

However, not every situation allows for soft belly breathing. When boxing or in contact sports, using a soft belly breath method of breathing would leave a person vulnerable to damage when getting hit in the stomach.

In this type of environment like boxing, I would train to keep my abs tight when breathing, in order to protect myself at all times. To take quick upper chest breaths through the nose (counting 1-in, 2-in) when opportunity allowed and then exhaling out the mouth (1-out, 2-out) even while punching. This method kept my body supplied with oxygen, my body protected to both defend and attack, without lactic acid build up.

Understandably boxing, sports, or competing is not a reason why most people want to train. In the gym, we personally train not just to build physical strength, but to build the mental resilience that serves us outside the gym. To equip ourselves for life’s challenges. Like the truly tough people where so many live—dealing with anxiety.

Anxiety or panic attacks can hit unexpectedly, leaving you taking short, shallow breaths from the throat, with a racing heart, darting eyes searching for an escape, cold sweats, and a mind that feels like it’s closing in. Feeling out of control, with pressure, fear, and vulnerable. After the attack subsides, the fear of the next unknown attack quite honestly might be most devastating as it lingers, leaving a sense of loss. Negatively impacting your relationships, career, and….yourself.

Helping people push past these challenges and find freedom is one of the reasons I truly love to train. At Fit 2 Faith, we view the stress of exercise as a positive force. I’ve found, practiced, and successfully taught—even to anxious and timid groups of youth—that learning to breathe through discomfort during workouts can prepare you to face challenges outside the gym. We’ll guide you in developing controlled breathing, self-talk, and resilience. What you build inside the gym will become your strength in life beyond it.

Are you ready to embark on this transformative journey? Let’s build not just your body, but your future. Join us at Fit 2 Faith and start living the life you were meant to live.

Frank Badus & the Fit 2 Faith Team

We often stick to what’s familiar and we tend to lean towards what’s easy, or comfortable. The conversations we have with ourselves to avoid engaging—”I’m too old, too young, too heavy, too weak, too poor, too introverted, too anxious”—become a pattern. This “I’m too” mindset might work for a while, but what happens when you’re faced with something bigger than you, with a lot on the line? Will you know how to engage when it truly matters? Honestly I’m not sure I was either as most of my life was easy up until…Well up until it wasn’t.

I was a four sport athlete in high school and went onward to play college baseball. While in my prime at 20 years old in college, I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. Although I was considered a “gifted athlete” by my peers, when my body turned against me, and there were no medical answers or solutions. I was advised to prepare for disability—and even the possibility of death. While my peers continued with their education and careers, my life took a completely different direction.

Medically and simply speaking “No known cause…No known cure”. So, I did the only two things I could think of at that time and I have been doing both consistently for the past 30 years since. The First was to seek Truth by reading the Bible without any understanding or influence from others of what I was about to read. The second was to dive into fitness and nutrition, also without any understanding. I dove in both worlds scared, and alone. I simply wanted to protect my young daughter from a life I found myself in. For myself, I just wanted a body and sound mind that would fully function. It wasn’t to compete or compare myself to others.

It took years of fine-tuning my approach, learning through experience. Basic nutritional principles like complete proteins, complex carbs, healthy fats, and hydration were early lessons, long before I became a certified Nutritional Specialist. I also came to realize that today’s food sources are not the same as what our great-grandparents had access to. Modern food is often overly processed, calorie-dense, and nutrient-deficient, making it important to choose the best available options when possible.

Over time, I also learned how different foods digest at different rates. Given my health challenges, I opted for proteins like chicken, fish, or eggs that my body could digest more easily than steak. To avoid sugar spikes and regulate my emotions, I timed quick carbs around my workouts, helping replenish glycogen and glucose stores.

I am deeply grateful to God for having lived these many years being strong, without physical limitations, and without medication. Most importantly, I’m grateful for the spiritual strength, intimacy, experiences, and understanding I have been graced with. At Fit 2 Faith we are about creating a culture where you come as you are (regardless of your religious beliefs, fitness level, age, etc..) We personalize an approach to walk with you, train, and help you strengthen key pillars in your life. As you grow in fitness, your faith increases. Faith in what? Faith into the dignity you have as a human being who can create your best life forward (not my life), but your best life forward as a free person.

Hope, as I see it, is the goal—something you long for, though the distance to it is unknown. It could be near or farther down the road, but it is yours to have. Faith is lacing up your shoes and doing what’s necessary today to move toward that hope. As you progress in your fitness journey with us we journey for you and your faith to build. When you cover the necessary time and distance, be ready to walk through into your hope.

At Fit 2 Faith, we have navigated this path many times over with experience and our eyes are open to be positioned as a guide to help you on your journey.

Are you ready to start your own transformative journey with us? Let’s build not just your body, but your future. Join us at Fit 2 Faith and begin living the life you were meant to live.

Frank Badus & the Fit 2 Faith Team

While I knew how to help people get in shape, build muscle, and lose fat, the deeper motivations behind their training remained hidden, locked away within them. I stuck to the standard questions I was taught to ask:

“What are you looking to accomplish in our training?”

“Are there any limitations or injuries I should be aware of?”

“Is there a timeline, like a wedding or event, we need to hit our targets by?”

The answers were usually predictable: “I want to lose weight and gain muscle,” “I want to be healthy,” or “I have an event in six weeks and want to look more toned.”

Based on their responses, I would create workout and nutrition plans tailored to their fitness levels and lifestyles, with a target date in mind. We would achieve those goals, but it often felt like something was missing—the real reason they chose to train with me in the first place, which we ultimately failed to uncover.

At Fit 2 Faith, I’ve discovered how to truly connect with my clients by recognizing and nurturing their unique qualities. Each client carries a seed of beauty and creative power within them, and I am committed to helping them cultivate it. Many people train to reclaim their lives from events, anxiety, people, depression, or illnesses that have made them feel less than they are.

Building strong bodies and pursuing health are crucial, but the real question is: What will you do with that strength and health? This is a key missing piece—the reason you train. Understanding this sparks your journey towards freedom—the freedom to create and live the life you envision. Fitness then becomes a lifestyle, where every workout and effort is an investment in your resilience.

At Fit 2 Faith, we don’t just focus on physical transformation. We coach you to overcome life’s challenges and integrate the strength gained from your workouts into pillars of your life. Are you ready to embark on this transformative journey? Let’s build not just your body, but your future. Join us at Fit 2 Faith and start living the life you were meant to live.

Frank Badus & The Fit 2 Faith Team