American Influencer Awards' Emerging Influencers of the Month: Gerald and Teresa Hodges

Our January Emerging Influencers of the Month, Gerald and Teresa Hodges, are on a mission to give back to the community they grew up in.

This brother-sister duo created Hodges Fitness to help people build stronger and healthier lives.

The American Influencer Awards celebrates the best in beauty, lifestyle, fashion and fitness.

Find more information about the American Influencer Awards here.

The following Q&A has been edited for style and space.

Q: How did both of you get started in the fitness space?

A: We started our fitness journey early on in high school. As life-long athletes, we always had a passion for prioritizing our health and working out. When all the gyms closed at the beginning of the pandemic, we decided to launch a 6-week bootcamp so that women could stay active and healthy. During the six weeks, we gained a lot of traction from others and received great feedback, so we decided to run another bootcamp.

We continued running 6-week bootcamps and when the opportunity presented itself in March 2021, we signed the lease for our current location! We took a huge leap of faith during a very uncertain time. However, we knew that our passion for helping others in the fitness and health industry would keep us going strong during this venture.

Q: What made you decide to start a gym together?

A: The way Hodges Fitness came to fruition is a crazy ,but also long story which we can save for another day. Long story short, we decided to go all in with this business when we realized that her knowledge in Kinesiology and personal training, mixed with my expertise in Marketing/Business would make us a perfect team to create our gym! And of course, when in business, it is important to partner with someone you trust - and our brother/sister bond is something unbreakable.

Q: What's your favorite part about training and helping others reach their fitness goals?

A: Our favorite part about training and helping others with their fitness goals is the daily development of confidence and strength after every workout! We can see the change in how our members move and project themselves. The spirit and self-love they develop within themselves are unmatched. Every day, we have the opportunity to change their lives for the better, which is very rewarding and fulfilling.

Q: What do you hope people gain by coming to your facility?

A: We hope that our members can build a sustainable and positive relationship with themself, physically and mentally. Our program is designed to not only work those arms and leg muscles, but also that muscle that is our brain.

When a member or guest goes through that gym door after their workout, we hope that they feel strengthened, more confident, fulfilled, and inspired to live their best life despite their circumstances.

Q: Why is it important for people to stay active and lead healthy life?

A: When you prioritize your health, you will live a longer and fulfilling life. It goes beyond having abs and nice arms, but also living a life that is well worth it. When one person lives healthily, they inspire those around them. Then those people take action and inspire even more people and it creates a domino effect. The healthier one is physically and mentally, the healthier we are as a collective.

Q: Where do you see yourselves (or gym) in 5 years?

A: The #HodgesMovement has a grand vision for the next five years. We see ourselves expanding to numerous locations in the Virginia area. We also plan on building an online platform that provides workouts, affirmations, and other mindset training- similar to what you experience here at Hodges Fitness. Lastly, we would love to have a child care section in our studios so that all the moms/dads can take an hour to prioritize their health as well. By fine tuning our program , continuing our own education, seeking out for help in areas needed, building an empowering team of coaches etc, we will transcend Hodges Fitness to its greatest potential.

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Instagram - @teresahodges

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Instagram - @hodgesfit

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: AIA Emerging Influencers of the Month: Gerald and Teresa Hodges