The Wellness Files: Samantha Cornell ● Lawyer by Day, Fitness Blogger by Night

The Wellness Files // a wellness-focused interview series featuring the badass ladies that inspire me.

My name is Samantha and I am a lawyer and the founder & editor of The Sweat Chronicles. I’m 28 years old, live for a great sweat session, smoothie bowls, and avocado toast (so basic I know, but sorry not sorry). I moved to NYC for law school and have been here ever since. I love the opportunities that this city provides for both my legal career and TSC.

▶︎ What inspired you to start your fitness blog, The Sweat Chronicles?

After falling in love with the NYC fitness and wellness world I started my blog, The Sweat Chronicles, as I felt that everything I was learning and gaining from the space was too great to keep to myself and needed to be shared with the greater community. The Sweat Chronicles is a fitness, lifestyle, and wellness blog focused on providing inspiration, motivation, and ideas for readers whether they are beginners on their health and wellness journeys or seasoned vets.

▶︎ Where does your motivation to lead a healthy life come from?

Growing up, I was an active kid. Although I did not excel or focus particularly on any one sport or physical activity, I was always playing some sport or taking some sort of dance class.

Next thing you know, I was off to college and I had fallen out of sports and physical activities completely. On and off throughout my college years I would attempt to develop a workout routine, but to be honest, I had no idea what I was doing and without the proper training and support nothing much ever came of that.

Additionally, I began to suffer from a chronic knee injury, which really deterred me from physical activity completely (funny enough, I later learned that increased strength training would actually help with this injury overtime).

During law school, I joined a gym for the first time. I hoped that exercise would provide my body with an outlet for all of the other stress it was under and that it would allow me to better combat my anxiety.

I immediately fell in love with group fitness. I began to take classes almost every day. I felt challenged by the exercises, supported by the group mentality, and I found that each day when I left the gym I felt a newly defined sense of confidence, self, and clarity.

My current workout routine is a great compliment to my job as an attorney. After working out, my mind is clear, my anxiety is subdued, and I am focused for the day ahead. My anxiety does not surface nearly as often and my mind feels less stressed and overwhelmed.

Working out has also given me a new sense of self-confidence and self-worth as well. I now know I am capable of things I never thought I could do (for example, running a sub 2 hour half-marathon, deadlifting 210 lbs., and regularly surviving gym classes that many refer to has the hardest in NYC) and this feeling that I can do the unimaginable has also trickled into other areas of my life. Fitness has given me the ability to know that I can get through even the hardest times and I know that with hard-work and commitment I will be able to preserver.

It’s easy to stay motivated when I’ve seen fitness change my life in so many ways!

▶︎ How do you find time for health, wellness, fitness and blogging on top of working full time?

I generally find that it works best for me to get my workout in each morning before work. That way I know work and blogging won’t get in the way and it guarantees I get my sweat on and my “me time” each and every morning to get my day started on the right foot.

I generally work about 9:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. each weekday, so I use my evenings for wellness events and working on my blog content for the week. I also try and get a lot of blog work done over the weekend just to make sure I can stay focused on my legal job during the day.

Other than that, I always do a massive grocery haul on either Saturday or Sunday and then spend a few hours prepping all my food for the week so I have no excuses when it comes to eating healthy and treating my body right, even if the work week gets hectic and busy!

▶︎ How has instagram played a role in your wellness journey?

Instagram has motivated me beyond explanation to push to be better on my wellness journey everyday. I wake up each morning and am so inspired by the other ladies in this community and it just lights a fire for me to keep going and bettering myself everyday. Instagram has also introduced me to wonderful women who are so supportive and empowering! Some of which have also become great friends!

▶︎ What’s your go-to spot for a healthy meal or snack in NYC?

Sweetgreen & Juice Generation!

▶︎ What’s your proudest fitness moment?

I have it narrowed down to two, First is PRing the 2016 Brooklyn Half Marathon and cutting my last time by 8 minutes. The second would be each time I PR my squat.

▶︎ What work out, if any, are you currently obsessed with?

Oh I don’t know if I can narrow it down to just one. My top three favorite are Tonehouse, Concrete Jungle, and Y7 hip hop yoga.

▶︎ When you’re tight on time but want a healthy, homemade dinner, what do you make?

I like to make a stir-fry of cauliflower rice with lots of veggies (frozen veggies usually come in clutch in this situation), then top with a Hilary Eats Well Veggie Burger, a fried egg, tahini and hot sauce. This is actually what I had for dinner tonight.

▶︎ What’s the last great book you read?

You are a Badass by Jen Sincero

▶︎ What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?

“Comparison is the thief of joy.”

▶︎ What’s one piece of advice you would give someone new to fitness + wellness?

Stop thinking so much and just start! We were all beginners once so feel free to reach out to us, I promise we remember being in your position and we will all be so happy to share our tips (and our struggles), you are not in this alone.