Why 'everything in moderation' is the most important thing for fitness, nutrition, and wellbeing

Andrea Rogers loved dancing, Pilates and high-intensity exercise, but couldn't find a workout that fused all her passions — so she invented one.

Xtend Barre now has more than 70 studios around the world, including over 20 in Australia, and its celebrity devotees include Victoria's Secret model Martha Hunt.

Rogers joins Coach's series 5 fitness questions, explaining why "everything in moderation" is her strategy for finding an exercise and nutrition program that works.

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1. We're always being promised "the secret" to getting and staying healthy. What's yours?

When you find a community within a fitness studio or gym, when you find that connection to people, that will help you come back. Find that place that feels like home and kicks your ass at the same time! Find your tribe and enjoy your training.

As with anything in life, if it's that hard for you to get out of bed because it's that unenjoyable, you're not going to do it consistently. You won't enjoy it. Our core mission is to provoke movement and inspire confidence.

2. What's something you know now about health you wish you'd known five or 10 years ago?

I've learned so much along the way but the most important thing is, everything in moderation.

You don't have to go full balls-to-the-wall every single class. Listen to your body. Some days you can bring 110  percent and some days you can bring 40 percent. And it's okay to listen to your body and adjust accordingly.

That's what you'll hear me preach it my classes. "If it's available today, bring that leg higher." I don't want people to feel that if they can't hit their goal today, it's defeated them. Anything is better than nothing. Just keep moving. That's my mantra.

3. What's your nutrition philosophy?

Everybody asks me what I eat all the time. My philosophy is: Everything in moderation! Again! Balance. I eat everything. I don't have a restricted diet. I focus on "real" food. Bottom line. Unprocessed foods. And yes, I eat desserts and all that — but in moderation.

What's one area of your own health, fitness or wellbeing you're working to improve?

The moderation again. My personal health goal is to find balance in my life, which is really challenging, with travelling as much as I do. My personal goal is continue to focus on fuelling my body with what it needs, and giving my body the exercise it needs on a consistent basis.

What's one thing you'd tell a friend to do if they asked your advice on something they can do to improve their health, starting today?

Move your body! Move your body and understand what food you're putting into your mouth. I have a lot of clients who come to me and say, "I've been doing Xtend for all these months and I'm not losing weight!" And I say, what are you eating?

Nutrition has such a strong component to it, but if you start by moving your body and you start to feel the strength coming, it ignites that passion to look at food as fuel.

Changing the diet and then exercising is a little harder. But if you start to move your body, and get a little stronger, you realise you just worked your ass off for an hour, and you don't want to eat junk.