Dana (Dodd) Perez was raised in Cerro, New Mexico. Like many others who grew up in small northern New Mexico communities, she attended Alta Vista Elementary School and graduated from Questa Junior/Senior High School in 2007, with the same core group of people, many of whom she still considers friends. Upon graduation, Dana went to Albuquerque to attend the University of New Mexico.
During college, Dana would travel home during her breaks to work at the Red River Ski Area. She completed her double major in both English with an emphasis on professional writing, and Spanish. She went on to work in the behavioral health field.
Dana met her husband, Rick, in Albuquerque where he was stationed on assignment for his work in the U.S. Air Force. In 2016, he was ordered to relocate to Nebraska and Dana moved with him. Since that time, they’ve moved from Nebraska to Utah to their current location in Vacaville, California.
A consistent theme Dana maintained through the various moves which come with the military is her health and wellness journey. It wasn’t until her frustration with her workout results in 2020 drove her to dig deeper into why she wasn’t seeing the results, considering she was in the gym routinely. “That’s when I discovered macros and tracking what I eat. The food you consume really does matter,” she says.
After taking on this new whole-body approach, Dana was inspired to share with the world. She became a licensed personal trainer in 2021 and has been working with clients ever since. “Something unique about my program is I set up each individual program, including food and exercise, through a simple app!”
She works to create advanced planning for clients if they choose to eat out at a restaurant or go on vacation. Additionally, she will create exercise plans for people who do not have traditional access to the gym or gym equipment. “I am always very accessible for my clients because I want them to feel supported through the process.”
While she requires a minimum 2-month commitment to her program, there is good reason for it. “No one will see any changes in less than two months’ time. The only way people will see changes is if they stay consistent and give me at least two months to show them real changes can happen.”
Dana works with many clients in New Mexico as well as across the United States. Living in the current digital age makes personal training more accessible and attainable and she has made it a theme of her business. The monthly rate for training is $200 and this includes both a workout plan and nutrition plan. She also has a digital wallet, so making payments through Venmo is simple.
Dana has an Instagram account filled with helpful content on nutrition, oftentimes debunking misconceived notions about health and nutrition. If you’re on the fence about whether this program is for you or not, give her page a follow and see for yourself. Her instagram handle is www.instagram.com/D_Mariefitness. If you’re interested in a consultation, you can reach out via email at dmariefitness22@gmail.com.
