Ezra Moreland, the inaugural winner of Hallmark’s “Finding Mr. Christmas,” as well as an actor, athlete, and model in his own right, chatted with #Powerjournalist Markos Papadatos about his fitness and nutrition routine.
Mahatma Gandhi once said: “It is health that is real wealth and not pieces of gold and silver.” A person who embodies this quote is Ezra Moreland.
Aside from modeling and acting, you have a passion for fitness, sports and living an active lifestyle… How did that come about?
Wow, I love this question! Growing up with three brothers and three sisters we were always playing sports and games and always at a competitive level, especially hide and seek!
We played all types of sports and shout-out to my Mom – she got her natural IFBB Pro bodybuilding card after having seven kids (yes, she’s a beast) when I was young and also worked as a fitness trainer.
My mother always taught us to emphasize proper form and recovery with workouts and I attribute my health and habits to her to this day.
What does your daily or weekly fitness regiment look like?
It depends on whether or not I’m trying to maintain my current physique or working on adding muscle – but for the most part I try to do something active every day like a nice long walk or a stretch session, and hit the weights at a gym around 4 times a week.
You were a US Navy Rescue Swimmer… what did that entail?
Thinking back to those days it almost feels like it was a different life! I’d go on 3 or 4 flight missions a week, and train at the pool or the gym with the other guys almost every day to stay in shape.
In between those things, we’d all be studying, nonstop! Life on a war ship was very interesting and being out at sea taught me so many important lessons about life, love and discipline that make up how I live my life to this day.
I am very proud and grateful that I got to go through those experiences and it’s a big part of why I have such a positive mindset.
Do you consider walking as movement or exercise… or both?
Absolutely it is wonderful and very productive exercise! If I’m super busy and can’t find time for a workout, I consider a long walk (20-30 minutes) just as healthy!
What are some nutrition and fitness tips that you can share for the everyday person (especially for those that want to start getting fit)?
That’s an easy one! Don’t put pressure on yourself to see results really quickly. Just making some movement enjoyable and consistently 3 or 4 times a week will produce results that last versus burning out with workouts that are too intense and leave you super sore. It’s all about FEELING GOOD about yourself so take your time and let the results stack up.
Nutrition is the most important part here. My best advice is to do your best to stay away from processed foods and liquids and that fixes a lot of things. Oatmeal is my favorite meal of all time and I usually eat it twice a day. (Lasagna is my favorite celebratory meal). Just don’t over stress yourself. It’s all going to be okay.
If you really want to get healthier and in better shape, start noticing more what’s working and what’s not and keep fine tuning things until your foundation is like 80 percent healthy, and the other 20 percent is just living and having fun.
What are some easy ways for people to stay active and fit in the Big Apple (a.k.a. New York City)?
There are unlimited things to do here in the city! When I’m free to, I walk around 8 to 10 miles a day and still feel like I’ve only barely scratched the surface on amazing things to do and see. So, just try to see new things and that will keep you going for a long time.
Do you have any fitness goals in the future that you would like to strive to attain?
Somehow I feel like I’m continuously getting healthier and healthier! So, I just want to maintain that, especially when I’m super busy with work, which can be the challenging part.
I’ve always thought it would be amazing to play a superhero character in a movie so that would be an awesome goal to achieve.
Is there anything else you would like to say or add that we did not cover?
Peace of mind and mental health are just as important for me as physical health and I’m constantly working to improve in that area. Making time to read a good book with a cup of coffee or journaling helps me with that.
To learn more about Ezra Moreland, follow him on Instagram.
Many thanks to CT Photography and Luana for their photos!
