Matthew Reiter

Matthew Reiter is the fitness coordinator the City of Maricopa’s Copper Sky Multigenerational Complex.

Hometown: Saigon, Vietnam (adopted by an amazing family at age 1 during Vietnam War)

Residence: Senita

Maricopa since: 2014

Family: Mother is Amy Reiter, Father is John Reiter, and brother is Michael Reiter

Pets: Three dogs Bella, Max and Roxy

Favorites

Book: Omg I have so many favorites! I will list three from the different genres I read: Biographies – “The Everything Store” (Story of Amazon and Jeff Bezos); Nutrition – “It Starts with Food,” best nutrition program I have ever seen in 23 years of fitness. This book leads to Whole30 Program, which IMO is the best nutrition program I have ever recommended; Spiritual – “The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a Changing World.” This is an amazing book about compassion with the Dalai Lama and Bishop Desmond Tutu.

Movie: The Scent of a Woman. I love this film and it reminds me when I was in the Army.

Musician: Jay Z. Yes, I love rap!

Athlete: David Goggins, an ultra-athlete and ex-Navy Seal.

Food: I am plant-based now so quinoa, but before this I loved bacon! I still do actually, but can’t eat it.

Drink: Water, because without this we die

Quote: “Write great things that should be read, and do great things that should be written about!” – Unknown

Words to live by: “We must all suffer from one of two pains: the pain of discipline or the pain of regret. The difference is discipline weighs ounces while regret weighs tons.” – Jim Rohn

What is your favorite exercise?

Bench press and running are tied for me. I still brag that I bench 300 at age 43 and at any time I can run a half marathon with no training. I think it’s a generation thing to bench press, lol!

Why is fitness important to you?

Fitness is more of a way of life to me. I tell my trainers and friends that if it wasn’t for the “workout” I would be homeless by now. Fitness was always my escape from reality and way to take a timeout and just focus on being present and myself. I like to say, “Fitness is meditation on adrenalin!” So physically being in shape has obvious amazing benefits, but emotional and mentally it is an invaluable tool that I have used to help overcome difficult times in my life. Fitness is like success for me; it’s a becoming not journey or destination. Fitness is who someone is!

What are your top 5 tips for reaching peak health?

  1. Dig deep and find the fire and passion within! Find a reason that will spark the fire within your belly and won’t let you ever quit. Hold on to this and use it.
  2. Get educated and do tons of research. I read 3-5 books a month and go to tons of fitness seminars. I don’t expect anyone else to be OCD about fitness knowledge, but ask questions and find answers that are scientifically evidence based.
  3. Find a fitness mentor or coach. That’s right I learned from some really just outstanding people in the fitness industry on how to believe in yourself and lead with your heart and not your brain. If you have to, find a personal trainer or life coach.
  4. Find a training partner. Yes, this is huge! I have been working out with Mayor Christian Price now for three years straight, 4-5 days a week at 5/6 a.m. at Copper Sky. I owe a lot of my conditioning to knowing that I can’t miss a workout because we hold each other accountable.
  5. Make it happen and kick maximum butt! Too many people over-think it and find excuses. It is when you put your head phones in, block out the world, and drop the hammer that it all comes together in the gym. Fewer selfies and more exercise.

Who has inspired you most in your occupation?

There has been so many awesome fitness professionals that have inspired me throughout the years, but none of them have inspired more than my clients, members, and citizens just trying to make fitness and nutrition work in their life. I have been a personal trainer for 23 years, and it is now harder than ever for most people to find the time to work out and figure out their nutrition. So, I am always most inspired by the person just wanting to change their life in a positive direction by changing their eating habits and fitness lifestyle. Thank you everyone that has never given up on their own goals, you are the reason why I never quit being a fitness professional.

What do you like most about Maricopa?

I grew up in a small town like this called Romeo, Michigan. I love the people and the energy here and it’s real people just trying to make it happen. The community is amazing and the people are so awesome! I have never lived anywhere else and seen compassion and just love for community like this city, well maybe Hawaii. Thank you, people of Maricopa, for being so amazing!

What do you like least about Maricopa?

I just wish there were more jobs so people didn’t have to drive as far. One of the biggest reasons why people in this city are so busy and spending less time with their family and not on their health is their commute. So, to me, less drive time should equal more family and fitness time, which means more happiness.

Anything else we should know? I think we are in an interesting time where people have prioritized things over people. We are all working so hard to achieve stuff that really shouldn’t be more important than relationships with other people. It’s like the pursuit of stuff has made us lose compassion for others. I hope we wake up and really start looking at what’s important in our lives and start having more compassion for others. I read a great book called “The Minimalists,” and they had the best quote ever: “Love people, and use things. Because the opposite of that never works!”