Martha Kester
Health Coach Encourages Small Steps That Transform Lives
As a former elementary school teacher, Martha Kester knows that exciting, rewarding feeling when the lightbulb goes off for a student: the “ah ha!” moment when suddenly everything is clear, and all the effort is worthwhile.
Kester’s own lightbulb went off seven years ago while she was working out with a fellow teacher one day after school.
“My friend said to me, ‘You light up when you work out with us. I don’t see that when you’re in the classroom.’ That’s when I knew something had to change,” she says.
That summer, Kester stepped away from teaching to follow her passion in a new career as a health coach. She pursued a holistic health certification online through the Institute of Integrative Nutrition while simultaneously teaching 20 exercise classes a week — weights, yoga, and Pilates all over Beaufort — to make ends meet. She also earned a 200-hour yoga certification through Greenmonkey (now Hanu Yoga) in Miami. In March 2020, she became a National Board-Certified Health & Wellness Coach (NBC-HWC) by the National Board for Health & Wellness Coaching.
She’s now the sole proprietor of PAUSE Wellness, the company she created to share what she’s learned and help others develop the same habits that transformed her life.
FINDING THE WAY TO WELLNESS
Kester’s transformation — both physical and mental — didn’t happen overnight. The Beaufort native left the Lowcountry in 1996 to study history at Elon College in North Carolina. First considering a career as a lawyer, she moved to Washington, D.C., to earn a master’s degree in public administration with an eye toward policy work and nonprofits. She then moved to New Jersey after reconnecting with her college roommate. That led her to pursue a master’s degree in teaching from Monmouth University, and she eventually relocated to Raleigh, North Carolina, for a teaching job.
But while Kester’s career was seemingly on track, her health was anything but. A running injury right before she moved to Raleigh led to another injury she battled for a year, leading to a 30-pound weight gain on her size 0 frame. And although she enjoyed a great teaching job and friends at school, living alone with constant injuries caused her to deal with depression as well.
“I was tired of being alone dealing with my injury and knew I needed my family,” Kester says.
She moved back to Beaufort to live with her parents and began teaching at Port Royal Elementary School. With her family’s support, she began healing physically and mentally, and returned to working out and feeling better. But she continued to battle injuries and struggle with her health and work-life balance.
“I was sleeping only four to five hours a night,” she recalls. “I got up at 4 a.m. to grade papers, was at the YMCA by 5:15 a.m., and in the classroom by 7:15 a.m. I was stressed, kept having injuries, and even developed a rash. I joked I was allergic to teaching.”
By 2016, Kester was ready to make a change.
“It was the best decision of my life,” she says. “I’ve always had a passion for helping others, making an impact, and learning new things. That’s why I originally went into teaching. As a health coach, I get to do these things as well. I love helping women find the time to take care of themselves by getting back to sleep, exercising, and eating right.”
“Health coaching is exploding,” Kester adds. “Our health is deteriorating, in general, as Americans. Doctors only have about 15 minutes with a patient, and there’s very little nutrition taught in medical school. Board-certified health coaches are the answer. We add the ‘how’ piece. We’re trained in behavior modification to help people establish healthy habits.”
Kester says many of her clients are newly retired or soon-to-be retirees in their 50s and 60s. “They may have noticed their numbers — cholesterol, blood pressure, blood sugar, weight — creeping up and want to do something about it. Now they have time to focus on themselves and undo years of bad habits.”
One of those bad habits is often inadequate or poor sleep, Kester says.
“Sleep is my passion area. It’s an aspect people don’t think of as contributing to their stress and injuries. I’ve heard people say, ‘I can sleep when I’m dead.’ Well, you really will die if you don’t sleep. So much that is important happens when you sleep. Insomnia is such a big issue. We go-go-go-go all day and then lie in bed and say, ‘OK, now sleep.’ We have to slow down and say no to things.”
Kester cites one client who complained she wasn’t sleeping well. A simple change in her sleeping environment — making the room cooler — created a quick improvement. “It’s just little changes,” she says.
Kester emphasizes healthy, plant-based eating for her clients and herself, mindful of several food sensitivities and a diagnosis of Hashimoto’s disease, an autoimmune disease, causing chronic inflammation and thyroid problems. But says she doesn’t follow a strict diet. She likes to start her day with warm lemon water, celery juice, and black, organic coffee. She’ll sip on cold lemon water throughout the day, occasionally splurging on Fishcamp’s Camp Lemonade drink.
“I don’t really follow a plan,” she says. “I strive for 80% to 90% whole foods — foods that God created from plants — along with gluten-free, dairy-free, and sugar-free (mostly), and 10% occasional splurge. I love dark chocolate and my mother’s carrot cake!”
LEADING A BALANCED LIFE
Although it’s not part of her program, Kester found health coaching also has boosted her emotional life: She met her husband, Lee, through her work.
“I had a contract job with a doctor who practiced concierge medicine. I met with some of his patients as a health coach, and Lee was one of them. After our coaching sessions were completed, we started dating.” The couple married in 2021.
In addition to her clients, Kester offers yoga classes regularly at Habersham’s River House and on Google Meet. Both are open to the public on a donation basis. She encourages anyone interested to contact her on her website a pausewellnesscompany.com to learn more.
When not working, Kester still loves running, biking, walking, tennis, paddle boarding, boating, swimming, traveling, going to church, and spending time with friends and family. And an annual birthday trip to the North Carolina mountains to hike and explore a new town is a must.
Kester also enjoys active volunteer work, sharing her health coaching skills at the Good Neighbor Medical Clinic once a week. She and her mother also started a nonprofit two years ago called “Live Like Liam” in memory of her 19-year-old cousin who was murdered. Kester runs half marathons — her supporters pledge $1 a mile — to raise money for scholarship funds at faith-based schools, youth running camps with a Christian theme, and organizations that involve youth in constructive activities such as sports and other school programs.
“Liam was a strong Christian like me,” she says. “He was full of joy and loved people. He lived like we all should.”
Kester also raised money last spring to provide one hundred Bibles for the Radiance Women’s Center. And she’s already looking ahead to next summer when she hopes to start a Christian running club for kids. Those interested can follow Kester’s journey at www.livelikeliam13.com.
Beaufort Lifestyle readers can receive a 25% discount on Kester’s PAUSE Lifestyle Reboot program. Learn more on her website at pausewellnesscompany.com.
TOP TIP: START SMALL
No matter your goal, the best way to start is small, Kester advises, citing the book, “Tiny Habits,” by B.J. Fogg.
“People have the misconception that more is better when it comes to getting healthy,” she says. “In fact, I encourage my clients to take tiny steps toward their goals. For instance, I have a client who wants to make strengthening and weights a habit. The Centers for Disease Control says Americans should be strength training two times a week. I have this client working one day a week and doing just 10 minutes of body-weight exercises at home.”
More examples of ways to start small for bigger success:
• Want to make walking a habit? Circle your block, or go out and walk for five minutes.
• Want to get stronger arms? Complete one pushup every day.
• Want to eat out less? Cook one meal at home this week.
• Want to drink more water? Drink one extra glass of water every day.
WHY PAUSE?
PAUSE is an acronym for the formula Kester uses in her Lifestyle Reboot program, a proven process with personalized, one-to-one coaching to help build healthy habits that will last a lifetime. It can improve sleep, ease belly bloat, reduce cravings, increase energy, manage stress, find work-life balance, and more.
• Plant-based — A plant-rich diet doesn’t necessarily mean full
vegan or vegetarian but focuses
on the plants on the plate.
• Active lifestyle — Being active doesn’t have to look like running and lifting heavy weights but instead includes activities people enjoy.
• Understanding — Clearly understanding goals, motivations, values, and strengths is the first step to building healthy habits that will stand the test of time.
• Stress and sleep — Stress and poor sleep habits go hand in hand, often leading to obesity, hormonal imbalance, and other health issues.
• Elimination — Most people don’t realize the impact the seven main allergens (dairy, gluten, yeast, soy, eggs, peanuts, and corn) may have until they cut them out and then reintroduce them one at a time.
BLUEBERRY SALSA
From RecipeGirl.com
2 cups fresh blueberries, chopped
1 cup fresh blueberries, left whole
¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
2 medium jalapeno peppers,
seeded and minced
⅓ cup diced red bell pepper
¼ cup chopped onion
½ tsp kosher salt
Tortilla chips for dipping
Carefully combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Cover and chill until ready to serve.
GREEK LENTIL SALAD – From TheRoastedRoot.net
1 cup uncooked lentils
1 small cucumber, chopped
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
⅔ cup red onion, finely chopped
1 cup sundried tomatoes, drained
⅔ cup feta cheese crumbles
½ cup fresh parsley, chopped
Dressing:
2 tbsp avocado oil
Zest of one lemon
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 small clove garlic, minced
½ tsp sea salt, to taste
¼ tsp black pepper, to taste
1. Cook the lentils according to the package instructions in a large pot. Cook times vary depending on the type of lentils and the brand. Once the lentils are cooked, drain them into a colander or fine mesh strainer, run cold running water over them, and set them aside to cool to room temperature. You can also cook your lentils ahead of time and refrigerate them until you’re ready to prepare the whole salad.
2. Mix the dressing ingredients together in a small bowl or measuring cup and set aside until ready to use.
3. Add all the salad ingredients to a large bowl (cooked and cooled lentils, chopped cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, red onion, sundried tomatoes, and feta cheese). Pour in the dressing and toss everything together until well combined.
