By day, Drea Garcia is a dental hygienist, but in the evenings, she's bustin' a move as a GRIT and Revolutions instructor at Uforia Studios. Garcia joined the team at Uforia two years ago while looking for a creative outlet to push herself into something new. "I've always loved music and sweating, and this allows me combine the two," she explains.

Balancing a traditional job with a fitness side gig can make for long days, but Garcia says the staff and clients at Uforia keep her jazzed about her side hustle. "I consider everyone my friends. Especially for clients: when you clip into the bike or step up to the GRIT box, you’re my buddy for the rest of the class."

Whether she's leading a roomful of people in strength training or indoor cycling, Garcia delivers high energy and loads of fun with every sweat session. "Pushing yourself hard doesn’t mean a smile can’t be on your face at the same time," she says.

So how does Garcia keep smiling through her own workouts? Read on to find out.

Rockyt: How do you prepare for the classes you teach?

Drea: All the classes at Uforia are music-driven, so I’m constantly blasting Spotify with headphones on. Luckily, that’s not a departure from my day-to-day; I love music, and now I get to share my jams with clients! There is room in each class playlist for a huge variety of music: happy/upbeat, hard/heavy, or mellow/chill.

Rockyt: How do you cross train?

Drea: I love being active, and am always up to try new ways to sweat. If it challenges my body, I usually end up with a smile on my face and am excited to do it again. I like to joke that I have a basic knowledge of a lot things, but I am inconsistently awesome at each of them. I do yoga, road cycling, mountain biking, boxing, snowboarding, rock climbing, Pilates, hip hop classes at Uforia, flying trapeze, stand-up paddle boarding, aerial silks, and pole dancing. (I tried [pole dancing]. There’s embarrassing video. It's a killer workout.)

Rockyt: What are your favorite studios for cross-training?

Drea: I most frequently hit up Body Temp Yoga in the Marina. With all the cardio and strength work I do in classes, it's super important to take some time for stretching and remembering to just breathe. Plus the room is heated; cue amazing sweat downpour.

Other than that, I strive to get outside as much as possible. I’m a Bay Area native and Iove all this area has to offer. Running along the Marina Green, biking the Golden Gate Bridge, or hiking Mount Tam; just get me outside.

Rockyt: Are you training toward a particular fitness goal right now?

Drea: Is a handstand considered a fitness goal? I've always wanted to be able to effortlessly hop up into one; maybe walk around on my hands for a bit, see life upside down. I've completed a couple half marathons. When I sign up for one, I definitely set a time goal and push myself to beat my PR. Nothing on the calendar right now, but hopefully soon.

Rockyt: Do you take rest days?

Drea: I don’t necessarily set aside rest days; they happen more naturally, and—when they do—they usually include a lot of food. I'm also, most likely, still in workout clothes. So is it a rest day or am I on my way to sweat? The world may never know.

Uforia's Drea Garcia Puts the Fun in Functional Training