Sara Nogueira is the wellness manager at Away Spa at W Algarve (Portugal). She is a wellness professional with a strong foundation in sports and physical activity, driven by a lifelong passion for movement and competition. At Away Spa, she oversees the spa, fitness, and sports facilities, ensuring a holistic and elevated wellbeing experience for every guest.
With extensive experience as an instructor, Nogueira has led group classes, personal training sessions, and swimming lessons. Her personal journey includes volleyball, CrossFit, running, and, more recently, a passion for padel. Nogueira believes in a balanced lifestyle that integrates sport, recovery, and beauty. Through her work, she is dedicated to empowering others to feel stronger, healthier, and more confident, creating meaningful wellness experiences.
Here, she shares her thoughts on healthy living.
What does wellness mean to you?
For me, wellness is about feeling good in your body and your mind. It’s not about being perfect, it’s about having balance and taking care of yourself in a consistent way.
What are your favorite things to do to maintain your personal wellbeing?
I like to stay active as much as I can, training, running, Padel, or even just moving during the day. I also really value simple things like eating well and being around good people.
Is there a specific fitness activity that you love and why?
I like to mix things up. I play Padel regularly, I work out, and I go for runs when I can. I used to do CrossFit, and I played volleyball for about 12 years, so sport has always been a big part of my life. I think that’s why I enjoy training in different ways, it keeps it interesting and helps me stay motivated, while also feeling good in everyday life.
What is your favorite healthy food, and do you have a favorite way of preparing it?
I’m quite simple with food, I like grilled fish or chicken with vegetables.
What is your favorite healthy beverage?
I drink a lot of water throughout the day. It’s the base of everything for me. But my favorite treat is a nice iced latte with almond milk. I also love making smoothies with whatever fruits and veggies I have at home.
What is your greatest wellness achievement?
I believe my greatest wellness achievement is helping people change their habits and feel better about themselves. From my experience as a trainer and instructor, that’s what has stayed with me the most.
Society has created a pattern of how bodies “should” look, and it can be difficult to help people unlearn that. I’ve worked to show others that everyone is different, all bodies are valid, and confidence comes from within.
For me, working out and building a healthy routine isn’t about meeting society’s expectations—it’s about staying strong, independent, and healthy, so we can enjoy life for longer and be present with the people who truly value us.
I also connect deeply with this because I struggled with being overweight during my teenage years. Over time, I realized that we are all unique in our own way. What matters is building confidence and taking care of ourselves, both physically and mentally.
What person in wellness do you most admire and why?
During the COVID-19 pandemic, when we couldn’t go outside, I discovered Sydney Paige online and started following her content. She teaches that it doesn’t matter your weight, your fitness level, or where you are in the world—we are all connected through her daily workouts.
She created free, easily accessible workouts for everyone, along with a supportive community where she and her team help people, even from across the ocean. During that time, she made a huge difference in my life. I would work out while watching her videos, and I never felt alone. It felt like she was right there with me. Even after the pandemic, I continued doing her workouts. She constantly challenges you to become a better version of yourself and motivates you not to give up.
What is the best piece of wellness advice you have ever received?
That you don’t need to do everything perfectly, just stay consistent, and keep showing up.
What is your idea of balanced healthy happiness?
For me, it’s about training, eating well, having time to rest, and still enjoying life without too many restrictions. I think it’s also important to enjoy the process. If you go into this lifestyle thinking it’s going to be very hard, it’s difficult to stay consistent. It’s a journey, and results take time, so being patient and not giving up is key. You can still enjoy the foods you like, keep moving, and have fun while being healthy.
Do you have a secret health or wellness tip you would like to share?
Recovery is underrated. People focus a lot on training, but rest, sleep, and stretching make a huge difference.
What is your go-to for de-stressing?
Walks on the beach, for sure. It’s the one place where I can really clear my mind, reset, and think about my next steps. Even when working at W Algarve I take guests on cliff walks down to the nearby Evaristo and Castelo beaches, so I get to show them these unique, more secluded spots where they can also decompress, and it even works for me in that moment.
How do you celebrate small victories?
I take a moment to recognize my progress. It keeps me motivated to keep going. I truly believe small victories lead to big achievements. Sometimes it’s hard to see it during the process, but my motivation is to get older while staying independent, healthy, and consistent with my lifestyle and training.
What brings you joy?
Seeing people improve, feel stronger, and gain confidence. That’s always the best part of what I do.
