Do you want to look athletic? How about healthy? Or are you doing it because your doctor told you to do it? Did your partner mention something about how you look or are you trying to get partner?!?
Does having that one hour session each week keep you sane? Does having someone telling you what to do to break a sweat or give you the push you need? Does swimming up and down in a pool help to clear the mind?
There are loads of reasons for doing what we do when it comes to our health and fitness. The key is to keep doing it, which does sound easier said than done. Life can get in the way, jobs and family can take over and we become sidetracked. It’s not just fitness, it can happen to everything if we let it, so the trick is to be aware. OK, I’m not going down the mindfulness road just yet, but people have been talking about living in the moment long before mindfulness. It’s a zen thing.
What I’m trying to get across is that the time spent in the gym/class or studio is YOUR time, be selfish with it. You deserve it. Enjoy it, push yourself to beat your PB, clear your mind and relax. People around you are doing the same thing. Let it be exactly what it’s meant to be, your time.
Not all the goals we set are in stone and not all of them revolve around losing weight. One of my long term clients first came to me to lose weight as he was feeling low, sluggish and generally crap.
So we set a time, it was six months, got the workout ready and got stuck in to it. He did love a bit of cake but I let him off…. Well, the 6 months flew by, he trained twice a week and he lost the weight and said to me that he wanted to put on some muscle as the girls in reception had made some comments on how he looked. Fair enough, we set some targets, tweaked his eating plan and got on with it. He loved how people would squeeze his arms and say things about the guns show….being told he looked great in his suit every Monday was a real lift to him. Oh, did I say he was a happily married man with three children and was 68 years old???
Well, life can play some cruel games and his company merged with a new one and he had to apply for his own job, one he had been dong for 15 years. The stress he was under was horrible and you could feel it let alone hear it in his voice. We had some hard, emotional sessions. Then one Friday evening he came in to the gym and tried to pick me up and spin around with me….didn’t happen. He was as giddy as a school girl! He was offered his job plus a raise! Why???? The new bosses said that through the whole experience he never lost his focus regardless of how he was feeling. He would walk in to work and talk about what he had done in the gym, how he still pushed himself and would not let things get to him. Of course a mask but it worked.
Bless you Richard, one of my best ever clients and some one I was lucky enough to call a friend. He did the one thing we all need to do, just turn up.
What ever your reasons for doing what we do, don’t lose focus.
Also, as I said last week here are my top Christmas gifts that can help change your life:
1. The Kettlebell
These little lovelies can be picked up anywhere from Tescos to TKMaxx. I recommend Amazon as they have more different ranges and weights. You could even take a look at my videos on how to use one!
2. Resistance bands
Again head to Amazon for these, lots to chose from. Some come with a how to guide but if not ask me…
3. Power bag
These are roughly cylinder shaped and filled with sand. They come in different weights there’s one for every one. Lots of different hand holds so the amount of exercises that you can do from squats, to deadlifts or just slam it down!