A Fit Perspective: What does health and fitness mean to you?

As a trainer, group instructor, and an avid fitness magazine reader I will admit that I struggle at times with a skewed body image. Personal training is competitive; along with Fitness it's also a field glamorized by Hollywood, NY City, infomercials, E Television, The Real Housewives, and the hundreds of magazines that fill the stands of grocery and book stores. Growing up I defined health and fitness by the look of the woman on the cover of magazines, walking down the red carpet, and the athletes who competed in the Olympics, beach volleyball, and the USA woman's soccer team. I have always desired a six pack. I admittedly have prayed for a six pack. I have thought that if I had a six pack I would be completely happy, satisfied with life, confident in my skin, and absolutely fulfilled.

This week - though I have known there is more to health and fitness than obtaining a six pack - I finally understood that I am not defined, nor hired as a trainer because I have a six pack. Six packs are made in the kitchen and not just the gym. Genetics play an integral role in the cut of our abdominals, and in some cases a six pack is obtained by practicing less than healthy habits.

If you have known me for a while you have definitely heard me ask you "What does health mean to you?" I was reminded by a very wise woman this week about the importance of defining my personal interpretation of health and fitness. It was one of those ah ha moments followed by a comfortable pause of silence and a soothing moment of understanding.

Striving for a "six pack" causes me food anxiety, shoulder tightness, shame and self-doubt, and an overwhelming feeling of never being good enough. This is definitely not what I build my personal training practice on! Absolutely not! And I never want my clients to have this same stress towards their exercise game plan.

We are athletes, mothers, fathers, daughters, sons, students, hard workers, executives, lawyers, art directors, teachers, accountants, consultants, authors, counselors, and managers. We are busy individuals fighting to go with the flow, achieve success with our goals, accomplish everything on our to do list, exercise at least three times a week, eat nutritiously, and sleep throughout the night. Health and fitness cannot just be about the aesthetics of our body; it includes the function of our minds, our self-esteem and confidence, the perception we have of ourselves and others, the approach we take in our daily lives, and the way we treat ourselves and others.

My goal as a personal trainer is to teach people how to workout and maintain an exercise and nutrition game plan, to enable clients and class participants to discover their inner athlete, and to show each individual their beauty from the inside out. As I train clients, teach classes, and meet people in the gym, I too have discovered what health and fitness truly means to me beyond the quest for a six pack and a size 4 jeans.

* Athletic endurance
* Speed and Agility
* Cardiovascular strength
* A resting heart rate of 38 bpm
* Strong, muscular legs that keep me moving throughout the day
* The ability to jump and clear a step that has 6 risers on each side
* The endurance to last through Miss Shirley's Kickbox class
* The strength to perform 7 close grip push ups
* Erect posture that has eliminated lower back pain
* 22.5% Body Fat, 150lbs
* The ability to eat almost anything I desire and still remain in the healthy range of BMI and Body Fat Composition
* Mental clarity and toughness
* Self-confidence

This week take a moment to define your personal interpretation of a healthy lifestyle. What does being healthy and fit mean to you? What do you need to accomplish on a daily basis in order to reach your optimal health? What can you change, adapt, and alter in order for your perspective and approach to be healthier?

What does health and fitness mean to you?


Urban X-Training Boot Camp

Registration has begun! Get fit for the spring with Urban X-Training with yours truly. "Take it to the streets and find your strength." Urban X-Training is an outdoor boot camp that will challenge your cardiovascular and muscular endurance, increase your total body strength, and help you obtain the results you are looking for to enable you to feel your best for the upcoming "warm weather wardrobe" season. This is a fun, innovative, and challenging workout that uses the streets of Austin as our exercise playground. Contact chelsea@pureaustin.com for more information.

February 22nd - March 17th
M and W 6:00pm - 7:00pm
Members: $145 before Feb 22nd
Non-members: $190 before Feb 22nd