Fitness with a Purpose

It's not easy, is it? At first most of us begin going to the gym because we want to feel and look better. Maybe it was a glimpse of your backside in the mirror that caught your attention and you think, "I never knew it looked like that." Or a doctor's appointment that revealed your health is in jeopardy if you don't adhere to regular exercise. Possibly it was an evening with old friends that now has you thinking about how you use to feel and look and you now contemplate why you have stopped making health and fitness a priority. Or is your 50th birthday swiftly approaching and you promised yourself that you would not be blowing out the candles holding extra weight?

What ever the reason is, there's a definitive purpose behind your quest for fitness, whether it is to lose weight, gain strength, fit into a pair of jeans you have had since college, or it's to look smoking hot in a bathing suit. What ever your motivation is, you have made a pinkie swear to yourself that this year you will get in shape, eat right, be more active, and not buy a larger size in clothes.

Then comes the reality of life. Work keeps you at the office later than expected and you miss the class you wanted to take. You have to reschedule your training appointment due to a late conference call. You have suffered an injury that demands you stay out of the gym for six weeks. Possibly you are studying for the Bar and the thought of leaving your home for 60 minutes has you panicked: "what if those 60 minutes are the reason why I have failed?"

Then there's the irony of health and fitness. You ARE consistent with your exercise and nutrition game plan but your results are slow. You have been committed to making fitness a lifestyle for more than just a few weeks; however, you still feel sluggish, bloated, and those pants that hang in your closet are still too snug for comfort leisure. No matter what your friends say or how hard your trainer pleads with you to be more patient and to not step on the scale, you still wonder why the heck you continue to exercise if you are not losing weight.

I understand your frustration. I am a trainer who finds it difficult to get a workout in of her own. I am injured, both shoulder and hip. I work about 50+ hours a week. I am currently studying for another certification. I have a ton on my mind - always thinking about my sister's deployment and my parent's health. I too lay in bed with insomnia. Yes, there are days when I look in the mirror and I wish I could call in sick because I don't feel good about myself. I'm right there with you. I ABSOLUTELY GET IT! It's not easy, is it?

I know I say it all of the time and I post it constantly on Facebook or in my blogs, but fitness really is less about what we look like and more about what our bodies can do. However, if this truly meant something to us, we would not spend our precious time worrying about the process of exercise and it's wavering results. I would not stand in front of a mirror and suck in my PUDGE trying to make my belly look slimmer and more fit. (I told you, I'm just like you.) So how do we get it through our thick heads that it's less about aesthetics and more about physical performance?

Since I have been in a funk with my ailing body, I really do try to put it all into perspective and take inventory of where I actually stand with fitness. We can be so dramatic at times, can't we? It's always worse than it truly is! And as much as you think it will happen, the world will not come crashing down on you if you hold a few extra pounds, miss a workout here or there, or eat too much chocolate in the middle of the week. So my friends, I ask you to remove the mask of judgment and to make a few changes pertaining to your approach. Yes, set goals for yourself with achievable time lines and realistic expectations. Do be willing to adjust your goals, time lines, and expectations for nothing can ever be set in stone and life has a funny way of forcing us to be quick on our toes and opened to the necessity of adaptation. Do not just pay attention to the scale. Make note of how your clothes are fitting, if you are sleeping better, have more energy through out the day, or if your skin begins to clear up. Pay special attention to your strength. Are you getting stronger since you began to workout? Do you have more endurance? Can you now complete a workout without having to run to the bathroom to lose your lunch?

Stand in front of the mirror and praise yourself. JUST DO IT! (Please stop shaking your heads and rolling your eyes.) I mean it. Stand in front of the mirror and love you for you. Seriously! Just because you don't love your body, this does not mean that your significant other or even your friends don't love your body. They usually never see what you see, do they? When do we stop beating ourselves up and just be happy with who we are and what we look like? IF YOU ARE DOING THE WORK - EXERCISING REGULARLY AND EATING NUTRITIOUSLY - RESULTS WILL COME. IF YOUR COMMITMENT TO YOUR GOALS NEEDS ADJUSTMENT, THEN ADJUST AND MAKE IT HAPPEN! Recommit and get serious, or accept the reality of your progress. If you are injured or sick, take the time to heal and then you can jump right back on the wagon and cruise to success. But if you don't rest, the time off the wagon will be much longer than necessary. (Don't I know this firsthand?) If you have not been able to get to the gym because of work, then figure out a way to workout at home. Remember, IF "YOU" ARE NOT A PRIORITY, THEN NOTHING ELSE WILL BE AS GOOD AS IT CAN BE.

I know it's easier said than done to change how you feel about your body. I know that there will be days where what you look like is more important than what your body can do. And I understand how frustrating it is to be busting your butt in the gym and not see the results you have hoped for.

You have two choices. Move forward and keep on pushing, or throw in the towel and quit! What will you do? DO YOU HAVE THE FIGHT IN YOU to do what ever it takes to reach your goals?

I KNOW YOU DO..............