In my world regular exercise is as important as brushing teeth in the morning, getting dressed, eating and drinking. I love every minute of it. How can I ‘bottle’ this motivation and share it with my clients?
I have been searching for answers in my head trying to pinpoint what makes me want to exercise. I did not grow up with it. My parents would wait for the bus when they could walk the distance in 20 min.
I grew up in Soviet Russia. Sport was a big part of school curriculum at the time. We had regular visits from sports coaches who were searching for the future Olympic champions. Since I was tall and looked strong, I was often chosen for sports like volleyball, basketball, handball. I would then join the team for training and after a session or two give up as it was too much effort. In fact, even PE lessons were too much effort. I would find thousand excuses like headaches, sickness, period for not to attend the lessons.
As an adolescent I did think I was too ‘fat’ like so many other teenage girls. However, my solution was never exercising but dieting alone. In those days dieting was mostly just not finishing dinners put in front of you by your mum. I suppose that was easier than being overwhelmed with thousands of diets on the internet. Exercise had no place in my life.
In my early twenties I was driven to earn all the money I could, worked crazy hours forgetting to eat at all sometimes, partied hard. Again, exercise was not something that I was turning to on a regular basis. However, ever so often I would join a toning class in the local sports centre when that cellulite was getting out of hand or so I thought. In your twenties positive body transformations happen a lot quicker. I would see effects pretty much after a couple of weeks. Then life would take over and I would give up the classes.
I put 3 stone during my pregnancy at the age of 25 and lost it pretty much in 1 month postpartum only because I stopped eating (literally) due to stress caused by the family situation. So, I know first-hand that calorie deficit works. If you think it doesn’t, you are underestimating how much you are eating. I should have turned to exercise then for mental health benefits, but we didn’t really know back then it could help.
Life was busy in my 30s. Somehow raising a child on your own, having a full-time job and studying for an accountancy qualification does not leave a lot of time for exercise. I did buy a gravity walker though that I was occasionally using while watching TV in the evenings but mostly it was just collecting dust.
Are you still with me? Do you recognise the pattern? Can you relate to all this? Exercise was not in my blood, I didn’t like it, I didn’t grow up with it, I didn’t have time for it. I was just like millions of other people leading sedentary lifestyles. I suppose on the positive side I have always had my eating under control as I have never really been overweight as such.
So, what has changed me? What converted me into an exercise junkie? I literally cannot live without it now. If only I could write it out as a recipe that can be shared with the world! And after a quick 5K around the local lakes, I will.
FITNESS FUSION RECIPE
Ingredients:
· Decision that you are going to have a healthy lifestyle i.e., exercise regularly.
· Choice of exercise that you like/think you will like doing (walking, running, strength training, gym classes, etc.)
· Time allocation
· Willpower to be consistent
· Commitment to healthy lifestyle journey.
Instructions:
1. Decide to be fit and healthy.
2. Book my complimentary Fitness Assessment and Heath Screening session.
Results will show you where you are now and what changes you need to make if any.
3. Talk to me about what type of exercise you like doing or you think you would like to do. Based on that information receive a programme clearly stating what you need to do and how much of it.
4. Carve some time in your busy schedule to dedicate to your health. If you find time to watch TV/Netflix, you do have time to exercise.
5. Use your willpower to stick to the plan you have made for yourself. A study by a health psychology researcher at University College London Phillippa Lally showed that on average it takes over 2 months for a new behaviour to become automatic. Therefore, do not expect results in a week or two as it will not happen.
6. Every time you exercise your body will release endorphins that will make you feel happier, relieve any stress or pain that you might have. These ‘feel-good’ chemicals have many advantages in our physical and mental health. Use them for yourself.
7. Your body will start changing. You will notice that you are becoming stronger, faster, happier. Your body will feel and look different. You will start receiving compliments about how wonderful you look.
8. Now you have successfully infused your life with fitness. You are living a healthy life; exercise is essential to your week, and you are a new healthier person with improved mental state and longevity.
Do you have what it takes to follow this recipe?
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