Never in a million years would I imagine the word fit or lean being used to describe me. Yet, here I am today with my abs popping before breakfast (on a good day) and a booty to boot.
Kidding. Or am I?
I was never an active girl. I got by with a petite frame and high metabolic rate (I know, what a bisshhh) which I guess helped me stay “skinny” my whole life. It wasn’t that I was completely inactive. I played netball and handball in school, hit the gym a few times, joined group classes and whatever workout fad there was out there but never consistent. Simply put, being active was never my priority because I was happy with the way I looked until I became a mom of two.
That was when my fitness journey truly began. It was about a year after Mila, my second child was born that I looked at myself in the mirror and in photos, particularly in my swimsuit that I realized I needed to make a change. Because for the first time in my life, I was not happy with my body so fitness became my priority.
I signed up for personal training (shoutout to my trainer, Kevin from Movement Dynamics who first started coaching me online). The pandemic was a blessing in disguise. My silver lining was that I got all the support I needed at home which enabled me to schedule a time to move every single day during lockdown. More importantly, personal training gave me an understanding of my body, my diet/nutrition, the workouts and movements. So if you do have the funds for it, find the right trainer who can give you the right education that will not only help you achieve your body goals but ultimately, change your life. I highly recommend it especially if like me, you’re clueless about fitness and how to achieve your body goals. Sometimes the lack of motivation is due to the lack of information.
I get that personal training doesn’t come cheap but knowledge is free if you seek it. Just be sure you’re seeking it from the right people and places. When it comes to the actual workout, find ways that won’t necessarily burn a huge hole in your pocket like walks, jogs, runs, hikes and perhaps some simple bodyweight exercises using fitness apps or videos as your guide.
Be really careful not to injure yourself though. Form is everything.
I often hear people say things like “oh of course they can look the way they do, because they have the means for it or all the help and time in the world”. While that is true to a certain extent, no matter how much money or time you have, at the end of the day it’s the effort that counts. Take it from me, I was young with no kids, less bills to pay and yet I didn’t look or feel the way I do now. I am the fittest I’ve ever been in my life.
Bottom line is, there is always a way to get fit. Or rather, to achieve your fitness goal. I often say this; fit looks and feels different to everybody. You just gotta ask yourself, how much do you want it? Because it goes beyond being consistent with the workouts. It’s how you fuel your body and move every single day.
My start may have been motivated by vanity and honestly, it remains my motivation today. But mostly, I wanted to be consistent with something. Something that I do for me (every parent would understand how important this is), to take charge of my health (both physically and mentally), to develop the discipline for it, to see through my goals and to find rhythm in this unpredictable and chaotic life of a parent.
Fitness has become a part of me. And I hope one day, you’re able to find a way to make your health a priority and achieve your fitness goals too.
