What inspired you to make your first change into leading a healthier, more active life?
It was a combination of a few things. Exercising during lockdown was a way of gaining structure to the day for the whole family. Walking alone gave me time away from homeschooling and constantly being with my family. We all needed periods of time away from one another. Going on walks together gave us the opportunity to have fun and to see the world outside the four walls of home. My father in law also passed away towards the end of lockdown and my husband took his death very hard. As part of grieving he lost his motivation to do anything enjoyable and also lost his fitness.
What did you do?
The local gym rebranded itself and opened its doors, joining gave us an opportunity to do something together and gave us both a common purpose. 6.30am classes became a regular thing for us!
How have the changes you made improved your mental and physical fitness?
It was unspoken between us, but by committing to keep on going my husband and I kept each other going. It quickly became a habit built on kindness, support and purpose. In this gym environment we made mutual friends with shared interests and values. These people pushed us to keep on striving to better ourselves. This not only promoted our physical fitness but strengthened our resilience and mental health.
What is the hardest thing about maintaining your new, improved habits?
The hardest thing for me is to accept the periods of time when the body needs to rest and repair. I have a tendency to believe that this is wasted time. I am getting better at seeing the bigger picture and this helps when I hear of other people’s experiences of injury or illness.
What’s next for you?
I have one long term goal and that is to be as fit,strong and healthy as I can be so that my husband and I can enjoy our time walking together through our older years. We have reinvented ourselves as a couple now that our children are not so reliant on us for their day to day needs. My short term goals are to keep being accountable and to keep showing up for myself and others. I strive to keep pushing myself daily to do difficult things which require effort in order to promote my resilience and self confidence. I don’t strive to be ‘the’ best, I aim to be my best.
How would you advise someone who is wanting to improve their physical and mental fitness?
My advice to others would be to find out why you want to do something and remain mindful of that reason. Keep it simple and as enjoyable as possible. Surround yourself with like minded people who have a similar interest and support them to do their thing. Don’t rely on the feeling of motivation to get you moving. Trust me, that feeling very rarely shows itself at 5am! Set your goal and put one foot in front of the other to get things done, build a process that works for you and stick to it. If there are obstacles in your way, find away to overcome them. It may never feel easy but it will always be worth it.
