Health and fitness is a life time commitment, it's not always easy, but completely worth it
Here goes my first blog..
This is just to properly introduce myself and how I got into fitness, and why I think it is so important to keep a healthy body and mind.
I haven't always been into fitness. I was a chubby kid growing up, often got bullied for my weight, "It's only puppy fat! It will disappear when you're older" my mum used to say! But I always enjoyed playing outside, playing stuck in the mud and bulldog, I never sat down, and I'm still the same today.
My full time job is a graphic designer for Birmingham Community NHS, as you can imagine this involves a lot of sitting down staring at a screen for the majority of the day and not getting much exercise. This is the first of peoples excuses, 'I don't have time to exercise, I have a full time job'.. so do I! I make a point of going out for a walk everyday during lunch, and if its rubbish weather (which it often can be) I still take myself for a walk up and down the stairs just to wake my body up a little! I park 10 minutes away from the office, which can be a ball ache sometimes when I want to get home early, but getting those steps in really helps wake me up in the morning and adds to my overall calorie burning for the day. I would encourage this for anyone, walking is such an excellent form of exercise which is completely underrated. Walking can help you maintain a healthy weight, alongside preventing/managing various conditions such as heart disease, high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes.
After work I like to have a routine so it helps to incorporate my fitness into my daily life. At the moment my schedule is a little hectic as I'm in the process of renovating my first home! Which you can imagine takes up a lot of time and knocks the routine a little. Remember you can only do what you can do. There is no point beating yourself up for missing a workout.
A normal week for me would be:
Monday - Teaching my circuit class on a Monday evening - I get a bit of a workout myself here, but not the same level as I would normally push myself
Tuesday - If I am not teaching my PT clients, I love to attend Zumba at my gym! So much fun to let your hair down, have a wiggle and dance like nobody is watching
Wednesday - Usually rest day, but sometimes I will do a HIIT routine
Thursday - Attend circuit training class on the evening
Friday - Usually rest, but again sometimes I squeeze in half hour/hour at the gym
So as you can see, my work out schedule isn't excessive. At the moment I'm training for a marathon in May, so if I get some spare time during the week I'll go for a short run, and a longer one on the weekend. I'm not a natural runner so this is a real challenge for me!
Throughout my fitness journey I have been amazed at how far I can push my body. The body is an amazing thing, that nobody fully understands. We rely on our body for everything we do, and that's why it is so important to look after it, by giving it the right fuel and activity to operate optimally. Now don't get me wrong, I love a few bevvies with friends, and don't get me started on Mexican food NACHOS! I would never give up the things that make me happy but it is important to moderate them, and see these things as a treat and not an every day occurrence, and it makes it soooo much better when you do actually treat yourself if you only have it every so often.
The best piece of advice I could give if you are starting your fitness journey is to find a type of activity that you enjoy, and you can see yourself committing to in the long term. If you don't like going to the gym, try joining a club like, tennis, football, running or cycling. I find classes are what suit me most as they motivate me to push myself to my limits, and there are sooo many different classes out there, you are sure to find one that suits you.
Incorporate fitness into your daily life and you will never look back, you will find yourself craving it when you go on holiday. Anyone that knows me, knows I cannot sit still for long, and I love doing active things when I'm away like cycling, walking, swimming etc.
I'm not happy with my body, because who ever is? I'm not perfect, I've got a wobbly bum and big hips, but I've learnt to embrace my shape. I'm still on my journey and I probably always will be. But I am happy with myself and what I have achieved so far. So if you are just starting your fitness journey or if you are well into it, just remember, keep going! It's a life long commitment, but completely worth it.
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