My Philosophy on Fitness

It's finally here!! The health and fitness blog I've been promising to create, and I am super excited about sharing it with you. My intention is to help others increase the quality of their lives through sharing tips, advice, knowledge, and personal experiences related to health and fitness. I believe that success is found not only through being told why we should do something but by being told HOW we should do something. I will therefore be very matter of fact in my approach. I'll share lots of pictures and videos and offer useful information to help you get in the best shape of your life and feel better than you ever have. After this intro to my blog...I promise to keep things simple, visual, and hopefully somewhat exciting. 

Let me preface by saying that I do not pretend to know EVERYTHING (although I do know quite a bit ;)) about health and fitness and I am certainly not the poster child for it, but I am confident in what I DO know and I believe that God has called me to be an instrument in sharing those things with others. All the rest is about learning and growing. Achieving personal wellness has been a long, sometimes confusing and frustrating journey for me, BUT overall it has been an amazing one filled with astounding benefits I wouldn't trade for the world, and I am simply passionate about impacting others in the same way.

Because fitness will be the main theme of my blog, I feel I should share my philosophy on fitness.

So, what does it mean to be FIT?

Fitness Defined

Fitness: the state of being suitably adapted to the demands of an environment.

I often talk about being "functionally fit" or fitness that enhances your ability to effectively function in a given environment. The way that I train others and the science behind the workouts I design and the foods that I eat are all intended to achieve this state of functional fitness. I don't believe in working out and eating healthy to "look good" (although it is an undeniable bonus)...I believe in working out and eating healthy to FEEL good. Being functionally fit allows us to be stronger in daily living. Our muscles are adaptable, our joints are stronger, we are more flexible, we are more powerful, and we endure longer. In addition, our bodies take on a beautiful shape that isn't bulky or skinny, it's fierce and it's sexy! By the way...that's not a bad word. It means attractive, appealing, and interesting. Get over it.

Many of you who attended my classes would hear me say, "You aren't here to get skinny! You're here to get healthy!" Actually...I'd usually say "sexy!" (because I have a clogged filter). But also because I believe being fit and healthy and being sexy are somewhat synonymous. When you are fit you exude confidence and you are proud because you are making choices that are not only healthy, but they are brave and they are determined and they are disciplined. It's not easy to make good choices because it's the good decisions that are often the hardest. Rising above and doing what is right instills integrity in us. As cliche as it may sound...gain rarely comes without a little pain....hence my little play on words, 

"No Strain! No Gain!"

(Thank you, God for my wonderful last name and also for the husband that came with it. ;) There certainly is a Grand Master behind life! )

Off the tangent

The last 2 years of my life have been an amazing journey and the last year especially as a fitness manager and an instructor put me in a position to do something I am completely in love with and that is to help people get fit and get healthy. I designed workouts every day the way little kids color in coloring books. I LOVE it and what I love most is to share it with others and to see others get incredible results. To be in a place every day where I watched peoples lives transform before my eyes energized me to never stop being a part of that no matter where I am and what I'm doing. I have a fascination with the uniqueness of individuals and have a gift for seeing the beauty people don't see in themselves. There is no greater joy than helping people make that discovery. 

SOOOO....Listen to me! It's time to stop wasting your life being anything less than what you were created to be. You are YOU and nobody else can be you (how cool)...so OWN it, LOVE it, and WORK it! Being self deprecating is selfish because you aren't loving others and you aren't focused on the needs of those around you. If you have integrity about the decisions you make in your life then you can stop whining about yourself and start being effective in other people's lives. 

Everyone has a gift. What is it? USE IT!

I kind of have a tough love approach, but I mean well. ;)

Ok. Enough of that jabbering. I'm ready to get busy!!! Who's ready to get on my FIT LIST!!!