I Promise I'm Nice

I’m not insensitive. 

As an instructor, I’ve been called a lot of things over the years. Well not called names, but there’s been comments. Mostly in regards to how hard I train and how motivated I am to get the best out of my clients. Shoot, there’s a whole Yelp page talking about the difficulty level of my classes.

When I first started training in a group environment, I trained cops. Specifically cops who needed to get back into shape in order to pass the physical requirements for their jobs. I was told I needed to “back off” because I “demanded too much” of those individuals. 

When I first started training in a more formal group environment, I got a complaint almost every single class I taught. It was never about my personality or the words I would say, it was always that the class was too hard for the individual who was taking the class.

I won’t ever apologize for my training style NOR will I ever feel sorry for you.

I just know this is an opportunity so it is what you make of it.

Being able to wake up, move your body, and create your own healthy lifestyle is a GIFT.

I also know how quickly you can lose that opportunity and how frustrating that loss can be. I never looked at being healthy in that light until I got hurt and the opportunity was taken from me.

I took the capabilities of my body for granted and I dreaded having to engage in any physical activity prior to my injury. I hated it. I didn’t see it for what it was, I saw it as a temporary means to an end, a necessity for my job, but not something that helped insure my well being.

Now I know that even on my worst and unmotivated days, it’s still a chance to give to myself and take care of myself. That might mean taking things down a notch if it doesn’t work for me that day, or even going extra hard because I can. 

Either way, I don’t look at the choices I’m making as an inconvenience or an obstacle. I look at it as a chance to give to myself, to take care of myself when my time is valuable and my days are busy. 

I know when I have those opportunities, big or small, that I need to take advantage of them so I can serve the community around me in a bigger way. 

Instead of thinking of working out and being healthy as an obstacle or a struggle, find the part of it you love the most and focus on that especially during the times you don’t want to try. 

Find that positive aspect of your healthy choices and hone in on those. Put those choices and how much better you feel on repeat. Create the gift for yourself and then continue to give it to yourself.