It's all about BALANCE

I often tease everyone I know about this fact...And anyone who has met met for even a few minutes is WELL aware that I am a libra..And in true libra form I preach balance,balance, BALANCE. But it wasn't until recently that I really began to understand what that meant, and even less time that I started incorporating it into all areas of my life....or at least attempting..When it comes to fitness balance is key...Maybe that is why I was drawn to it??When I say balance is key I mean you must find a balance between physical activity and your diet....You must find a balance between your physical activity...All components are necessary for living a healthy life and being your best YOU...That means incorporating cardio, resistance training, and some sort of stretching/flexibility routine into your regimen.I wasn't always aware of this nor did I practice it...I hate stretching..I used to think it "took too much time." And even more than hating stretching I HATED cardio..It was boring and redundant..I will admit it..I could lift weights allllllll day..I love it..I don't know if it is because for a long time I felt I could only see benefits from this activity??Whatever it was I always gravitated more towards it and would only participate in the other activities every now and then.But these days I attempt to do all three...Resistance can be broken down into the balance of training your muscles even further...To avoid muscle imbalances it is important to train opposing muscles EQUALLY..Meaning if you train your chest you must balance it out with back exercises...If you train your biceps you must balance it out with your triceps...And so on...Finally all of the pieces are coming together and things are making sense...It is an amazing feeling.............

Extreme dieting...living to eat versus eating to live..

This has been a journey and a struggle for me since the end of my teens and most of my twenties...The struggle came from a combination of high school cheer leading and the pressures that come with that, the media which is typical, which spiraled into college cheer leading, my job which is very appearance oriented,,It was an internal battle that I fought for years..I tried everything..Starving, extreme dieting, purging, fad diets, therapy....This search for an image I created in my head that I thought I wanted to obtain, but didn't know how to get there..I went from wanting to be 100 pounds (a number I came up with) to wanting to be ripped/buff and packing on pounds..All of which I learned essentially came down to me wanting to be in control of something in my life..Now at 32, I am off that roller coaster and have a better understanding of balance.The balance that is necessary in all areas of my life. But when it comes to food, eating, nutrition, balance is key...It truly is everything in moderation, no deprivation, making healthy choices most of the time and not feeling guilty..I have learned the more I relax and try not to feel pressured to eat certain ways the better results I see and the happier I am..And it is from this lesson that I know I need to be a teacher and a source of inspiration particularly to women who may have this same struggle....

Not just going through the motions....

The more I know the better I am....More specifically every day, be it from my certification readings, things I read in articles online,or just looking around the gym and something finally "clicking", I seem to gain a greater understanding for what I am working out when I workout. And I LOVE those moments..I will be the first to admit that the common theme in my life is that I seem to take the long way around with things..I may not be the quickest,but I always get there.Such is true with finding my career, my purpose...I am almost 32 and I just figured out "what I wanted to be." Some people knew their whole lives, or going into college..Not me...everything sounded great, or I wanted to be what everyone else wanted to be, not really knowing what I liked, what I should be...Until I found the gym...And even then, it started more as a way for me to talk to a boy, that eventually became my boyfriend..I was the girl that did more socializing in the gym than working out...But it eventually snowballed into a true passion one small step at a time...And here I am, educated, almost certified, full fledged gym rat that is learning and growing and loving fitness more and more every day...It feels great..

Sharing the knowledge

Today I had such an "ah ha" moment at the gym...While I was finishing up my treadmill time one of my longtime friends approached me and noticed a book on the ledge of the treadmill and inquired what was I reading to which I responded, "my training material".That's when she began to tell me about some symptoms she has been having recently during certain activities and wanted to know if i knew what it was...It was in that moment when I began giving possible options and then asked her about whether she had tried myofascial release to which she told me no but had seen people doing it but wasn't sure what it was, that I realized "wow people trust me,value my opinion,look to me for guidance and I know what I'm talking about!!!" Yes!!!!This finally feels right!!!

This was my first official day of studying and I am still overwhelmed and uncertain if I will ever grasp it all or most but I must keep going..."Eyes on the Prize"

Learning something new every day............

This is how I describe my certification process thus far...I am about 600 flashcards in,two notebooks filled with notes,4 instructional DVD's, several textbooks, and one chapter remains to have flashcards made for it.Needless to say I feel overwhelmed at this point...Sometimes to the point where I am filled with anxiety..I second and third guess myself...I wonder if I should give up and worry if I will find a job...in this economy and countless other thoughts but the fact is that I am passionate about it, I love it,I enjoy it,and I know it...So I try to silence those voices of doubt and frustration as much as possible and keep going...And when I feel like it is never-ending and I will never finish this and see the light at the end of the tunnel and learn allllllllllllll there is to know I remind myself that as long as I continue to learn new information every day then I am on the right track.

Yoga!!!!!

So last week I had a conversation with my mom that left me speechless and almost resulted in tears...in a good way...She told me she had signed up for a ten week program through work to take a yoga class once a week during ehr lunch hour..WOW. And I do mean wow because I have been pushing her for years to be active and get healthy...I have tried everything....going on walks with her..showing her some at home exercises..trying to push her to go to the gym,which is not her thing..but nothing has really stuck..She always tells me the gym is just not her thing and I never really got it because it is DEF my thing..As her daughter I am just concerned with her health..She is almost 60,overweight, and has many health problems, along with poor eating habits..I have stressed that physical activity will alleviate her stress levels,drop weight,increase her energy,prevent health problems,etc...but nothing..So this call shocked me...She finally took initiative to do something FOR herself, By herself...that is a huge step in itself..She is stepping out of her comfort zone and trying new things.huge.And yoga will improve her fitness,flexibility,health,decrease stress..It is perfect....That conversation left me in an "ah ha" state...I finally understood that everyone must find what works for them when it comes to being active,find their niche..What works for one won't work for the next...And as long as you keep moving you are doing your mind,body,and spirit good:)

Your body is an inspiration...

This was the exact statement I heard from such an unlikely source..I ran into a girl I went to high school with at my gym today..She is my friend on facebook but wasn't my friend in high school...She spotted me and chatted me up first...The high school girl in me was shocked....We got to talking about life and what is going on and she mentioned my goal to train others and I told her I was planning on it and should be certified by mid summer..That is when she told me, "Well, you're body is an inspiration"..A what???I have never seen it that way...seriously...even now when decently fit (I have been slacking in my eating habits and gym intensity), but still look pretty good I struggle to really comprehend that..In fact because I know my body was way tighter,fitter,leaner,and ripped about a year ago I borderline beat myself up quite often about my slacking...But forget that...she said it was an inspiration!!!!That meant so much on a few levels...It reaffirmed what others/outsiders see....my hard work..it does show...Also it solidifies that my passion is on point..This is what I am meant to do..my purpose..I am a walking billboard for my future business and it feels so good...I love working out...feeling healthy,fit,full of energy and I can't wait to influence others...

"Find something you love to do,and you will never work a day in your life"