34 months and counting
Sandile quit personal training to start his own business. I was looking to save some money anyways, so ended the personal training saga. After two years, I had learned how to navigate what I thought were ‘men’s only’ areas. Which machines to use. Which free weights to swing. My favorite and best work outs: Squats and dead lifts. I knew what I was doing. The form, breathing and concentrating on the right muscles. I now see more women in the weight section. I’d like to see more.
I still care about looking great in my clothes, but this isn’t the only motivator. Am I living the best life for my body? Am I nourishing my body? Am I keeping up my fitness levels? Am I healthy?
I used to believe in the ‘mind over body’. I used to get sick after punishing my body. Sprinting the last portion of the 5km races to shave off 20 seconds. It was too much and too soon. The body would complain and shut itself down for days, if not weeks.
I now believe in the body over mind. Without the body, the mind has nowhere to live. Without the mind, there is no body. Body = Mind.
My fitness journey will continue. Being fit isn’t about looking good. It’s about being healthy. Looking good always helps, doesn’t it? Better stress management. Being strong means I can carry everyone’s bags when they are all bleeding from an accident. Being strong means I can carry someone on my back. Being strong means having some reserve left to carry myself to the finish line when I’m not at my best.
As important as it is to allow ourselves to detour from our path and come back again, we need time to let things settle. Let it simmer and thicken until we’re ready to pour ourselves out of the pensive.
“Millions saw the apple fall, but Newton was the one to ask why.”