Finding your Fitness Passion
Recently I spent some time with a large bunch of other fitness professionals.
I am always keen to hear what other trainers are passionate about for their own fitness ( for me as you know it is taekwondo - taekwondo is my "thing") and so I asked them...
What's your thing? You know the thing that you do to keep fit because you love it more than anything else?
LOT'S of blank looks!!
I think I must have been hiding in a cave for too long because not even a decade ago this would have been the beginning of an hour long conversation with lots of butting in from both sides :)
I'm not sure if it is the way the industry is now pumping out Personal Trainers by the thousands after 6 weeks of education or what but it shocked me.
Answers varied from "not sure what you mean" to "oh I do some weights and cardio most days" - WHAT THE???
I also asked "What is your fitness background; where did you come from"? ie: I became a PT after a few years of doing TKD because I wanted to learn more and incorporate some different training methods (safely) into the school both in the classes and as homework for the students while not at class.
Not a lot going on there either I'm afraid.
So this got me thinking; if PT's and Gym Instructors aren't so passionate about their own fitness they can barely stand it how does that fare for their clients??
(I don't include group exercise instructors here because these guys and gals are almost always super, dooper passionate about their classes and participants - they are an awesome breed as a whole).
I see a lot of trainers out there who don't look like trainers; they look like the average man or woman trying to lose a few kg's!
This is not acceptable - a trainer is someone who should be an absolute inspiration to you in every way and not just someone who runs you through your moves a couple of times a week who has the knowledge (but isn't necessarily practicing it).
Soo... after that longwinded rant here is the point of this post :)
Find your fitness passion; if you don't already have it keep looking till you find it.
Recently a client of mine found Crossfit and everytime she speaks about it you can see very clearly she has found her "thing". She has been training for a long time but has only now stumbled upon it.
I get goosebumps when I hear how excited she is because I know this is the thing that will see her through for many years now and over those years she will create habits that are just too hard to break - she will not have any significant fitness struggles again - I just know it.
I know it because I have seen it again and again and experienced it myself with taekwondo - 20 years later and I love it as much as the day I started.
Another client of mine did a 12 week running program and went from barely being able to run 10min to running 10k - she did her first ever Fun Run and is now hooked forever and has her sights on a Half Marathon next year.
Once you find your thing being consistent is no longer difficult because you wouldn't dream of missing a session.
The thing I love most about my job is passing on the passion I have for pretty much anything that makes me sweat to my clients and friends and family so they get excited about health & fitness and eventually find their own "thing".
If you have a thing I would love to hear what it is and why you just love it so darn much x
I am always keen to hear what other trainers are passionate about for their own fitness ( for me as you know it is taekwondo - taekwondo is my "thing") and so I asked them...
What's your thing? You know the thing that you do to keep fit because you love it more than anything else?
LOT'S of blank looks!!
I think I must have been hiding in a cave for too long because not even a decade ago this would have been the beginning of an hour long conversation with lots of butting in from both sides :)
I'm not sure if it is the way the industry is now pumping out Personal Trainers by the thousands after 6 weeks of education or what but it shocked me.
Answers varied from "not sure what you mean" to "oh I do some weights and cardio most days" - WHAT THE???
I also asked "What is your fitness background; where did you come from"? ie: I became a PT after a few years of doing TKD because I wanted to learn more and incorporate some different training methods (safely) into the school both in the classes and as homework for the students while not at class.
Not a lot going on there either I'm afraid.
So this got me thinking; if PT's and Gym Instructors aren't so passionate about their own fitness they can barely stand it how does that fare for their clients??
(I don't include group exercise instructors here because these guys and gals are almost always super, dooper passionate about their classes and participants - they are an awesome breed as a whole).
I see a lot of trainers out there who don't look like trainers; they look like the average man or woman trying to lose a few kg's!
This is not acceptable - a trainer is someone who should be an absolute inspiration to you in every way and not just someone who runs you through your moves a couple of times a week who has the knowledge (but isn't necessarily practicing it).
Soo... after that longwinded rant here is the point of this post :)
Find your fitness passion; if you don't already have it keep looking till you find it.
Recently a client of mine found Crossfit and everytime she speaks about it you can see very clearly she has found her "thing". She has been training for a long time but has only now stumbled upon it.
I get goosebumps when I hear how excited she is because I know this is the thing that will see her through for many years now and over those years she will create habits that are just too hard to break - she will not have any significant fitness struggles again - I just know it.
I know it because I have seen it again and again and experienced it myself with taekwondo - 20 years later and I love it as much as the day I started.
Another client of mine did a 12 week running program and went from barely being able to run 10min to running 10k - she did her first ever Fun Run and is now hooked forever and has her sights on a Half Marathon next year.
Once you find your thing being consistent is no longer difficult because you wouldn't dream of missing a session.
The thing I love most about my job is passing on the passion I have for pretty much anything that makes me sweat to my clients and friends and family so they get excited about health & fitness and eventually find their own "thing".
If you have a thing I would love to hear what it is and why you just love it so darn much x
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