Last week, we discussed what being healthy meant to you, it really got me thinking how much the fitness industry has changed since I entered it 13 years ago. It has been changing quite dramatically over the last few years, for the better, I might add! The biggest changes are that we are no longer just focusing on exercise, we are now much more interested in nutrition and mindset, mind and body exercise classes have really boomed as we are looking at ourselves from a far more holistic point of view and realising that this is what is needed for us to be happy, healthy individuals. Thank goodness the self-gratification is slowly coming to an end, at least in our industry – I do worry for the next generation that has been brought up on nothing but self-gratification – but that’s another article!
As you mature, and I don’t necessarily mean age, I mean emotionally, we realise that happiness doesn’t come from material possessions, how much you own, your house, your holidays etc, but from deep within yourself. The single most important thing to being ‘happy’ for me is health, everything else pales into insignificance. Without your health it really doesn’t matter if you’re a multi-millionaire, you are going to struggle to find happiness. So, that means we need to prioritise ‘me’ – we need to take care of ourselves, value ourselves enough that we think we are worth the extra money it costs to buy decent food! Organic food that we cook from scratch, go to those classes that make you feel rejuvenated, spend your money on looking after yourself – you are worth it!
Looking after your body is all about taking responsibility, Obesity, Type 11 diabetes, alcohol related diseases, smoking related disease are all self inflicted!! It’s no one else’s fault and society is endlessly picking up pieces of our own neglect! Only ‘you’ can step up and take responsibility for your own health, so take a long hard look at what you do that makes you feel better, feel more energised, feel full of health & vitality. Remember trying to change everything at once becomes overwhelming, small achievable steps are the way forward, go to your Pilates Class or Yoga class, have that massage you’ve been promising yourself, spend a little more on your local organic veg box, or grass fed meat, start to cherish yourself! One of my favourite quotes by Jim Rohn “Take care of your body. It’s the only place you have to live”