How to make fitness sustainable?

Have you ever asked yourself - how can I make exercising more easy and enjoyable and less like a chore?

It is a horrible feeling dreading that jog you said you'll go for or the gym session you feel like you HAVE to do, because you have a holiday coming up and want to look good in your swim suit. Most people will force themselves to do things they don't enjoy for some time and then eventually give up. Feeling like they have failed - they wont exercise again until the next time there is a holiday or a wedding to go to. Its a vicious cycle and it is one that is hard to break, because the fitness industry have made it all about the looks - we associate fitness with looking a certain way and if that doesn't happen for us fast enough - we give up.

The truth is - it takes time for us to build muscle and see any results - months and months of continuous, consistent work to see what we want to see in the mirror. However - if you don't enjoy the type of exercise you are doing - you are more likely to give it up before you see any results. You would feel different and your clothes would fit slightly better but you wont see them glutes popping out of your jeans after a couple of sessions of hip thrusting :)

Your body also adapts to the demands of exercise and will hit a plateau - this is usually a good time to mix things up a bit and introduce a few new moves that are more challenging or go for a different type of exercise to keep things interesting.

I'm speaking from experience - I fell into the Hiit trap after having my children - I felt unfit and well out of shape and had no time to go to the gym with a baby and a toddler attached to me 24/7. I purchase a programme from a celebrity trainer and followed it for months - I had high hopes! I really hated all the workouts - there were a lot of squat jumps, high knees, burpees and push ups, crunches - none of which were suitable for a post nata body with a huge ab separation and rib flare. It made me miserable and even though I worked out 7 days a week - I had nothing to show for it - I had hit a plateau weeks ago and now my weight was creeping up, I was holding onto a lot of water an the intense sit ups had made my ab separation worse and I was close to having a hernia - I had to stop!

Feeling like a failure I didn't want to exercise again, but then I read an article about the importance of weight bearing exercise - I had always been under the impression that 'that' type of exercise was only for men, because women would look bulky and not feminine. How wrong was I? Very!!!

I dived into the world of strength training and became somewhat obsessed with it all, I purchased my first set of dumbbells and started working out - and OMG what a difference! I started enjoying exercising and it didn't feel like a chore, it felt good! I started feeling stronger and it was easier to pick up and carry around my children, I had more energy and my mood was so much better.

When I say I became obsessed with it all - I mean it! I was researching the exercises I was doing to make sure my form was correct, I also researched different types of exercises like deep core work, breath work and Pilates and yoga inspired moves. I fixed my ab separation without crunches or burpees :)

Now a fitness professional myself - I understand the struggles people have to try cram in exercise into their already busy lives. We are all different and we don't all enjoy the same type of exercise - Hiit was definitely not for me, but some people love it - and if you love it, then go for it! The best exercise for you - is the one you are happy doing!

If you haven't found what's right for you yet - please don't give up - moving your body is the best thig you can do for your physical and mental health and overall longevity. You can do it!