I may very well be the only fitness professional who, despite having the conversation consistently with others, rarely sets specific fitness goals for myself. I am confident I will be the only one to admit it. That is not to say, however, I am not always striving to be my strongest and fittest self. Nor that I have not proudly accomplished any fitness goals in the past or don’t plan to in the future. So, maybe I don’t have a 6-week plan to achieve a 7-minute 5k pace or bench press 100lbs. But, is there purpose behind every step I take on a Woodway or lift of a pair of dumbbells? Certainly.
What I have come to realize is that it is the nature of why I exercise that tends to lead me to stray from traditional, numerically specific fitness goals. I exercise for my body, of course. But perhaps more importantly, I exercise for my mind. I am active because of how it makes me feel as a person on a daily basis—physically stronger but also more mentally and emotionally resilient. It is a daily striving to ease anxiety, relieve stress, and feel more physically capable.
Those “feel-good” chemicals you hear about with aerobic exercise? That’s a real thing. Endorphins, serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine are just some of the neurotransmitters that are released in the brain when we are physically active. And while the precise relationship between these chemicals and their mood-boosting abilities are quite complex, they can contribute to helping us feel more alert and focused, improve memory and cognitive function as well as our overall sense of well-being. Exercise is my daily vitamin. It is also my daily practice with no finish line in sight.
My fitness regimen and relationship with exercise has hardly ever been linear. I grew up dancing as my main sport and have played around with a variety of exercise styles since then. It seemed that so long as I was moving, I (ironically) felt like my most grounded self. But, something always brings me back to what I consider are my fundamentals of feeling good: running + strength training. Nothing makes me feel better, stronger, or more stable in every sense than being able to move fast and build muscle in a functionally complete way.
That is why the Equilibrium class that I both teach and take at Formula is my happy place. When Ann introduced her vision for Equilibrium (alternating running intervals and strength training) I knew this was like hitting the workout jackpot. Nothing has ever felt more efficient, beneficial, and believe it or not…fun. And the goals of the class are precisely what I strive to bring to each of our personal training clients as well. Together, we can build consistency and sustainability in your fitness routine. Our work together is functional and purposeful exercise that will help improve both aerobic capacity and build lean muscle that is specific to you and your lifestyle. I want you to release those feel-good chemicals today and create a more sustainable fitness routine in the longer term.
I have two main goals as a fitness professional. The first is to help others realize the potential in them to move through their life with more ease. I want you to accomplish the physical tasks your life requires as well as the ones that your interests inspire without pain or injury. The second goal is to help you feel those natural mood-boosters to help deal with the daily difficulties of life with more emotional strength and resiliency. I want you to feel confident and powerful in your body and your mind. The physical and mental resiliency I have learned to weave into my life through exercise is why I am a personal trainer. Exercise is not for some people—it is for everyone. I want to help you figure out exactly what it looks like for you.
Okay, so I do have some pretty specific goals. I look forward to helping you define your own and working together to accomplish them.