As fitness professionals we’re often held to higher standards than the clients we serve. We’re expected to run faster, lift heavier weight, eat healthier, drink more water, and look fitter (whatever that even means). These expectations hit us everyday while scrolling through social media, flipping through magazines and watching tv. They hit us with pressures we often brush aside and ignore. Until we can’t ignore them any longer.
Take a moment right now to do an inventory of the fitness-related pressures you resist on a regular basis. What are they? A few I can admit to are the expectation to fit into a certain size, to run a certain pace, and to avoid all sugar and carbs. How about the pressure to have mastered it all including power lifting, rope climbing, supplements, and even how to gracefully extract myself from a sports bra. Are you kidding me? I have a kinesiology degree but I graduated 20 years ago. I do my best to stay on top of new research and trends but we can’t be experts at CrossFit and yoga and running and jiu jitsu.
We cannot do it all.
We cannot be everything to everyone. We cannot be masters of all to our clients and families and the media. We can’t meet all of the demands placed on us. No one can.
It’s time for me to get honest with you: there are days when I don’t have the motivation to do my workouts or stick to my clean eating plan. I’ve recently posted how discipline wins out over motivation because I’m lacking motivation right now. Anyone else struggle at this time of year? It’s cold and snowy and dark so friggin’ early. All I want to do is curl up in my fuzzy pants and an old hoodie with Netflix and hibernate.
I’ve battled against myself, within myself, for as long as I can remember. Some days are better than others and I’m proud that I haven’t had a relapse into serious depression for almost a decade, but that doesn’t mean it’s not a fight. I take meds on a daily basis and I’ve come to depend on a regimen of vitamins, breathing exercises, balanced diet and exercise to keep myself afloat.
I work hard, even though it doesn’t show on the outside, to stay positive and I’ve adopted a growth mindset where I focus on moving forward with a bright outlook. I make lemonade out of lemons because lemons are a fact of life for all of us. Even fitness professionals who can run fast and lift heavy.
I lift weights at home even when I feel like it’s the last thing I want to do. I head to the gym for a deadmill run when the sidewalks are too icy. I sip water instead of a third cup of coffee and eat kale salad instead of mashed potatoes. I make these little decisions because I know I’ll feel better on the other side.
We are role models more often than you may think. Our clients are looking to us to set the example, and it’s time for us to be real in the image we project. Eat clean and drink water and sweat it out, but don’t forget to share your story. Share your struggles and get real and honest. We don’t walk around airbrushed and most of us don’t have 8 hours a day to train with a team of makeup artists, stylists, and coaches guiding our every move.
So, while the world may hold you to a higher standard, I don’t. I know there are so many incredibly fit and inspirational people out there who are struggling right now. I know you’re doing the best you can and you deserve to cut yourself some slack and acknowledge that you’re a human being experiencing life like anyone else. Create a plan to keep yourself healthy and reach out when you need to. You are always there for your clients but it’s important to know that you are not alone.
The Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention website has a list of resources by province.
Please take care of yourself.
Mindset Events 