24/01/2019
The crossroads...
So... I had a little “ bump” in the road recently with a spontaneous haematoma on my shin, which also turned out to be infected 🤦🏻♀️ Thankfully, I won’t be losing my leg this time 😅
Not only has the rest and recovery been amazing, but it has also been an incredible opportunity for me to reflect on the events that lead to this injury. Over the past few years, I’ve been one to advocate the importance of rest, recovery and training smarter to clients. Yet I’ve found in recent months I haven’t been practicing what I preach.
I started losing myself to my old values all over again. Training more than necessary to get to a certain weight, focusing purely on how I looked and less on how I felt. I allowed the feedback of others about my weight loss to reinforce the behaviour of pushing myself beyond healthy limits. Needless to say that these actions and thought patterns lead to physical, mental and emotional exhaustion (and a b**g leg 🥚)
I know that I am not the only PT in the world who has felt this immense pressure to look a particular way or fit into a certain mould in the industry. I am also very aware that there are plenty of people out there who can relate this with their own personal journey. I understand that many struggle with putting unhealthy expectations on themselves, to fit a certain image to feel valued and admired by their peers. The battle can be deflating, which is why I am here.
Personally, I believed people had these expectations for personal trainers to be the fittest, strongest or leanest to be a trainer to look up to. But a lot of the time those were the expectations I was putting on myself, and deep down I was overcompensating for a lack of self worth.
Through this overcompensation I had lost my way in understanding the real value that I bring to the industry, and who I am as a person, which extends further than fitness. But now I am glad to be back on the path I was meant to be on. I will continue to speak my truth, share my vision, and not allow the fear of what others think hold me back.
Let’s just say my calling to help others is even stronger than ever and this year I can’t wait to take those steps forward to uncover exactly what that will be. ♥️
