How fitness is part of my lifestyle – and how it can be part of yours too

Silvana Ghoussain
Personal trainer and Author

These last few months have really challenged us in ways that we never imagined – testing both our mental and physical strength. 

Almost overnight everything changed and our regular routines, just stopped.  Maybe having kids home all the time and juggling home schooling with work and/or household chores meant you couldn’t be as active as you once were. And, maybe your place of ‘serenity’ abruptly shut too. Whether it was a gym, a group class or just your regular walk that you were doing when the kids were at school. 

Many of us also stopped working altogether. 

I am a trainer and I found myself with a gym no longer open – nowhere to train my clients or myself!

Pre-Covid, I had just made the big decision to prepare myself for competing in bodybuilding again. My son was experiencing challenges associated from his recent diagnosis and everything – as it does – took a back seat to his needs!

The one thing that kept me grounded during this time were my walks in my neighbourhood.  Six months ago, I moved from the Gold Coast back to my home in Sydney. The local area I live in is filled with magnificent bush walks, rock pools and rivers. I made a promise to myself that I would keep getting out there – to maintain and keep going with my fitness goals.  

I have learnt over the years that you have to put something in, if you want a different outcome. Your health and wellbeing needs only YOU to commit and show up!

I have found a few simple ways to help you incorporate a bit of fitness back into your life:

• Find something that you enjoy and slowly build up over time.  For example, maybe start doing a walk 3 times a week.  If time is an issue, start with 20 mins of walking or jogging and put some intensity with sprints or finding hills to really work those legs. 
  
  
• Home workouts can also be done in 20 mins, so if you don’t have weights, use body weight and have high reps (ie reps is the amount of time you do the exercise) and increase your sets 3 to 4.

• Eating healthier than before – clean out cupboards and the fridge (not by eating it!) and have a good look at replacing foods with healthier choices.  For example exchange white pasta for wholemeal pasta.

• Have someone you can talk to that will help make you accountable for your new way forward.  Find a friend that wants to join you on that walk, or if you prefer solitude, keep a journal and track your progress.  Don’t be hard on yourself though, doing something is always better than doing nothing. 

Many little tweaks that you can incorporate will slowly help improve your fitness levels over time and become part of your lifestyle.  You have the power to move beyond your perceived limitations. It’s your time to rise and be all that you can!