I had always been active but got seriously derailed in my 40’s. I had some significant health issues, was going through menopause and trying to balance being a mother, wife and working full time. My fitness took a back seat.
When I turned 50 I re-committed to setting my fitness as a priority. I saw an ad for One on One called Fit, Fabulous and Forty. I called Sandra and asked her if she would take women in their 50’s. She said yes and the rest is history. I have been a client for almost 10 years and I am turning 60 in April!
Even though I had a health and fitness background I needed an accountability partner. I also wanted an individualized workout to help me meet my goals. My trainers have always helped me set specific, measurable, realistic, achievable, time limited goals. I have lost weight, increased my lean body mass and my bone density! I have a demanding job as a professor at Mount Royal University so time management and organization are critical in order to make my fitness a priority.
I had a set back in 2013 when I was diagnosed with early stage breast cancer. After that experience my health priorities became of critical importance. I decided I was not going to let cancer define me and I would take charge when I was not in control. I would take action on the things I knew I could control in relation to lowering my risk for recurrence…and exercise is a key component.
Last year with Sandra and Danny’s support and encouragement I trained for the FIT MOMMY competition and placed first in my category.
This really flipped a switch for me and has taken my training to a whole new level! I have been super dedicated and working harder than I ever have thought was possible. I am training for my first “real” fitness competition in May competing in the Grand Master category for women over 50! I have learned a lot about how to properly fuel my body for strength and performance.
My secrets for success and staying on track:
- Set specific measurable goals that have a defined period of time. This keeps you motivated and on track toward meeting your goal. It might be increasing the number of pushups you can do, learning to do a chin up, improving your aerobic capacity on the treadmill or losing weight. I always reward myself when I hit a goal, usually buying clothes or shoes (such a girl thing) and then quickly set a new one.
- Tie your exercise to activities you really enjoy as training for the sake of training can get stale. I love to ski, run, cycle and golf and keeping fit helps me enjoy those activities. This Christmas we went skiing and I couldn’t believe how strong my legs felt! So thankful we had been working my legs HARD the last few months.
- Have an accountability partner and share your goals with them. This could be your personal trainer, husband, partner or friend. My husband is also very active and we love to hit the gym together on the weekends. By sharing your goal with someone else it increases your chance of actually hitting the target.
- Sunday planning is critical. I organize my workout schedule for the week and put it into my calendar. I have made my workouts non-negotiable. Another critical piece is meal planning and preparation. Keep your kitchen well stocked with healthy food choices and high energy snacks. Cook in bulk so you have leftovers. Get your family on board and involve them in meal planning and preparation.
