Getting in shape and/or staying that way is key to being healthy. Hiring a personal trainer is one way to work towards that goal. A personal trainer who gets to know you, learns what motivates you and sees and understands your barriers, can tell when you need gentle hand holding or are ready to be pushed harder. Through this process friendships develop and the task of bettering your health becomes fun. Your journey towards a healthy life becomes easier if you surround yourself with people who make it fun. Friends grabbing fun fruits and vegetables are great models for your kids. Getting together and sharing cooking tips, makes time in the kitchen more fun. Meeting someone at the gym, who you would actually choose to hang out with for an hour, is a great way to get in a workout!

I strive to share with you stories of ordinary people who are on their own healthy lifestyle journey. Every story is different and hopefully you can gain some insight that will help you on your own journey.

Interview with Karen, a client who became a good friend:

We met today for a playdate for our kids. It is hard to believe our friendship started out more than 10 years ago as a personal trainer and her client. Karen was looking for someone to help her train before her wedding and she hired me through Cincinnati Sports Club. Working out several times a week at the club and living near each other evolved into even more time together. We became friends and had pregnancies and babies at the same time which brought us more ways to keep motivated about healthy habits.

Later, when her daughter was school age, Karen started to hold an after-school cooking club, teaching kids to make food and follow recipes. This evolved into a summer camp to teach kids how to make healthy meals, set the table and serve with grace and courtesy as well as clean up afterwards. The children have natural conversations while eating and learn to try new things and talk about what they like and don’t like.

By modeling a good attitude towards healthy food and fitness she is teaching her daughter habits that will help her on her own journey as she grows up.

Journaling Questions:

1. Write out a list of people that you surround yourself with most – assess your list and be honest with yourself if you are hanging with inspiration or partners in crime?

2. Yes, personal training is personal, but really your entire health journey is personal! You have to enjoy the journey and friendships along the way or it will forever feel hard without the fun as a balancer! Assess your healthy habits, do you currently find any of them fun?

Homework:

Goal setting will always be part of your homework. Once a week write down your focus or goals for the week. Every Friday reassess them, tweak them or change them to fit your needs. It’s “Your journey, your way”.

Links:

Lindsey House:

www.healthaccountabilitycoach.com

www.facebook.com/houselifestyles

Direction Not Perfection, Accountability and Coaching from your Wine-loving Dietitian

https://braughlerbooks.com/store/books/direction-not-perfection