According to the calendar the official start to summer is still about a week away. For me, summer starts with the first day of BetterU training.
I’ve spent the last few weeks getting to know our team of 10 women. They gathered for the Welcome Party in May to meet each other and to see just what it was they had gotten themselves into. Each of them comes to the process at a different stage in life and a different stage of their journey. Our youngest is in college, just entering her 20s. The most mature member is just over 70 and ready to make the most of her “golden years”. They are married, single, divorced and widowed. Some of them have children and some do not. It is the group with the most diverse experience and varied fitness levels in my four years coaching the BetterU Makeover Challenge.
I asked them to give me three words to describe their journey so far, just before our first group workout last Saturday and after their initial assessment appointment. Here are a few of their responses.
Overwhelmed. Determined. Enlightened.
– Bernadette
How many times have you felt that way? That moment when you start to get the information that might be missing, that light bulb moment. You’re ready to make the most of it but there is just so much of it! It’s okay. For real fitness we take it one step, one habit, at time.
Active. Educational. Soreness.
– Claudette
Even if we “tip toe” in, soreness is a reality of moving again. If you do something different your body is going to tell you about it. Would you believe me if I said you come to appreciate the soreness? It becomes a signal that you challenged your body in a new way. NOT PAIN. Not soreness so bad you can’t get out of bed or bend your arms. That’s not what we’re about.
Empowering. Confidence Building.
– Judy
This is the WHY. This is what I hope for every client. This is why we want to get fit, to get healthy. It’s about what we can do outside of the gym. It’s about being capable to fully participate in life. If your fitness program is breaking you down instead of building you up, it’s time to rethink your path.
Ready Set Go!
– Sarah
That pretty much sums it up. Everyone is ready to move forward. Other words were offered up – nervous, curious and complicated came up too. Yet everyone’s participation so far tells me that they are ready to move forward and soak up every moment of our 12 weeks together. Everyone’s path is going to look different but the road map is the same. My hope is by the end of August the 4 Keys to Real Fitness will be firmly planted in their brains and ready to guide them no matter what the future brings.
Over the next 12 weeks I will ask the ladies to share more of their stories (in more than three words). You can follow their journeys on social media as well with the hashtag #GoRedSGF. I’ve encouraged them to share as much as possible because teaching is learning. Showing others the way is sometimes one of the best ways to learn and stay motivated. That’s one of the reasons I love my job so much. I look forward to this program every year because it reconnects me to my WHY. It gives me new ideas and a new energy that I can share with all my clients.
My three words as we start the program? My three word mantra for success…..
Just Be Present.
What are your three words today?
