Fitness Happiness
Welcome everyone to the Pure Bliss Blog! I thought I would make this first post about finding your fitness happiness, which will also give you a bit of insight into what influences me and why Pure Bliss Health and Fitness offers the classes, programs and services we do.
In my late teens and early 20s, I lived in the gym or I was constantly running and walking outside. I ate no more than 30 fat grams a day. If I ate 40 grams of fat in a day, I felt enormous guilt. I was in the best physical condition of my life. I was thin, lean and muscular. Wearing a US size 4, UK size 8, I looked great. I loved every piece of clothing I had on my body, although when I had my photo taken at the time, I still thought I looked fat, but that's a topic all its own for a different post. Every woman feels that way, unfortunately, and the saying "I wish I was as thin as I was when I thought I was fat," comes to mind.
However, even though I was in great shape, I hadn't found my fitness happiness because I despised the gym...and running, don't even get me started. Every trip to the gym, even though it was at least five days a week, was a serious mental pep talk. I hated every second of every day, knowing I had to go to the gym and then, I felt immense relief after each gym session. And running, well, I was nearly in tears before every run. I felt great after, but the before was horrible.
That's no way to live. Spending precious moments of your life dreading something that you need to do to stay healthy and yes, we have to do it. To be healthy, we have to exercise and eat right. There is no magic pill. However, that doesn't mean that fitness has to be dull or such a chore that you end up dreading precious moments of your life.
In my mid 20s, I had had enough of the dreaded gym and my fitness waivered a bit. Then in my late 20s, I discovered the Zumba (R) fitness program and I was hooked from my very first class. I had finally found my fitness happiness! This post isn't about promoting Zumba (R), even though I think everyone should do it, but it's about encouraging everyone to find their own fitness happiness. Perhaps Zumba (R) isn't for you and a lot of people actually think that. I honestly think that if you think it's not for you, it may be because you haven't given it the proper go (by going to the same class consistently for at least two weeks) or you haven't found your instructor (every instructor is different and you do need one you sort of vibe with). Anyway, let's say Zumba (R) isn't for you, don't give up there is something out there that will lead you to find your fitness happiness. It could be running, it could be kickboxing, swimming, spinning. Something that you can do that is an actual form of exercise that you love and that you look forward to doing. Something that you don't dread doing the entire day until it's done. Don't give up on your health and yourself until you find something that you enjoy doing.
Zumba (R) for me, because I don't feel like I'm exercising because it is so much fun, it brought me back to fond memories I had growing up. I started gymnastics and dance classes at a very young age, which lead me into cheerleading. I continued dance up until I graduated high school. These things are all extremely good activities for children to do and get started in young because it's exercise...healthy physical activity. Children are excellent in this aspect because they love activities like this and they don't realize they are exercising and doing something good for their bodies. They just know it's fun. They don't have this dreaded association with exercise and misery so many adults have (with nearly 65% of the US population and 30% of the UK population being obese or overweight, it's clear not many are getting enough exercise and likely do view exercise as misery). Getting back into the mindsight children have is the way to go in finding your fitness happiness. We should all feel as happy as children going in and during our exercise program!
Today, I'm in my early 30s, I teach Zumba (R), Wee Wigglers and Wiggle Fit classes 7 to 8 times a week. I'm not as thin as I was when I was in my early 20s, but I'm healthier. My resting heart rate lies in the high 50s and I'm happy before, during and after I exercise. I don't suffer from that dreaded pre-gym workout depression I once did and I don't dwell on the thought of eating more than 30 fat grams a day. Don't get me wrong, if the gym is your fitness happiness, then that's fantastic! I myself do still go to the gym three times a week for weight training because you do need a bit of weight training along with cardio exercises, but it's just not my fitness happiness.
The classes we do at Pure Bliss Health and Fitness are focused on fun. Wee Wigglers for toddlers, gives them a very early start with exercise. They are actually exercising in Wee Wigglers classes but they are being distracted by the music, the toys, the pictures, the props and all the action, they don't realize what they are doing is exercise and even if they did they don't have that exercise sucks mentality. Wiggle Fit for older kids is dance, but we often leave sweaty because we work hard dancing but we are smiling the whole time! And, Zumba (R), well it's exercise in disguise!
Bottom line, do some type of physical activity that makes you sweat, but also makes you happy whatever it may be because fitness happiness isn't just about your physical well-being and physicall happiness to be fully happy you have to consider your mental well-being and happiness. We need to get back to that child-like thinking that when we go to a class we are going to have fun and we look forward to it all day!
