News from Trainer Sue

I love the energy this time of year. The kids have gone back to school, it's finally cooling off outside, Fall is coming and people are motivated. I noticed last week that my weight lifting class was packed full of people. It was hard to park in the Sharon Woods parking lot this morning there were so many walkers and runners. And I have lots of new women in the studio just getting started. This time of year seems to be similar to the energy of the New Year; a fresh start, new goals, a new routine.

How many of you are geared up for a fresh start this week? I got organized this weekend. I cleaned out the food pantry, went grocery shopping and stocked up on foods for this season. I cannot look at another tomato or cucumber thanks to a very hearty garden this year and I'm ready for some new foods. I got a little bit excited today at Kroger because I bought a few cans of soup! I really love Fall.

I know some of you are going to wake up tomorrow morning feeling like you are starting from scratch. Others will see your progress so far and will be ready to go to the next level. Where are you today? If you were to make an honest assessment, do you feel good about the way things are going? Are you progressing the way you want? Are you scared, frustrated, excited, hopeful, confident?

It takes strong commitment to develop a balanced fitness program for your life. You would think the most important pieces of that fitness plan would be about lifting weights, cardio, heart rate zones, and calories. But it's not. The most important pieces go much deeper than that. The most common sentence I hear in the studio is "I know what to do, I just don't do it." So it cannot be a lack of knowledge about lifting weights or heart rate zones or food that is the issue. The issue is why do we continue to make choices that we know are not good for our long term well being.

For me, there were many reasons I did not make extraordinary choices for myself. I didn't think I was worth it. I thought I was broken and defective. I didn't believe I would ever be whole and happy anyway so why bother. I had no idea how to think past the momentary pleasure of sugar or junk food to see the long term effects it all had on my soul. And I was broken hearted and scared, which created all kinds of obstacles to taking good care of myself.

This was one of the hardest lessons for me to learn, but I had to take radical responsibility for all these things before I could ever get anywhere. That meant no more blaming others. No more resentment of the past. No more excuses about not having time, money, parents, a husband, children, whatever. That meant looking in the mirror and realizing that no one had gotten me to where I was but me. My choices got me here. I did this. Ouch.

But the miraculous thing about that, I realized, was if I had gotten me there then I was empowered to choose differently. I could be free. I did not have to wait on anyone or anything to line up just right for me to get healthy, quit smoking, lose weight, or be happy. I had everything that I needed within me. I just had to deal with my excuses honestly. What I like to call bringing them into the light. Because having all that fear hiding in the dark and running the show was no fun. I didn't feel capable of choosing my path at all. But in the light that fear loses power and suddenly my choices came from a place of spirit, truth and love. Believe me, choices from that place inside you are much better than the ones from the dark.

If you are energized and motivated, I want to encourage you to learn all you can about lifting weights, aerobic exercise, heart rate zones, calories, and nutrition. But I don't want you to stop there. Keep going. Keep digging. The only way you will be able to get to the place where, once you are educated on all things fitness, you make choices that support your long term well being is by bringing everything into the light. Leave no stone unturned. Be brave. Why go on a diet and lose a few pounds when you can experience this miracle and be free from all the junk that has been holding you back. Love is the only way to freedom because it casts out fear. And once fear is not in control, being your healthiest just comes naturally.

Now get moving.