Working as a Personal Trainer, I don’t just help people reach their health and fitness goals, I provide service in the beauty industry as well. Not literally, in case you were wondering whether I work behind-the-scenes for Victoria’s Secret! Let me clarify, when clients sign up to train, they each have different objectives. While many want to lose weight, reshape their body, and gain more strength; others want to improve their golf swing, or get healthy enough to eliminate medications. Some want to learn how to manage their pain (sciatica, low back, and bursitis). The reasons are exhaustive, but the vast majority still have something in common—they don’t just want to feel good, they also want to look good!
Initially, most of my clients are baffled to discover what this transformation process actually entails. Along the way, they would be challenged on so many levels—from changing their eating habits to building cardiovascular endurance. They would need to correct postural distortions and work on improving their balance, coordination and flexibility. Many would have to step up their training intensity, or make several modifications to break through a plateau.
More often than not, training is perceived as a humbling experience. People are pushed out of their comfort zone. They get clumsy and feel awkward as they struggle to get their form right or catch their breath. They will sweat, stink, grunt or whine. Take note: If a client whines too much, he/she may get drilled harder. Inevitably, muscle failure will hit. Then one more rep—come on, one more, one more. BOOM!!! Some leave the gym energized, others wobble out. Sometimes they get painfully sore, but they keep coming back for more. Why? They are embracing the uncomfortable, ugly process of creating beauty. As each of them gain new strength and stamina, the results will start to show in the mirror. They return with a better posture and more muscle tone. Fat pounds are shed and self-esteem will rise. Confidence is beautiful. Soon, they’re keeping me abreast with all kinds of stories about the compliments they start to receive.
Most of us heard the expression that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but let’s not kid ourselves either. While we can’t all be supermodels, that shouldn’t stop us from getting in our best physical condition. Each of us are granted with only one vessel to carry us through this life—it is our physical body. We should learn to take care of it. In my book (page 164), I reference Shakti Gawain from Creative Visualization: “The only limitations on our health, beauty, energy, vitality, and joy come from our own self-created blocks, our own resistance to the goodness of life, based on fear and ignorance. Our bodies, are simply a physical expression of our consciousness. The concepts we hold of ourselves determine our health and beauty or the lack thereof.”
Today, I challenge you to embrace the ugly process of creating your beauty. Do whatever you need to do to get your butt in gear. Join a gym, hire a certified personal trainer and read The Proactive Health Solution! Why wait? You can start applying the PHS principles today! Learn as much as possible and do everything within your power to become the healthy and beautiful you!
Hebrews 12:11-13 “No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. Make level paths for your feet, so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed.”
The Proactive Health Solution 