The Choice is Yours: Finding Freedom and Identity Through Fitness

Empower Your Life: How Fitness Shapes Freedom, Identity, and Well-Being

I want to share my story in the hopes that it helps someone—even one person—get off their couch and start living up to their full potential. There are too many inactive people in Nova Scotia, and too many chronic health issues that are "solvable with exercise." (The Health Crisis Nobody's Talking About) It saddens me that people are suffering when they don't have to. All it takes is an hour a day, but no one can do it for you.

Growing up in the 1980s, my father was a fairly serious triathlete and cross-country skier, and my mom was a fitness instructor (Jane Fonda-style!). It's safe to say that I was surrounded by first-hand experiences of what being fit meant—long hikes, windsurfing at the cottage, trying all the fun things, and being free from pain and disease.

Still in public school, my Dad took me for my first run when I was 13 years old, and I never stopped. I participated in running races with my entire family for years. At university, I started lifting weights at 18 years old, and I literally haven't taken more than two weeks off since. Then I dabbled in bodybuilding competitions and became a fitness instructor myself in the early 2000s for 15 years. In the 1990s, I was the only woman in the weight room (all the others were in the cardio room), surrounded by big guys. It was extremely uncomfortable, but I put my head down and powered through. Day after day. And now, I have landed at Blended Athletics, where I started in 2016.

But why have I chosen to commit to fitness for this long? Fitness is not easy. Sore muscles aren't fun. The time and energy it takes to get to the gym every day are hard to find. But I have done it for 37 years and know I will continue to do it for as long as I can. Why? Why do I prioritize it and keep going back for more?

Reason #1: Physically pushing my body makes me feel good. So. Damn. Good. The mental game when your lungs are on fire. The hit of endorphins when it's over. The satisfaction and pride in knowing that I did it. Seeing progress in my abilities and body composition feels good because I am the one who made it happen! I hold my head high every day.

Reason #2: Fitness is freedom. Freedom from, and freedom to. Freedom from disease and the effects of aging like high cholesterol and blood pressure, arthritis, loss of muscle mass, and bone density... Freedom to try new things because you are physically capable and confident in what your body can do. I learned how to waterski at 45 and snatched for the first time at 44. At 50, I'm working on my handstands. That is freedom, and I want to kick ass in my 90s!

Reason #3: Aesthetics. I must be honest here and say that in the early 2000s, I got into bodybuilding primarily for aesthetics. I worked very hard for a full year on building my shoulders for the stage. Here I am, 20 years later, though, and I have retained a lot of that shape and muscle mass. Looking good is a by-product of working hard, and today I show off my muscular arms with pride.

Reason #4: Identity. Once you get into it and start seeing some results, being a fit person will become who you are. You may not believe me if you haven't started yet, but trust me on this one. You will become a person who chooses to work out before your day starts, or after your workday is over. You will become a person who asks, "How will I move today?" instead of "Will I move today?" It becomes less demanding to find that hour in the day because you don't even make that decision anymore—you know you will go to the gym, and you will fit it in your schedule.

I hope that at least one person has read this and is inspired to make a change. It starts with motivation and inspiration, so act on that now while you have it! When it gets hard, though—and it will get hard—it's discipline that keeps you going. The members and coaches at Blended will be there when you need that kick in the pants.

Remember, you can choose hard now by going to the gym, or you can choose hard later in the form of obesity, arthritis, loss of mobility, etc. You know what you need to do. Don't be afraid to burn it all down to build something better. Go get it.