What my fitness journey taught me: ‘showing up’ is THE thing!

Yesterday was a milestone for us. I say us, because it is a journey that’s not just mine. It’s as much my trainer-turned-coach-and-mentor Laura Roger’s. You can see that in her excitement in the video, at my touching a personal best of 75 kg (yes thats 165 lbs and 1.3X my body weight) deadlift.

And I know why - because when I went to her about 15 months back, I could possibly lift a 6 kilo kettlebell. That’s where I started.

I remember her asking me my goals - and I said my only goal is ‘showing up at the workouts without fail’. It was perhaps the toughest goal for me. I had never done resistance training before. I was not athletic in build or in my lifestyle. And I was unsure if I’d be able to make it to the workouts - without getting distracted by pressing work commitments. On top of that, I started managing the European business too. Which meant my evenings, when in Singapore, were even more under pressure.

I knew I had to workout with someone who could make me actually like fitness practices. And who would build me up from basics, keeping me safe and my health grounded. No competitive rush nor any shortcuts. I found that person in Laura - in her expertise as well as her athlete’s focus and mastery of techniques.

About six months back, she asked me again, about goals. I suggested she set some for me, and track them - while I continue to focus on only one - ‘show up for the workouts, three times a week’. And unless I am traveling, we make that goal happen. I turn up and submit to the process, loving every bit of that effort. Over time, my food habits and sleep patterns have become healthier. She and I go over tactics that will work for me, despite my extensive travel and work and life stresses. And apparently, we are beating the weight goals she’s set too.

The most important thing for me is that we keep it real, we keep it going. And I know today, that if you really want to do something, you need to show up for it. Over and over again. After a point, it becomes a part of your life and you no longer ‘have to’ make time for it. Things build around it. You ‘find’ time that you never had before.

As professionals in a fast-paced business environment, nothing is more important than our health. But it is also often the most deprioritised thing. Ask me, I had done that for long enough. And yet we all know that we need our fitness journeys - however fragmented the process might seem. Some of you may have just started on yours. Some of you want to start. Let’s inspire each other, shall we?

Share your stories. Share your hesitations. And know that if someone as not-meant-for-sports (at least that’s what I was always told) as I am, can keep at resistance training and build strength, immunity and energy - there’s no way you can’t.

#fitness #bpFitnessJourney #showingup #fitnessgirl #resistancetraining #prioritizefitness #shareyourfitnessstory