Tough Times are Work Out Times!

When people hit bumps in life, one of the first things they drop is fitness, and overall well being. But what if fitness was the tool to help you get through your rough times, was exactly what you needed, and even could help you get to another level of happiness once everything is back under control?

My client Chelsea is a perfect example of what I am referring to. She has gotten a job, lost it, gone a stretch of time unemployed, and spent months job-searching, which can be so draining both physically and emotionally. But she fought through all of that, using training with me as a very important tool to keep going. Now, she is working a job she enjoys, reaching goals in the gym, and just enjoying life altogether.

When Chelsea went through her job-searching period, she would sometimes come to the gym just completely out of gas both physically and emotionally. My job was to help get her moving, reassure her that she was going to get through this (which was easy because I believed in her 100%!), and not let her fall off track from the mission she was on at the gym. In the past I have mentioned that sometimes you can be at your best in the gym when you feel your worst. I’ve had many, many times where I didn’t feel up to lifting, but grinded through that feeling and ended up having a great session. Chelsea had so many of these days that I have long since lost track a long time ago. She’d walk in with a look on her face saying “I want to go to bed” or “I’m done”, then walk out with a look on her face “I am amazing, let’s go tackle some more job-searching” or, as we would often say together, “Bring it on!!!” Did I mention that she hit a lifting Personal Record PR in the bench press of 185 lbs while going through this challenging period of time?! Training played a vital role in keeping her focused and determined, it was her one hour a day to put everything down, unplug from the stresses of job searching and focus on her. She made the decision to take care of herself while going through that tough time, and because of that she had the energy and willingness to work harder and harder until she found her job. 

All I am trying to say is that while going through a tough time, you may choose to put a few things down in life. The next time you go through something like this, make sure it’s not the weights. You never know, they may be exactly what you need to get through that time and come out of it the same way you come out of the gym everyday - STRONGER!!!