Getting back to basics

Posted on 20 July, 2016

As women, we have this dream that we can have it all. I have some bad news – when it comes to fitness we can’t.

What I mean is, in the same way that you can’t be everything to everyone (though we may try our hardest), for most of us we are never going to be fit in all the many ways that we would like – endurance, strength, flexibility, speed – at the level we would ideally like. This is because the vast majority of us are not professional athletes!

We have jobs, families, relationships, friendships – you know, that ‘life’ thing. We simply don’t have the time to devote to not only training across a huge range of disciplines but we also don’t have the time to dedicate to proper recovery, which is massively important.

Be realistic

The truth is, this is actually great news! Once you realise that this ‘perfect’ state of fitness isn’t achievable, you can reframe your goals and expectations of yourself and actually start making some progress.

Let me give you an example. When I finished my first marathon last September, I was on a kind of ‘fitness high’. I felt like I could crush any goal and nobody was going to stop me! If I could run a marathon, then maybe I could also finally get really good at yoga – so I added things like inversions and eight angle pose to my goals list – things I’d seen those gorgeous Instagram babes doing.

I’d also started doing Crossfit and I wanted to get really good at that too – so on to my list went muscle ups, snatches, overhead squats, pull ups, a 100kg squat… oh and obviously I was planning my next marathon, only I wanted to beat my last time and maybe I should add a triathlon to the list?

Safe to say I didn’t achieve any of these things. What I did was burn myself out and stay mediocre at everything I was doing, because I didn’t have a focus and I wasn’t giving myself adequate time for recovery. Maybe mine is a bit of an extreme example, but I think many people can relate to this feeling.

Get specific

I’m a big advocate of dreaming big, especially when it comes to fitness! In saying that, it’s a good idea to get specific on what it is that you want to achieve, so that you have the best chance of achieving your goals and feeling positive and empowered, instead of overwhelmed, lost and confused. Because I’ve been there, and trust me, it’s no fun.

If you’re not sure where to start, here’s an idea: write a list of all the fitness goals you would love to achieve and pick the ONE that really makes you feel happy. Maybe it’s running a 5km fun run with your daughter, maybe it’s competing in your first Crossfit competition, maybe it’s mastering a headstand. Whatever your jam is, keep it simple and specific.

Set goals

What am I doing now? Well, I’ve scaled things back. I had a good, hard look at my big old list and decided what was important and achievable with the other things going on in my life. Ultra Marathon? Maybe not this year. Crossfit Regionals? Err… that’s a no. 100kg squat? Yes please. In short, I have a small, specific list of personal fitness goals.

Set timelines

I’ve set timelines – reasonable timelines – and enlisted the right help to keep me accountable and help me move forward in a way that’s sustainable and realistic. WINNING! Sure, I’m not an Instagram yogi goddess and I probably won’t run my next marathon for a few years – but that’s ok. I’ve moving toward my goals slowly and steadily, enjoying the process and have a clear vision of where I want to be.

Best of all, that sense of overwhelm and confusion is replaced by confidence, purpose and most importantly, happiness.