Just over a year ago, I was sat in a cardiologist’s office, receiving a stern telling off. He told me that at age 34, there was no reason I should be seated in front of him and that if I didn’t change my lifestyle habits, I was headed to an early grave or at least a lifetime of medication and severe health issues.
I was overweight, smoked, and diet was healthy but contained too much coffee, red meat, and salt. I also led a sedentary lifestyle as I worked at home and following 18 months of the pandemic. I was also too stressed due to working too much and having no outlet for my problems. As a result, I had high blood pressure, severe anxiety, high cholesterol, and an inflamed liver.
The prognosis was to change your ways or risk a stroke. He told me I could either start taking meds to suppress the symptoms, or I could tackle the root of the problem. He gave me a month to change my ways and bring my blood pressure down to normal.
A year later, I am 25kg lighter, have quit smoking, take part in local and international races, and run 25 kilometres a week, as well as doing yoga, pilates, weight training and ditching the car for a bicycle with a baby seat on the back. I feel strong, happy, and healthy, and both my mental and physical health has benefitted.
Where do you find the time?
Time is something I struggle with the most. I work long hours and have a young child I have to take care of, play with, and nurture. The answer is that I find and make the time because my health is just as important as cooking dinner, working, and taking care of my child. I am no use to anyone if I am fat, unhealthy or dead, therefore, I should not feel guilty for taking the time to look after myself. I wake at 5 am, I rope in someone to take care of Dea for an hour, I run to and from her kindergarten. I have even run back from errands and appointments on the other side of the city instead of using a car.
I use my lunch break to run or go to a gym class. I wake up earlier and sleep later. I take the bicycle even when its raining. I don’t make excuses. I find it hard to make time to socialise, go shopping, read, draw, play music, or put makeup on, but when it comes to my health, I prioritise it.
Taking care of yourself should not be a luxury. It is as important as taking care of others and your work. Without your own personal well-being, you cannot function properly as a human being, and you certainly cannot take care of anyone else.
How do you stay motivated?
Really, it is all about mindset. I do not look at exercise as a chore or something I have to do. I look at it as a part of my daily routine. I lay out my exercise clothes the night before and put them on when I wake up. I don’t change my plans for anything except an absolute emergency, and there is no room for excuses. It is just part of my day, and I go through the motions like I do with getting dressed, eating, working, and everything else.
But my motivation also comes from understanding what my previous lifestyle was doing to my health. I have a young child, and I want to keep up with her, watch her grow, and set a good example. If she sees me as fat and unhealthy, she will likely follow the same path. If she sees me unhappy, she will suffer.
By making healthy choices, my daughter enjoys yoga, cycling, and running. She snacks on cucumbers and tomatoes, wolfs down spinach and fish and is just as happy drinking water as she is juice as a treat. She will also not witness me being depressed and lazy or puffing on cigarettes with all my clothes stinking of fumes.
I also motivate myself by thinking about how far I have come. When I look back at the state I was in a year ago, I think what a waste it would be if I was to give up. Every day, I have a challenge- whether to run 5k or 10k, achieve a new personal best, complete an exercise with less effort or master a new pose. These micro-challenges and achievements and the discipline that comes with sticking to the results in me feeling accomplished every day.
Let’s also not forget that exercising releases huge amounts of endorphins that flood my body every day and make me feel better than anything else- synthetic or otherwise. This, combined with positive changes in my strength and body shape, is all the motivation I need to keep going.
Aren’t you getting obsessed?
Maybe, although I don’t think obsessed is the right word. I have begun to understand the importance of self-care. This looks different for everyone, but for me, self-care is taking an hour from my day to look after my body and mind. I find exercising therapeutic- I often think of something that is bothering me or a problem I have and then work through it as I run up a hill.
I enjoy the time disconnected from social media and emails, with headphones in, breathing in fresh air in the sunlight. It is a part of my day that is just for me, where I can think, be at peace, and make myself feel good. This is not an obsession, it is just me acknowledging that taking care of my body and self is a very necessary part of my life.
When I was at school, I used to fake having asthma to get out of long-distance running. Today, at the age of 35, I am training for a half marathon. I am healthier and happier than I have ever been, and I am setting a good example for my daughter. I am not saying you have to start running every day to be happy, but I am saying that working on yourself and your health is an essential part of living a happy life.
