First Step To Maximum Wellness is the name of my fitness company so I thought I would tell you about the first step in my journey towards my career.
I had always been an active kid — playing all day long, interrupted only by the time spent in school. My friends and I played before school, during recess, after gulping down sandwiches at lunch, after school until dinner and then after dinner until THE STREET LIGHTS CAME ON. Oh, we hated when those lights came on because it meant that the fun was over. We were always running around and never seemed to get tired. Those were the days. Now, we need a nap.
Next came the teenage years. They were also very fun but not as active. Getting in trouble was the name of the game back then. SMOKING. That changed everything. It changed the friends that I hung around with, it changed how people saw me and most importantly, it changed my activity level. My friends and I weren’t running around and playing anymore because we were being cool and we were SMOKIN’.
Smoking for me lasted 14 years. When I realized that I had smoked for half of my life, I said “Enough.” I took control back from that little white stick. I didn’t wait until I finished the pack or for January 1st or some other thing that would inevitably put this off. I ripped up the last 6 cigarettes, threw them away and never smoked again.
Best day of my life. Instead of smoking, I started to drink a glass of water every time I got a craving which wasn’t the same but I knew it was better for me.
Quitting smoking also led me back to tennis, which I loved to play when I was younger. So, I and three guy friends joined a gym that had indoor tennis. We were a disaster but we were playing again and that felt really good.
One day, I wandered into “THE WEIGHT ROOM- a place where few women had gone before. It was a much more intimidating place back then but it fascinated me and I soon found myself not just using the cardio machines but using the weight machines as well. It felt so empowering and from that point on, I knew.
I knew I would be healthier, stronger and a more active person than I was during the last 14 years and that made me feel great. I knew that I wanted others to feel this way as well so I studied for what seemed like an eternity, and I became a Weight Training Instructor and finally, a Personal Trainer with a few different specialties.
Now I get to play for a living and best of all, I don’t have to come in when the street lights come on.
Originally published at balanceformaximumwellness.com on June 9, 2016.