[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]So on Friday another happy batch of Fitness Soul Bootcampers are released back into the wild, whilst I watch on proudly from afar and wipe a tear from my grizzled eye.
There’s a lot I love about the bootcamps – the people, the “safe space” to be playful and creative in the workouts and try to bring as much variety to the morning sessions as possible, and of course, the wee round of applause we earn for ourselves at the end of each class.
But one thing I don’t like so much is the finite lifespan. Four weeks is enough time to get to know folks and I’m always a bit sad to have the sessions end. Tag and release fitness focus. BOOOOOO!!!!
So I hope that everyone will stick around to keep working on the healthy goals we set and perhaps try out some of the other classes the gym has on offer – from Zumba (something I don’t quite understand but when I’m in the room with them, the energy has to be felt to be believed and I always leave happier) to calisthenics (imagine trying to stay fit in prison and you get the idea….) And of course, kettlebells.
Versatile wee puppies that they are. But with Christmas around the corner, and a coy 2018 skulking suspiciously at the crossroads, it’s a good time to take a step back and reflect. I was chatting with a good friend about body shaming, and the pressure she and others feel to be, look, feel a certain way.
Last week I wrote about the difference between motivation and dedication. This week seems a good bridge to the world of goal setting. There is a tonne of information out there in internetsville about goals and SMART goals in particular. I’ve always had mixed feelings about these. But I met someone a while ago who had an impact on me, and something he said seems pertinent here.
He said that he had “fallen in love with the process” and so his goals didn’t matter; he loved the doing of things so much that he knew he would get things done.
From a health perspective, this had real resonance for me. We can always more sleek of hair or shiny of nose; we can drop a dress size or have bigger biceps. We can always want to squat more, jump higher, or take just 15 minutes from a personal best. That approach of Kaizen is great and admirable but can also be a roadblock.
Have you ever felt “slim enough”?
And if you can’t ever be content, why bother at all? I weigh 85kg today; when I fought, I fought at 70. I looked like an anatomical diagram for trainee doctors, yet I could see the fat on myself that I needed to lose. The addiction to looking slim and beautiful, the hunt for the perfect physique, if it’s only measured by our own perception, is a futile one.
Instead, think about trying to fall in love with the process. Physical play, movement, makes us healthier and happier. Make that your goal, to fall in love with the process.
Richard
The next Fitness Soul Bootcamp start on 8th January, sign up now! https://fitnesssoul.co.uk/programs/fitness-soul-bootcamp-edinburgh/[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row css=”.vc_custom_1511377103365{padding-top: 30px !important;}”][vc_column][lab_heading title=”BOOTCAMP CHRONICLES”][/lab_heading][vc_basic_grid post_type=”post” max_items=”10″ grid_id=”vc_gid:1511377002221-ee58017c-cdd9-3″ taxonomies=”4411″][/vc_column][/vc_row]
