Welcome To The New Goal Of Fitness: Balance First, Looks Second
Welcome To The New Goal Of Fitness: Balance First, Looks Second
August 4, 2021
Words by: Mona Butler
Photography by: Trevor Tsoi
The fitness and nutrition industries have long suffered a problem: the continuing existence of one-size-fits-all, the smaller-the-better mentality. For as long as anyone can remember, the point of exercise has been thinness and how to get there the fastest way possible. Thanks to personal trainers like Micaela however, a healthier version of these quick-fix filled industries is emerging.
Micaelaโs journey first began as an epiphany during a rough patch. Inactive and likely depressed, she found herself in need of a change. A client at Micaelaโs sales job took her for a tour of the gym she owned and it sparked a complete 180. โI learned how to exercise. I learned how to run. I learned how to eat better. I started to feel better mentally. I felt accomplished, and for the first time in a long time โ I felt confident.โ
Her lifestyle change didnโt stop there either. Eventually, her new lifestyle needed to evolve. In the beginning, she began exercising with aesthetics in mind, mainly because -like most- she did not know any other benefits. But her motivations have since rounded themselves out. Aesthetics are a lovely bonus, no one can deny that, but itโs no longer her main source of motivation. Itโs no secret that the fitness industry is fraught with unhealthy and unsustainable diet and exercise extremes that leave most people worse than when they started. Having fallen into those extremes and realizing their dangers, and saying enough is enough, Micaela found balance, rediscovered the joy of working out, and the joy of food once again, โThere is pressure in the fitness industry, as a female, to look like you could grace the cover of a fitness magazine every day. So, when I was younger and still just starting, I placed these unrealistic expectations on myself. I finally got to the point where I realized no matter how much weight I lost, it was never going to be good enough.โ
In the spirit of these beliefs, thereโs something found on most trainersโ websites and social media that you will rarely find on hers: Before and After photos. Having pages of client pictures, in Micaelaโs mind, is hardly a way to measure the success and skill of a trainer. Weight loss isnโt bad, but thinness isnโt an indicator of success when there are countless other benefits and successes of training to be celebrated! Itโs this desire to celebrate fitness without the weight loss obsession that sparked โLove Your Bodโ. โMany of the other online programs that already existed were all about โbeach bodiesโ or โbikini bodiesโ and to me, I just didnโt like the insinuations the marketing was making โ that every womanโs goal should be to look like a bikini model.Not to mention, some of these programs were leading people toward disordered eating behaviours and unhealthy exercise habits.โ
Having an online training platform has enabled Micaela to reach more people than she ever could in person.Micaela can say, without a hint of exaggeration, that her message of balanced exercise and nutrition has gone global. โI recently had an email from a woman in Bulgaria, and I just thought, how cool is that that I am training someone all the way in Bulgaria!โ
Thanks to personal trainers like Micaela however, a healthier version of these quick-fix filled industries is emerging.
MICAELAโS TOP FIVES
Top 5 Indulgences
- Potato chips drizzled with hot sauce
- Pizza (shoutout to High Dough!)
- Corona beer
- Chips and guacamole
- Ribeye steak with all the toppings!
Top 5 Healthy Choices
- Smart Pop
- PC frozen fudge bars
- 5% Greek yogurt (the high fat keeps you full for longer & they are so thick & creamy!)
- Baby carrots with hummus
- Sliced Cucumbers with lime juice and tajin (itโs a Mexican thing I grew up with!)
Micaelaโs Tips for Sticking with It
- Donโt be โall or nothingโ. 20 minutes of exercise is better than no exercise. Eating one healthy meal a day is better than no healthy meals per day
- Focus on the positive changes, and just forget about it when you fall off the wagon. Aim for 2-3 sessions per week, and focus on incorporating healthy foods into your diet. If you mess up, no big deal โ tomorrow is a new day
- Donโt wait until Monday to begin โ all we have is the present day, and each new one can be a fresh start.
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