Run or Die

Picture this scenario…

You are at home and all of a sudden there is an invasion. They have cut the wires to your car, dismantled your phone lines, and your mobile is nowhere to be found. All you can do is run! You may have little ones who need to be carried.

Now the question is how fast and how far can you run to escape with your life whilst rushing to bring yourself and possible kids to safety?

A grim start to a blog on fitness but setting the scene is the premise I need to take you along on the fitness journey. The scenario above and many variations thereof is one I place on my own mind in order to jolt myself into a lifestyle of health and fitness.

For Atana Women, March was pronounced our month of fitness. It came with mixed emotions and reasoning.

The most common ones that most go through include:

1. Who has the time for this (cue eye-roll emoji)

2. I’d really love to but I have a bad back or knee

3. I wish I could but the kids won’t allow me

4. I’m slim so this is not for me it’s for my flesh blessed sisters

5. I’m curvy and I like it that way

6. My partner says he likes me just the way I am

How many of these apply to you? About 3 applied to me. However, the invasion scenario obliterated all the excuses out of the water. Let’s just be frank with ourselves, if you had to escape to save your life or that of your children and lack of fitness was what stood in the way then surely it’s a wasteful way to go.

Now let’s go about tackling every excuse on the list:

1. You have no time – fitness does not have to be all time-consuming. With just 5 – 10 minutes allocated daily time you can begin making an impact on your health if you are able to do it consistently

2. You have an injury – don’t let that stop you. There is a ton of training that caters for injuries – you can adapt many regular workouts to accommodate your injury and in some even help your recovery process. It is important to consult your medical doctor or a qualified instructor to ensure you don’t do yourself further harm.

3. The kids get in your way or perhaps you are expecting – why not include the kids in your workout? Make it family-friendly and get them moving too. Not only does it set the right foundation for your kids for their own fitness, but it will have them working with you and not against you. For the expectant mothers amongst us, there are a ton of suitable workouts that can cater to you through every trimester. Ensure you do these safely and consult your doc or trained fitness instructor before you commence.

4. I’m slim so working out is not for me – slimness certainly does not equal fitness. You could look like a model or be as slim as they come and be extremely unfit. Not all workout is designed for weight loss. Some workouts are perfect for enhancing some aspects of your body (maybe more “bum bum” or bigger boobies). By incorporating daily workouts into your routine, you build up your health and stamina.

5. I have the perfect body type and don’t need any more work – As mentioned in the previous point above, how you look does not equate to how fit you are. Also, you may not stay that way forever, therefore by incorporating a workout into your daily routine you can assure your happiness with your body remains, whilst gaining a great new additional health bonus.

6. My partner says he likes me the way I am – well good for your partner; but unless he is certain he will always be there to rescue you and carry you whilst running to save both your lives, you can’t place your health and wellbeing in the hands of another. Make the right decision for yourself and thank yourself for it later.

The Atana women who chose to make the smart decision and participate in the daily fitness challenges had positive things to say about it. For sure, they were not all fun; some were back-breaking and the thought of doing them alone would have you want to lie down and eat some cake. Pushing through the mind’s barriers and going for it meant we were positively impacted, came out healthier and even began making better health-conscious choices.

Perhaps you don’t know how to get started. I’d say start easy with things you enjoy. Commit to dancing to 2 – 4 fast-paced songs daily, and go for daily or weekly walks. Start with stretching your body. Choose to do some squats whilst doing the dishes or leg raisers whilst lying on the sofa. Before you know it, you will be well on your way to a fitness incorporated lifestyle.

Take another look at our invasion scenario: The invaders are in your house, but this time you have now been on your fitness journey for 6 months. You have to run but now you carry the power to kung fu kick (Thanks to leg work) down the door grab one child in each arm (Thanks to weight work and arm toning) and start running for 10 minutes straight (thanks to cardio, stamina and resistance); the danger is now far behind you and you made it with your kids in tow.

Congratulations! Your fitness incorporated lifestyle just saved your entire family.

By Belinda Boadu

 

About Belinda

Belinda Boadu is the founder of the Atana Enterprise and Foundation comprising Atana Women, Atana Mums Atana Women’s Hive and Atana Men’s Hub. She is also the Managing Director of Impart & Impact a consulting firm providing services in business, career and education. She lives in both Ghana and the UK and has a loving husband and two beautiful and brilliant children, a son and a daughter.