Micheline’s approach to fitness is remembering that her only competition is herself. So, every day she shows up, for herself, her body, and her lifestyle.
One of my earliest memories was bouncing up and down to the music playing on the radio trying to find some sort of rhythm. This was before I could even walk.
At the age of 5, my mom enrolled me in a dance studio that she had attended. I come from a long line of dancers and, naturally, I became one too. Being active has formed a big part of my life for as long as I can remember, but it wasn’t until I broke the radial head in each of my elbows that I truly understood the significance of having a fully functioning body.
I rarely thought twice when it was time for a dancing lesson or preparing for a competition. Often, it’s only when you’re unable to participate that you realise how significant this is. My real fitness journey started that day. It was a year before I could straighten my elbows again and get back to doing what I love. I would never have been able to get there if it weren’t for the correct strength training and conditioning exercises that I did almost daily, as well as the supplements that helped provide added joint support.
My fitness journey gave me hope.
The idea of not being able to dance for that period of my life was devastating. Exercising transformed me completely from head to toe. It wasn’t only from the outside but from the inside too. It gave me back the inner confidence I lost due to my injury.
Slowly and gradually, I rebuilt my stamina and strength. I stretched more than ever, and performed weightlifting and cardio workouts that helped me regain full strength. It helped me kick bad habits and self-doubt. It taught me discipline and patience, which I now apply to all areas of my life.
We live in a society where we constantly compare ourselves to others.
My approach to fitness is that my only competition is myself. Sure, there will be times when I look at another person’s performance and want what they have. But I always strive to do better than I did the last time, and the feeling I get when I defeat my past self is pretty incredible!
I aim to include strength, balance, aerobic and flexibility training.
While it’s not necessarily all in the same workout, I’ve created a schedule for my week that incorporates each of these elements on different days. Most people have a few favourite exercises and are more likely to do those movements regularly in their workouts.
I’ve learnt that this creates a plateau and possibly neglects certain muscle groups. Your sets don’t need to be as hard as possible. With correct form and discipline you’ll achieve your desired results. I like expanding my exercise repertoire as it provides for a healthy body in a general sense and keeps it exciting.
Stretching after a warm shower or bath makes it easier for you to stretch your muscles as it acts as a pre-warm up routine.
It increases blood flow and the elasticity of the connective tissue. The warm water from your shower or bath will raise muscle temperature, prepare your muscles for stretching, it can help release lactic acid, and lowers your chance of being injured or pulling a muscle.
At the moment my favourite Biogen supplement is the Grass Fed Whey Vanilla Protein Shake.
It’s a “greener” option, has great nutritional properties, and it’s delicious on its own or in a smoothie.
It doesn’t matter if you fall 100 times, what matters most is that you get up 101.
Show up fully, commit to greatness, and never give up. Visualise your success, celebrate all victories, especially the small ones. But the word that inspires me the most, however, is – “challenge”. It has more depth than we realise.
Challenge yourself, challenge what you know and challenge those around you to be the best version of themselves. We must remember that every challenge creates opportunities for growth.
The greatest piece of advice that I’ve ever received is that you’ll be 10 years older regardless of the decisions that you make today, so you might as well make the best ones for your future.
I want to be able to say that I chose my life and didn’t settle for it. Whether it be in my fitness goals or life in general, you can apply this to both. As much as we work towards having a bright future, we need to acknowledge that no tomorrow is guaranteed. So do the best for your present and future self – both equally deserve it.
Author: Tanja Schmitz
Founder and Editor of Fitness Magazine. You’ll find her behind her computer or on her bike, dreaming up new ways to improve or create content for you.
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