Today I met with my personal trainer for the first time. I have discovered that I have a problem with motivation and accountability when it comes to fitness. I researched several different personal training options, including the sessions offered through my local gym, and ended up choosing to go with a private gym for training.

The sessions are pricey so I’ve chosen to meet with the personal trainer one time per week and then she will provide me with a workout plan for the coming week and hold me accountable when we meet again. She was awesome and I think that her training style will be a good fit for me.

Today was just the basics - we met, took the lovely measurements including body fat and then tested my heart rate, strength, flexibility and balance. I was stronger than she thought and my flexibility and balance are fine.

I am glad that I finally took this step. I thought I could do it on my own but evidently I just need a little push. I’m hoping to have the time to continue to chronicle my journey here on this blog.

Photo by kzulo

Sarah Wassner Flynn has an article on SheKnows.com entitled Get Motivated to Exercise with Mental Fitness: Mental and Physical Fitness.  In the article, she offers up several ideas to keep mentally fit while you work on getting physically fit.

• Positive Fitness Affirmations
• Avoid Destructive Distractions
• Visualize Victory

Those three steps help ensure that you are getting the most out of your workout.  It is amazing that one’s frame of mind can have such an impact on one’s physical fitness level.  In today’s world with books like “The Secret” becoming more popular, people are starting to realize the link between our personal mental world and our personal physical world. 

Here is an excerpt from Flynn’s article:

Exercise just isn’t exercise without a little bit of agony and hard work – otherwise, it wouldn’t be called a “work” out. But these discomforts can also stir up a truckload of negative energy that may foil your attempts at fitness, says Bobby McGee, a sports psychologist and running coach to winning Olympians and author of Magical Running. To stay mentally tough, try a little optimism. “The right mind frame can get you through many rough patches during exercise,” says McGee. And here are his tips on getting past those tough times while staying mentally and physically strong during your next big workout.