We all have different reasons for doing the things we do. I often ask “What is your Why?”
Why do you workout? Why do you join a certain gym? Eat or don’t eat certain foods? Why do you choose to go trail running, or choose to sign up for a marathon? It’s pretty cool to sit down and chat with people and find out their “Why’s” I love knowing why people do what they do.
I had the privilege of being interviewed by former FMFA member and Freyja Kootenay Boutique owner, Chantel Vincent on one her fun Wellness Wednesday episodes last year. We chatted about FMFA philosophy and the importance of strength training for women. Personal note: I say privilege (which it was) but in actuality I was crazy nervous. I am usually the one taking pictures and videos, and am rarely on the front side of a camera. Thank you for the push Chantel.
I have been wanting to share my why and my story for a long time and have never found the courage nor made the time. We are finally kicking off our “What is your Why” campaign as we hit a month into 20245 already. I believe it is so important to have this solid “Why” as our foundation in order to make things meaningful and stick.
As strength training for women is becoming more popular and mainstream (yes!), you are seeing women at ease with lifting real weights and not just getting their cardio on with an elliptical, stair master, spin bike etc. We see women deadlifting and squatting, and bench pressing, pushing heavy ass sleds.. so awesome. These are things I wished I had known in my earlier years. My future self could have been in a much better place had I started strength training at a much earlier age. We now know how important it is to build our muscle “bank” but had no clue back then.
Instead, I along with many other young girls tried to be skinny as I entered my teen years. Even though I was a competitive athlete in many sports, I disliked my body. I vividly remember trying on dresses and hating that my quads were big and didn’t allow my dress to simply fall in a straight line at the front. WTF? If only we could turn back time…
Now though, it has ZERO to do with how I look. I have owned this business for almost 12 years. Helping so many amazing people get stronger and fitter, Helping them overcome physical and mental barriers by showing them what they can do. There is something absolutely magical about having a client start with us to lose a few pounds but after a couple months, they are more thrilled at realizing what their bodies can DO and NOT what they simply look like. I’m not even sure they remember that their initial goal was weight loss….that is a giant WIN!
My “Why” is about my quality of life and being able to do the things I love for the rest of my life. Long story short, doctors thought I went through menopause when I was in my mid to late teens. I had the symptoms: Hot flashes and my menstruation stopped etc. After a battery of tests, and specialty doctors, the “diagnosis” was simply premature ovarian failure. They didn’t know why, and I don’t really remember if we discussed serious future ramifications, or how this may affect my body as I aged, other than bone density issues. To be honest, as a teen I really didn’t care. No periods? Sweet! No pregnancy? Great! (Spoiler alert, I DID get pregnant naturally and have 3 amazing kiddos, so obviously my ovaries were not a complete failure…)
I have had bone density exams my whole life but has someone who was busy raising 3 kids, my own health took a back seat. (Can anyone else relate??) It was only as my kids got older, and my marriage fell apart, that I found myself realizing how I had been neglecting my health. How ironic that I was in the business of helping others, but never put myself first.
I had a wake up call a few years ago, when my latest bone density exam came back showing I had osteopenia. I felt broken, and old and osteoporosis felt inevitable. I felt like my life was on fast forward and I was aging too fast. Would I be able to do all the things I wanted to do in my 50s, 60s, 70s and beyond? I was planning hiking trips for the next couple decades. I saw myself travelling the world on epic active adventures. But this all changed and started worrying about having to be be careful so I would’t fall and break a hip. I was in my 40s!! What the hell!
When I stopped feeling sorry for myself, I realized I had the opportunity to make changes and slow the process down. Resistance training was shown to be an effective tool in reducing the loss of bone density. Reducing alcohol consumption, dialing in my nutrition and limiting caffeine (this was the hardest for me and still working on it…
So What is my Why? It’s to get hella strong and fit so I can avoid osteoporosis. It’s to build strength, balance, coordination and agility so I can reduce my chance of those falls, broken bones and keep myself moving forward and living and active life. It’s to strength train to help maintain my bone density and strength train to build muscle so if I do fall, I have the mass to help protect myself. I train so I am strong and not frail.
I turn 50 in a couple years and my goal is to be in the best shape I have ever been. Instead of feeling like I am aging too fast, I can not wait to turn 50. To be the strongest bad-ass women I have ever been and I am the one in control of this.
JANUARY 2024 UPDATE !!! My 3 year follow up bone density exam (Dec 2023) came back as UNCHANGED! NO significant loss of density and I am now considered low risk. This stuff WORKS!!! Focusing on lifestyle factors, working out and lifting weights has literally stopped my progress towards Osteoporosis!
What is your Why?
What drives you?
We’d love to hear from you. Message me, email me, call me. Share your story.
Contact: jana@ferniemountainfitness.com Text or call: 778.949.9001
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