It took me a while to get to grips with the diet. My trainer opened my eyes, pointing out that even seemingly harmless meals like chilli con carne with kidney beans had too many carbs. The workouts themselves were also super challenging. I had never really trained my legs but the gym promoted German body composition training which is built around pairing upper and lower-body exercises. There would be times when my legs would be so tired by the end that I would struggle to even walk up the stairs of the gym.
It might seem crazy but one of the biggest challenges they set me was getting a minimum of 10,000 steps a day. I had become so used to my sedentary routine and often ended up walking up and down my house in the evenings to reach the 10000. Eventually, I learnt that small changes make all the difference and my average at the moment is consistently between 14-15,000 steps. I choose the stairs over the lift in the office. I often get off one stop earlier on the tube. And I will, on every occasion, walk to the shop.
When you’re pushing yourself things can go wrong. There were times when giving up crossed my mind. About six weeks in, I was exercising at home and my shoulder rotated weirdly and started to hurt. I had to see the sports chiropractor to learn exercises that would strengthen my shoulder. Then, nine months later, I got tendonitis in both my elbows. Simple tasks like pushing the buggy, opening the door and putting on my socks were excruciating. My trainer changed up my workouts to focus more on my legs. While I still deal with occasional shoulder and tendon pain, I’ve learned to manage it. Those sorts of setbacks help you to realise how resilient humans are and the power of determination.
Sarah Carter is a health and wellness expert residing in the UK. With a background in healthcare, she offers evidence-based advice on fitness, nutrition, and mental well-being, promoting healthier living for readers.
