(Editor’s Note: We are excited to welcome Medical Exercise Specialist and Life Coach Cinder Ernst to the San Francisco Bay Times team. A few of us have trained with her and have found her to be both extremely professional and compassionate. We all know that exercise is important for physical as well as mental health, yet gyms, many trainers and even friends can be intimidating to those who find it more difficult to work exercise into their schedules, or who are otherwise challenged by the prospects.
Age, health issues and additional factors can all seemingly put a damper on fitness goals, but that is where Ernst comes in. Without judgment or peer pressure, she guides the efforts of her clients and has many success stories as a result. We hope that she inspires and instructs you through this column. If you are seeking a trainer, we also invite you to make an appointment with her. No matter what, it is time to stop sitting on your good intentions and to take exercise action, if you have not already worked fitness into your own busy schedule.)
I have been a personal trainer for more than 25 years. I was a child prodigy, lol. Actually, I am an active and happy 56-year-old woman. I like my body in spite of what others may call flaws or aging. Over the course of my career, I have developed a unique approach to exercising that I call Inside Out Fitness. As the name implies, motivation and direction come from your own intuition. The main benefit of this approach is that attaining and sustaining success with exercise become clear, easy and doable. Then you get all the great results that come from exercising regularly. How does that sound? No more feeling frustrated or stuck!
Another benefit of Inside Out Fitness is that an internally directed fitness program will make you feel good inside and out. Following this philosophy for myself has enabled me to feel good in my body. You might think, yeah, but you are a personal trainer, so your body is perfect. Nope.
For most of my career I have been a size 14 trainer in a size 4 fitness world, and I feel good in and about my body. You too will feel empowered with Inside Out Fitness. Using exercise as a self-care practice will improve how your body feels every day of your life. You will learn to like yourself more and more as you treat yourself with kindness and stop beating yourself up.
Being successful with Inside Out Fitness is defined in this way: Doing what you said you would do about exercise consistently and without struggle.
Moment to moment, day by day, you simply do what you said you would do about exercise. This is a very clear way to proceed with your personal fitness plan. It is simply about exercising, nothing more or less. The best part is that Inside Out Fitness is easier and takes much less time than you ever imagined to obtain great results.
Fitness is not what you look like. Fitness is not how much you weigh. Fitness is having enough strength and energy to live the life you want to live.
For instance, I love riding my motorcycle. In order to assume the riding position, I need to do specific mobility and strength exercises. I also need to have the stamina to do the actual riding. I love to walk and hike with my dog every day in our beautiful Bay Area. I keep my strength and stamina up to do this, even though I have knee troubles. Fitness for me means I can do the things I want to do with my life. It never means to me that I am a particular size or shape. People are always remarking on how happy I look; now that is a look I’m proud to embody.
Are you willing to see fitness in a new way? Feel your body and what it needs and do just that! No shame, no blame; just your next small step.
Cinder Ernst, Medical Exercise Specialist and Life Coach Extraordinaire, helps reluctant exercisers get moving with safe, effective and fun programs. Find out more at cinderernst.com
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