Okay so I’m going to say the thing that we generally aren’t supposed to admit as good, caring people; I put myself first. Well, when it comes to working out anyway. Although exercise and fitness are my profession it’s imperative that I schedule my own exercise sessions each week and I have been doing this since I was 19 years old. Often that meant my house didn’t get cleaned or that I had to turn the TV on for 30 minutes to keep my son occupied, but I decided long ago that it was okay to be selfish when it came to my health and fitness. It’s so easy for people, especially women, to feel guilty about taking time for themselves. But honestly, who suffers when we are unfit and unhealthy? Everyone. The idea that we as adults should put work, our significant others and our children all before ourselves is imprudent and dangerous. This shift to complete selflessness, coupled with lives that have become increasingly sedentary, is a large part of the reason my generation isn’t projected to live longer than our parents generation. And how is a life of illness or even worse, one cut short by a lifestyle disease, good for the people that love you and that count on you? What seems like good parenting or a strong work ethic, achieved at the expense of committing to a healthy life could very well be something you regret.
So yes, I’m completely selfish about my workouts. I schedule them in my calendar as an appointment with myself and I very rarely cancel. I’m worth those forty-five minutes four days a week and so are you, and don’t let anyone tell you differently!