Overcoming Adversity Through Exercise

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There is no question, life definitely has its ups and downs. There are also many different ways of dealing with the tough times. I prefer to turn a negative into a positive. It takes work. It takes shutting off that negative voice inside my head. It takes a lot of affirmative thoughts and visioning. It takes forgiveness and putting things behind me. It takes movement both literally and figuratively. Movement in terms of exercise always makes me feel better and allows me to take control of my own destiny. Visualizing my goals and making positive steps each day helps me “move” toward those goals. Progressing and facing those adverse situations helps me gain control. Where do I find my strength? I find my strength through exercise which also happens to be my work. I find my strength through my purpose.

I grew up a chunky kid, but still very active. It wasn’t until after college that I ballooned 340 pounds. I wasn’t sure what was happening. I worked overnights at a television station and was tired all the time. I did not think I ate too much. I was diagnosed with a pituitary adenoma and found that it had contributed to my weight gain. I took control and started exercising daily and eating right. It took me about three and a half years, but I lost 185lbs. I have for the most part kept the weight off for nine years. I admittedly had a little setback where I was not working full time in fitness and recovering from surgery. But, I’ve recently been able to overcome that obstacle and lost the additional 25lbs. Even as a fitness professional, I needed to look inward and find that drive to get back on track. I have 17 national fitness certifications, but recently my focus has been Pilates and Zumba which has helped me re-establish my goals.

My point in telling you my recent struggle and story is that we are all going to face obstacles and struggles along the way. We are all going to face adversity! I know my purpose is to help others lose weight. I needed to reconnect with my purpose. What is your purpose? Even if it is not fitness, exercise can help you obtain that inner power to reach all your goals. Exercise gives you strength. Exercise gives you control. It's the positive ritual that can start your day off on the right foot. Perhaps, it is a positive break in the middle of the day over your lunch hour. Exercise after a workday can make your night. Exercise can make a good day better and a bad day good.

Joanne Sgro is a Television Fitness Expert, Certified Personal Trainer and Sport Nutritionist. She is Certified in Pilates, Pre-natal/Post-Partum, Yoga and Senior Fitness. She specializes in Weight Loss, Post-Rehab and Post Cancer Training. Joanne's fitness plans and recipes are available globally on her website www.fitnessanswer.com. She resides in the Phoenix, AZ area where she runs her personal training business, Fitness Answer, LLC.

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Christine Jeffries

Great article, Joanne!
It's always a good reminder how exercise can improve our overall wellbeing. Kudos for sticking to your goals (despite setbacks). It's inspiration we all need from time to time. In my own situation, I'm experiencing my own setback--haven't worked out for nearly 2 weeks, and feel awful, guilty, etc. Thanks for the push in the right direction.
:)

August 27, 2010 - 10:23am

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Joanne Sgro-Killworth HERWriter View Profile Send Message

We value and respect our HERWriters' experiences, but everyone is different. Many of our writers are speaking from personal experience, and what's worked for them may not work for you. Their articles are not a substitute for medical advice, although we hope you can gain knowledge from their insight.