Home Fitness Blog

I first met John (not his real name) at his office. A friend of his had told him about me and what I was doing with home fitness, so he called me up for a chat. John was a clown. No, I don't mean a bit of a joker but an actual clown. He did losts of carnivals, shows and events. More a corporate clown than a kids party type. He was also the clasic clown hiding behind a painted smile. He was fat and struggling with it. Unhappy and living alone.

Our first session together set a pattern for the first 3 weeks. I would be there at 7.00am and he would hide! I would start by banging on his door and throwing pebbles up at his bedroom window till he finally came to the window to throw the front door key down. I would let myself in, make him a drink and wait for him to materialise. We did nothing for those first few weeks but go for a stroll around the park and chat. It was the 4th week he realised he was getting his frame around the park quicker and with more ease. He was liking that feeling so I introduced him to body workouts on the way round. I was no longer having to wake him up. He was waiting with a drink for me! He was now the fat man walking not the fat man hiding. His eating habits were another storey and much harder to conquer, but he was genuinly happy with his progress and his new found fitness. He was happy in himself and knew he was on a journey so didn't care that anybody else saw him or what they thought of him. John joined a walking group and we no longer did our morning sessions together. He was moving forward and my job was done!

The moral of the storey

Accountability!

John made an effort to reach out to someone, in this case a recommended trainer, and he knew he would have someone there for him giving encouragement when he couldn't be bothered. If you are a 'John' there's someone waiting to go walkies with you too. A friend, workmate or family member who will be on your side and won't take no for a answer! If you struggle to be accountable to yourself (which comes with progess) be accountable to someone else. Get your own little group together for example and be accountable to each other. Help is always there if  you look for it!