My Crabtree Fitness journey is all about consistency….
Physical and mental wellbeing has always been an important part of my life but a few years ago “life” got in the way! As a working mother, my priorities were focused on work and family rather than myself.
In 2017, I decided to make my own health and wellbeing a priority and to juggle the balance to fit it “ALL” in. 1 session a week with Crabtree Fitness was where I began, barely being able to complete the ‘warm up’, struggling with a set of the dreaded burpees or the punishing shuttles runs. I consistently pushed myself to the motto ‘one step at a time’ and continued to remind myself that these sessions were all about MY wellbeing.
In 2018, I continued to ensure I had the balance of life and increased my commitment to Crabtree Fitness to 2 sessions per week and also included the nutritional advice and healthy eating plans. I saw an increase in my fitness and also my mental wellbeing. I remember a session where Jackie explained that we were to attempt to run up to 400metres in between the strength training… Secretly I thought “could I do this”? Running is not my strength and I was never going to finish in the top 10…..but I surprised myself and consistently pushed myself to complete the session without stopping or decreasing my pace.
The nutritional support has assisted in my goal of becoming a better me. Crabtree Simply Healthy recipes were and still are part of our weekly meal planning. Family favourites zucchini slice, chilli beef with lentils, sweet potato cottage pie, goji fudge and protein balls.
My mental wellbeing has benefited by the consistency of my sessions with Crabtree Fitness. My work is a stressful environment, which is complex and difficult some days. The ongoing consistent approach to my wellbeing has improved my mental strength and resilience, which has allowed me to cope and think clearly.
In 2019, I increased my commitment to prioritise my health and wellbeing and I have seen huge growth in my strength and cardio fitness. I increased my commitment to 3 sessions per week and continued with the simply healthy recipes. I am now able to increase my pace when running, can complete most reps of the dreaded burpees (they might be ugly though!) and now look at the next level of weights when using the kettlebells.
Early in 2019, my Nana passed away. She was a huge part of my life. During the last few days of her life and the days after her passing, I continued with the routine of my fitness. I even went to boot camp on the morning of her funeral, as I knew the benefit of me smashing out a session would help me with the difficult day ahead. The increase in my mental wellbeing allowed me to process my grief and have the strength to support my family.
Today, I thank Jackie and Paul for a friendly and supportive approach to my fitness goals and allowed me to increase my personal best goals. I am thankful to have been able to compete in a couple of bike races, fun runs and the MCG Stadium Stomp. I have lost weight, improved my body shape, increased my strength and improved my mental wellbeing.
Overall, I am thankful to Crabtree Fitness for helping me be a better version of me.
Visit https://crabtreefitness.com/ to follow Emma’s footsteps
