Tune in to Your Own Voice to Soar in Your Exercise Routine

The modern fitness industry has an unfortunate tendency to elevate those with the biggest egos by profiting off the insecurities of others. 

The louder the personal trainers, coaches, and Instagram "experts" are, and the more they enforce their opinion as the be all/end all to athletics, the more we are trained to turn a blind eye to our own intuition and buy in to whatever fitness trend they're selling. 

We have been taught to ignore pain, despite it being a message from our body. We have been taught that [insert latest fitness trend] is the best for everyone, at all times. We have been taught to seek external validation for results rather than tuning in to ourselves and seeing how a certain program makes us feel internally. 

But, as fitness [and beauty] trends constantly evolve, the one thing that remains constant is the necessity to FIRST tune in with yourself regarding a workout or exercise program. 

I remember recovering from ACL Surgery and working with "the best" athletic trainer I could find. In my first session with me, he had me doing an exercise that I knew felt off. I told him it didn't feel right, and he pushed me saying, 'You can't be weak- you have to do this if you want to play pro again.' I pushed it, knowing it felt wrong, and heard a loud pop accompany excruciating pain. I ended up back on crutches, setting my rehab back 6+ months. Ultimately, it ended up changing the entire course of my playing career, leading to multiple surgeries and years in limbo.

My trainer wasn't trying to hurt me; he was doing what he thought I needed. He also didn't know my personality and how rare it was to even say something didn't feel right. Had I (and he) trusted more in my own intuition, the situation could have been very different. 

I'm not saying not to heed any value from fitness professionals; heck, I am one, and I think the benefit of working with one can be life changing. What I am saying is that, while seeking one out, make sure that you are remember that you and your intuition have the most important information of all. 

Fitness professionals can serve as guidance, but tuning into yourself is the most important platform on which to build your fitness base.