As I’m getting back in to my health and fitness I’m discovering more and more people who are on the same page as me and who inspire me to achieve my wellbeing goals.
Through my mindfulness practice of being kind to myself I’ve realised that I have to want to be healthy for myself, not for an upcoming event like a wedding or holiday but as part of my everyday lifestyle that I can stick to. A bit like brushing my teeth, it’s something I do on a daily basis to feel happy and clean and wouldn’t skip doing it, and it’s something I do for myself not for anyone else, even though I’m sure others I engage in appreciate the fact I brush my teeth but you know what I mean! If you want to be fit and healthy for the rest of your life then you have to do it for yourself because you have to enjoy the process rather than it being a chore.
I know it can be intimidating following people who look so different to you, for example the women I have shared below are about a foot taller than me and in amazing shape, I can either look at them and be jealous and think I will never be as fit or as limber as them OR I can look at them as inspiration to get motivated to make my body look the best it can. I choose the later because we are all made differently for a reason and I will never be taller than I am so what’s the point in being jealous of anyone else for things you can’t change but we can all do things differently in our daily routines to eat better and move our bodies to feel better within ourselves.
Here are a few people that have been inspiring me lately.
Zanna Van Dijk is someone I’ve seen on social media for a while but didn’t start following her until recently and I really like her positive mental attitude towards life, health and fitness. She comes across as someone who gets sh!t done but isn’t scared to show that it isn’t easy and takes hard work to achieve your goals. She’s super young compared to me but I love her enthusiasm and it encourages me to keep at my fitness regime even when I don’t want to.
The Happy Pear are a twin brother duo who I’ve been following for a while now and I really like their no frills approach to eating a clean, healthy, balanced and vegan diet. They make simple recipes and explain things clearly and their books are really well written and easy to follow. They also make being vegan and exercising fun. As they are a similar age to me it shows that you can be healthy as a vegan and make positive changes at any stage of your life.
The Avantgarde Vegan AKA Gaz Oakely is another person whose approach to a vegan lifestyle I really enjoy watching on YouTube. I’ve binged watched all of his recipe videos and have been so inspired by his work and his dedication to veganism.
Tara Stiles is someone I have adored for so long and have been lucky enough to see her speak in London and meet her. I love how passionate she is about yoga and having a healthy lifestyle. She truly has inspired me over the years in many ways and areas of life but definitely with getting started in my yoga journey. She doesn’t make you feel that you have to be “perfect” at yoga she just encourages you to get started and move your body, she has a massive library of videos over on YouTube to follow.
The Body Coach is someone who has bought a bit of humour and excitement to HIIT workouts over the past few years. If I want instant results, instant meaning within a few weeks, I do the free workouts he shares online. Quick but hard twenty minute HIIT workouts using only your body weight which you can do anywhere from your bedroom to a park, definitely gives results.