Meaghan Ross - Personal Trainer

The crossroads...

So... I had a little “ bump” in the road recently with a spontaneous haematoma on my shin, which also turned out to be infected 🤦🏻‍♀️ Thankfully, I won’t be losing my leg this time 😅

Not only has the rest and recovery been amazing, but it has also been an incredible opportunity for me to reflect on the events that lead to this injury. Over the past few years, I’ve been one to advocate the importance of rest, recovery and training smarter to clients. Yet I’ve found in recent months I haven’t been practicing what I preach.

I started losing myself to my old values all over again. Training more than necessary to get to a certain weight, focusing purely on how I looked and less on how I felt. I allowed the feedback of others about my weight loss to reinforce the behaviour of pushing myself beyond healthy limits. Needless to say that these actions and thought patterns lead to physical, mental and emotional exhaustion (and a b**g leg 🥚)

I know that I am not the only PT in the world who has felt this immense pressure to look a particular way or fit into a certain mould in the industry. I am also very aware that there are plenty of people out there who can relate this with their own personal journey. I understand that many struggle with putting unhealthy expectations on themselves, to fit a certain image to feel valued and admired by their peers. The battle can be deflating, which is why I am here.

Personally, I believed people had these expectations for personal trainers to be the fittest, strongest or leanest to be a trainer to look up to. But a lot of the time those were the expectations I was putting on myself, and deep down I was overcompensating for a lack of self worth.

Through this overcompensation I had lost my way in understanding the real value that I bring to the industry, and who I am as a person, which extends further than fitness. But now I am glad to be back on the path I was meant to be on. I will continue to speak my truth, share my vision, and not allow the fear of what others think hold me back.

Let’s just say my calling to help others is even stronger than ever and this year I can’t wait to take those steps forward to uncover exactly what that will be. ♥️

Definitely not the stairway to heaven... but the scenery was pretty close to it 😉🙌🏻🚶🏻‍♀️🌿

I believe social media has played a massive role in the way we tend to feel about ourselves. It’s easy to be hard on our own bodies, and put unrealistic expectations to look a particular way to feel attractive, confident and worthy. Fitness seems to have become more of a beauty statement rather than a contribution to a healthier and better quality of life.

While it’s fantastic to be proud of the body you have worked hard for, there are times it can be taken to the extreme. This may include obsession with clean eating, overtraining, clearing your social calendar because you feel you can’t drink, have anxiety around bad food, and so forth.

I have been there too, and have spoken in previous blogs about my own experience with the battles of body image. These days my values are placed less on looking a certain way, and more on inner health, healing and feeling stronger mentally and physically. I’m glad that part of my life happened, as I can now use the lessons I have learned to be able to relate to others who may also be experiencing this.

Fitness should never cost you a balanced life or your self worth. More to come on this soon. 💚

These cold winter mornings call for a warm breakfast... Porridge with mixed berries, peanut butter and cinnamon, and paired with my favourite ☕ Simple breakfast on the go which can be whipped up in less than 5 minutes. Perfect as a pre workout meal. 😋